Kaitlin Luna: And how can human memories be manipulated?

Elizabeth Loftus:

• They can be manipulated when people talk to each other after let's say some crime is over that they may have both witnessed.
• They can be manipulated when they are interrogated by an investigator who maybe has an agenda or has a hypothesis about what probably happened and communicates that to the witness even inadvertently.
• People can be manipulated when they see media coverage about an event, let's say it's a high publicity event that is talked about a lot on television or newspapers.

Thanks for this link. Depending on the 'strength' of the memory, even just the context in which you're remembering it can alter it. The human operating system is remarkably insecure. We don't need worry as much about those we seek out for help as much as those using more sophisticated technologies to manipulate whole societies through the internet and media.

Asked about her claims that creating false memories can be positive:

If I plant a false memory in you, does it have ripple effects, does it affect your later thoughts or your later intentions or your later behavior? And we've now shown that you can plant a false memory that you got sick eating a particular food, you got sick on pickles or eggs or strawberry ice cream and you don't want to eat as much of that food. We've planted false memories that you got sick drinking a vodka drink and you're not it is interested in the vodka drink. We've done the opposite, planted a warm fuzzy memory that you loved a healthy food, asparagus in our study, and people want to eat more asparagus. So if we can control people's nutritional selections and maybe help them live a healthier life maybe that's not a bad thing to do.

Not bad in theory, but what if it's vegan deciding what you should eat? Or, a Breatharian...