Researchers are providing us some great insight into the most

Researchers are providing us some great insight into the most
fundamental areas of learning and memory. Namely, we're now able
to look at the small "spines" on the receiving end of the neuron
(the dendrite). The latest research suggests that these spines
are the location of memory. Interestingly, once the spines
enlarge and stabilize, they don't go away from lack of use.
Rather, their necks (the connection between the synapse and the
dendrite) elongate. This elongation may account for forgetting.
Interestingly, once a spine receives input after having been
unused for a while, its neck immediately shrinks. This may be
the mechanism for re-solidifying lost memory. So basically an
unused "memory" biologically remains until it is needed again.
And this may also happen with regards to the pointer-like neural
network +[1]Adam Black*alluded to.
[2][IMG]
[3]KENNETH UDUT
1:28 PM
+[4]Edward Conrad* It makes sense - helps explain that "just out
of reach" feeling with memories; they may LITERALLY be just out
of reach, hiding behind a corner or a little ways down a tube. I
like that idea because it can at least be tied to a physical
system, something a lot of memory theories don't as they get
lost in the world of mathematics and psychology and philosophy
and such* (not that there's anything wrong with abstractions..
but the way I look at it, those abstractions are happening
someplace - in a brain at the very least :P ) When studying the
brain a bit heavily last year, I was looking for analogies in
physical systems, trying to find matches that were close enough
to explain at least some things. The way rubber changes through
vulcanization really struck me as helpful, as did the way that
heat can release dyes (colors) and set dyes. There's a theory
about how Anesthesia works that involves the nature of the brain
matter itself (being fatty) - and the way that fats can congeal
or liquify were also inspirational.* I never had any solid
conclusions from my attempts at finding analogies for human
memory but I did get some vague possibilities that I never
fleshed out into any kind of full theories.

References

Visible links
1. https://plus.google.com/108177944448520252638
2. https://plus.google.com/116220525110856958463
3. https://plus.google.com/116220525110856958463
4. https://plus.google.com/108208849317759982392