Pills could soon help erase certain memories, study findsFebruary 21, 2017 - 17:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Humans could soon take a pill which would erase ‘bad’ memories from their mind – helping addicts ‘forget’ their addictions or past traumas, Metro reports. One day, it might even be possible to take a pill just to forget your ex. But the technique has “huge” ethical implications, the Canadian scientist developing it has warned. Removing all bad memories could prevent us learning from our mistakes, said Dr Sheena Josselyn, from the University of Toronto. The research has echoes of science fiction movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, in which an estranged couple erase each other from their memories. In real life, Dr Josselyn’s team has succeeded in both activating and erasing fear-based memories in mice. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, Dr Josselyn said: ‘Our findings suggest that one day it could be possible to treat people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) by erasing these traumatic memories. "In these people, the memories are intrusive and disrupt their everyday lives. "However, there could be potential downsides, especially when applied to people who would like to get rid of a ‘bad memory’ such as a messy break-up. "We all learn from our mistakes. If we erase the memory of our mistakes, what is to keep us from repeating them?” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |