Art of Retrospection: How we SOLVED memory

Humans with memory systems and reflective cognition revisit past experiences, comparing earlier impressions with present understanding and drawing new meaning from the same events.

Animals across the tree of life, including humans, mammals, fish, insects, and even some plants, use memory to adjust behavior after past encounters.

Storytellers and audiences use retrospection to reinterpret narratives, as shown in the video through the anime Vinland Saga and its character Thorfinn.

Humans use tools like writing, drawings, photographs, and recordings to store experiences outside the brain and make them retrievable later.

Human societies, scientists, and educators build on recorded knowledge, treating memory as a shared project rather than an individual capacity.

Individuals reflecting on their own lives use retrospection to make sense of messy experiences and to appreciate moments that felt confusing while they were happening.