Some people are forgetful, while others can remember everything. Scientists know a lot about how the brain remembers facts and experiences. There is little research on how the brain forgets things. A new study looked at this. Researchers from the USA studied how the brain forgets things. The researchers study the brain and how it thinks and works. Their research may help people with memory problems. It may also help people who have depression and dementia. The lead scientist said: "It may sound surprising that people can control what and how they forget."

The scientist said forgetting was important. She said it keeps the brain working smoothly. The research found how people removed information from their brain. The researchers said we can remove information from our minds. This is important to be able to focus on important tasks. Although we can control what we forget, the act of forgetting needs a lot of effort. Another researcher said that forgetting "no-longer-relevant information" is useful, "but it doesn't happen automatically". Researchers will now look at why we forget simple things like where we left our keys.