The human brain is a wonderful thing.

[Feek]

On the way home, my phone rang in the car. It was a mobile number I didn't recognise, so I answered it with just "Hello".

There was a pause.

I said "Hello?" again.

*silence*

I was about to hang up when a voice said "Hello"

I said "Richard!"

He was stunned. This was someone that I've not spoken to in (and we worked it out) around eighteen years yet my brain, being an ultimate supercomputer pulled his voice out from my distant memory and told me who it was within microseconds.

I was impressed as well, but I've always been good with voices anyway having been listening to people via wireless communications since I was about 12 but I still think our brains are bloody amazing things.

[Dymetrie]

For a moment I thought you were posting about me!

Then I remembered 2 important things:

1) I didn't call you this evening, not even from an unknown number.

2) You've never called me Richard in your life!

[Pheebs]

Wowee! That's cooool! My brains too swiss cheese to do things like that. Have things changed much since you guys last spoke?! How wickedy woo! You gonna meet for a pint or five?!

/me wants a super human brain like feekys

[Mark]

I'm more of a factual person myself. Names, faces and voices take several attempts to 'stick', and even that's no guarantee that I'll recognise someone a few weeks later sometimes. The same goes for 'doing' and 'feeling' things - ask me what I was doing or how I felt on a particular memorable date and I probably wouldn't have a clue.

However, show me a map of my old school (last attended 19 years ago), and I could probably tell you what every single building on the site (and there were lots of them) was for at the time I was there (bar a few that were off-limits to pupils).

Odd, fascinating, and amazing what the brain can and cannot do, and how different people's brains are at remembering stuff.

[Fayshun]

I was going to post a reply, but I forgot what it was.

Who are you all again?

Where am I?

And is there trifle for tea?

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Fayshun

And is there trifle for tea?

I do hope so. Send some in this direction - I'm only down the A34.

[iCraig]

The brain truly is amazing.

When you ponder about your brain, wondering about how it all works, it hits you, it's the brain, pondering itself.

Quite fascinating when you stop and think about it.

[Belmit]

Reminds me of the Karl Pilkington conversation where he's about to leave the house for the shops and suddenly remembers 'onions'.

'Who told me that? Because I'd forgotten. Something told my brain to get onions.'

I'll try and find the episode and post it. He comes out with some stupid stuff but it does make you think. The classic one is where he's asked if he'd like an exact clone of himself, that looks like him and has the same memories.

'How would I know which one was me?'

Completely stupid question at first glance, but when you think about it, if both you and the clone have the exact same memories, maybe you are the clone.

[iCraig]

Originally Posted by Belmit

The classic one is where he's asked if he'd like an exact clone of himself, that looks like him and has the same memories.

'How would I know which one was me?'

Completely stupid question at first glance, but when you think about it, if both you and the clone have the exact same memories, maybe you are the clone.

I'm not alone!

Ricky and Steve hammered him on that, proclaiming it as the stupidest thing that a human being had ever said, it wasn't.

The clone would contain the same memories, of seeing the clone produced, and so would be just as adamant as the original Karl that he himself, was the original.

Only a third party observer's testimony would be credible.

[Mark]

I'd never heard of this before, but I agree with the statements nonetheless.