How does the brain make memories?

The brain makes memories by changing the connections among its nerve cells. When a child hears a song, tastes soup, or learns a name, certain cells signal in a pattern. If that pattern is used again, the links become easier to use, and the experience can be recalled later.

Emotion, practice, and sleep help decide what stays. A part called the hippocampus briefly gathers fresh experiences, then many lasting memories are worked into the cortex over time. Remembering is active too: each recall can strengthen, soften, or update the pattern.