Our brains are built to remember essential information. ANYTHING AT ALL. It is so powerful that we can keep an entire lifespan of information in there. From names, occasions down to colours and sounds. We are able to store everything. Even when we think we don't remember certain things, it is still there, stored somewhere in our memory. Our memory is our greatest assets. It is through memory we have character, skills, and life. It is what makes humans intelligent. Most people, however, think memory comes solely from the brain. That is justified since the brain does most of the work and since it's the centre of our nervous system. But let's not get too scientific by going in detail of how the brain works. This study is just a snippet of something bigger that could be explored more. Our brains or "memory" processes everything. When we smell fries or a poutine, we can tell it is fried potato or fries and gravy because our brain identifies the smell. When we see the colour green, we know it's green because of the same reason. When we hear the sound of crystal shattering on the ground - OK, I think you get the point. What I'm saying is our brain is responsible for all of this. However, have you ever wondered why that dark shaded colour that resembles the grass is called green? Or at least, why you think of it as green? When a baby is born, they don't understand colours, they don't recognize shapes or sounds. By the time they're two years old, they can understand speech and listen for their names. By this time, the brain has been encoded with this information. When we eat, our brains remember the taste of the food, the smell, the sound our mouth makes, and the look. Years of this information piles up so that whenever we have the same meal again, we can tell because that information is hard coded and repeated daily. So the reason that dark shaded colour that resembles the grass is called green is because you've always known it to be green since you were a baby. An alien from another planet who has never seen it before would have no idea what to make of it. These years of information that has piled up is permanent memory. It is what, I think, we use to form other memories. Within our brains there is a linkage of memories tied together and bounded by our senses of taste, touch, smell, and sight. Hardcoded memories that are already stored and used every day is what we use to form new memories. This is called associative memory. ### Association The Computer use smart methods—called **algorithms**—to decide where to put data, how to keep it ready when needed, and how to quickly find it again. In short-term memory (RAM), they use rules like **first-fit** or **best-fit** to find open space for new data. For superfast access, the **CPU cache** stores recent data and uses tricks like **least recently used (LRU)** to swap out old data for new. In long-term storage (like hard drives or SSDs), the system keeps track of where every file is using structures like **B-trees** or **file tables**, kind of like a super-organized index. And when RAM is full, the computer borrows space from the hard drive (called **virtual memory**) and swaps things in and out based on how often they’re used. These algorithms help the computer stay fast, efficient, and organized—without losing track of anything important. Our brains can mimic computer memory algorithms by using mental strategies to store, organize, and retrieve information more effectively. For example, just like computers use the best-fit method to place data in the right spot, people can use chunking to group related ideas together so they’re easier to remember. Like a CPU cache keeps important data close for fast access, humans can review key facts regularly using spaced repetition to keep them at the top of their mind. To organize long-term memories, people can use techniques like the memory palace or mind maps, similar to how file systems track where every file is stored. When overwhelmed, the brain can offload information to notebooks or apps like a computer uses virtual memory, allowing space for focus and retrieval later. And just as unused data gets pushed out of a cache, humans tend to forget what they don’t use—so regular review keeps memories fresh and accessible, helping the brain work more like a fast, efficient machine.