This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Welcome to a brand new video series from Scientific American Mind. ‘Brain Basics’ is a series of short films on the human brain, how we think, feel and act. See the original post by Ingrid Wicklegrin here.
The first video in the series is about being able to recall a word that’s sitting ‘at the tip of your tongue’. According to guest-post author Roni Jacobson:
A retrieval cue, such as the first letter of that word or a similar word that you see or hear, can trigger an association that brings the forgotten word to mind. The more we practice activating the associations between words and their spellings and meanings, the stronger the connections become.