memory and forgetting — The New Atlantis

By Alan JacobsMay 27, 20111 min read

This essay by Margaret Morganroth Gullette on memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease has a provocative title: “Our Irrational Fear of Forgetting.” So, what’s irrational about a fear of forgetting? At one point Gullette says “People over 55 dread getting Alzheimer’s more than any other disease, according to a 2010 survey by the MetLife Foundation. The fact that only 1 in 8 Americans older than 65 has Alzheimer’s fails to register.” So it’s irrational to fear Alzheimer’s because you’re not likely to get it. Yes, it’s not likely — but 1 in 8 is not a negligible number. That’s higher than I...

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memory and forgetting — The New Atlantis

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Why I, a Physician, Write

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The Other Victims of Covid-19

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Let Them Visit