How do memories form?
Dr. Kramer’s research focuses on the difference between short-term and long-term memory. While short-term memories can fade quickly, long-term memories require a special process: certain genes in our brain cells must be switched on to help store information for the long haul.

“We know this happens in both flies and mammals, but the exact genes and transcription factors—or switches—involved have been a mystery,” says Dr. Kramer.

Using advanced technology, his team was able to isolate the specific memory-forming neurons in fruit flies and track which genes were activated as memories formed and were recalled. This was no small feat—these neurons are tiny and hard to study.

The team identified a group of genes that are switched on during long-term memory formation, as well as two key “switches” (called transcription factors) that control this process. What’s especially exciting is that these switches are also linked to human neurological disorders, including some rare neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.

“The genes that we discovered to be controlling memory storage in flies are also present in humans and implicated in human disease,” Dr. Kramer notes. “That means our work could help us understand not just memory but also give clues about the mechanisms underlying the related human disorders.”

There is no scientific proof that water molecules posess any form of memory. Water can form beautiful fractal crystals or exhibit chaos depending on conditions and the makeup of foreign bodies. Pan consciousness is an interesting but unproven theory.