There once lived a man who claimed he could remember every day of his life since he was nine years and four months old. What day of the week had it been? What had the weather been like? In interviews, nearly blind farmer Daniel McCartney could answer these questions in great detail, and with almost perfect consistency when asked again weeks later. “February 28, 1831?” McCartney would pause, reflect for a few seconds, then answer: “Monday. It was very muddy. We carried sap from the sugar-trees, and two girls came to our house for a visit that evening.”
Imagine being able to recall every moment you’ve ever experienced—every phone number, birthday, fact, or name you’d ever heard—without reminders, calendars, apps, or lists. Some may argue that McCartney was gifted with an exceptional memory, a modern-day superpower most of us can only dream of. But in celebrating this one incredible skill, ...
