Humans can hold only four or five items in their conscious awareness, or working memory, at one time. Overloading that capacity causes the neurological juggling act behind working memory to fall apart.

Researchers find that when working memory gets overburdened, dialogue between three brain regions breaks down. The discovery provides new support for a broader theory about how the brain operates.

”Sometimes a system might need to make a decision not about what it sees but based on what it remembers.” (Dimitris Pinotsis)

QUANTA Magazine