In Search of Memory

This film weaves two stories at the same time, both equally fascinating. It tells the work and life of Eric Kandel, who has done a life time of groundbreaking work in memory research. if you want to watch the film, merely to learn the scientific basis of how memory is made; or how long term memory differs from short term memory, then yes, you will learn that in this film. That is explained very clearly, and with easy to see visual proof from the lab. If you actually want to learn about the life of this man, and what happened to him in vienna as a young jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany, then that story is here also. The film is 95 min, so there is adequate time to show him as a researcher, and what he has discovered. And there is time to show him as a remarkable human being, with wit and optimism and sincerity. I was surprised that he was willing to be so honest, and candid while a camera is rolling as he walks around looking into his own memory of places he visited and experiences. I would recommend this film to anyone who has enjoyed an Oliver Sacks book, but wants to go deeper. This is the real deal. He is the person who began the combination of psychotherapy, and neuro biology, showing , proving that the brain is actually changing chemically when you learn and when you remember.

i've been studying neurobiology both at school and in my work and bought the book last summer. first, let me say that i really loved the book but admittedly i skipped through some of the more personal autobiographical stuff that dealt with his early childhood and arguments with his wife about how he was spending too much time at the lab.so when i saw that there was a dvd version of the book, i immediately got it. unfortunately, i was expecting more of a pbs/nova type of presentation focusing mostly on the great science that's found in the book. in short, the video does follow the book pretty well but many of the various experiments and other research related accounts of his work just aren't there in the video.for the most part, i found the book a much more compelling, detailed, and informative read.

This movie is a lovely tribute to a truly unique and remarkable individual as well as a very nice compliment to Kandel's very scientific autobiography "In Search of Memory". I highly recommend reading the book first and then watching the movie. The autobiography provides an extremely well-written description of the history of neuroscience and easy-to-follow explanations of the stupendous advances in neuroscience.

A genius so full of humor and love. All of my life I have wondered how we learn on a molecular level. Eric Kandel has brought this to me on my level. So enlightening, fascinating

A wonderful informative movie revealing the science and life and emotions of Nobel prize winner, Eric Kandel, who escaped from Vienna with his parents, at age 9. Will be of interest to students, scientists, historians, academicians etc. To many, it will be a tour de force. While being a social history of the 20th Century and the Holocaust, it is also an intellectual biography of modern neurosciences by a giant of the field, who is also an adroit teacher.

I read the book of the same name, so I thoroughly enjoyed seeing some of the scenes and scenarios of brain research, particularly the Aplysia sea slug used in the search for memory.

I also am watching the video of the story and realize that the video very closely follows the book. great

I used this movie as a starting point for teaching my Asperger/ASD unit about memory. The students are grades 9-12. It held their attention all the way! I highly recommend it for a Psych or Learning Strategies class.