The Man Who Could Remember Everything

7-22-11

Hyperthymesia is a condition that affects people with a superior autobiographical memory.  A person with hyperthymesia thinks about their own past quite often and has the ability to recall specific events in great detail. When recalling certain events, a person with hyperthymesia can recite a specific date, describe the events that occurred that day, and many minor details that most people could not recall.

Only twenty cases of hyperthymesia have been confirmed.  According to the Huffington Post, Rick Baron, who passed away from cancer on Friday, was case No. 3 in the research for “Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory” being conducted by the University of California Irvine.   The people in the study can remember the most mundane events in their lives, such as what they ate or watched on television on a specific date and day of the week.

Rick Baron had the exceptional ability to recall when people died. When he met the author of the article, “Rick Baron Remembered (Boy, Did He Ever)” Rick rattled off when all of the major cast members of the Wizard of Oz had passed, as well as the dates of death of all Three Stooges.  While lacking knowledge in computers, Rick learned from books, newspapers and magazines and stored all of the information he needed in his brain after just hearing or reading it once.  According to Eric Williams, he was able to recite anyone’s phone number and the exact dates of when he spoke to a person.

- @BodiesExhibit

  
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