Some people are forgetful; others remember everything. There is almost no research on how the brain forgets things. Researchers in the USA studied this. Their research may help people with memory problems, depression and dementia. A researcher said it was surprising that people can control what and how they forget.

The researcher said forgetting information keeps the brain working smoothly. Forgetting things lets us focus on important tasks. We can control what we forget, but it needs a lot of effort. Researchers will now look at why we forget simple things like where we left our keys or people's birthdays.