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| Kiera in Continuum |
When it comes to quality of life, I think memory is one of the most crucial components. Science fiction is replete with examples of entire plots and characters that hinge on memory. Zarkov in Flash Gordon says, "My mind is all I have. I've spent my whole lifetime trying to fill it." Doctor Who says "A man is the sum of his memories, a Time Lord even more so." And Friday night's Continuum episode (called "Second Thoughts") once again brought up memory, only this time it gave it a cool twist because it has to do with memories of a time traveler from the future. In other words, if you come from the future, can any of your memories be real? Or would they be just dreams?
In "Second Thoughts" they introduced a new designer drug called "Flash" which was invented in the future (2077) to help Alzheimer's patients to re-experience a particular memory with perfect clarity. I thought this was fascinating. But in addition to this came a warning to Kiera: the longer she stays in the past, the harder it will be for her to return to the future where her son and husband are waiting for her.
Kiera's actions are literally erasing portions of the future. Only here's the catch: the future is her memory. And with every day, she's making the future that she knows less and less a possibility. Basically, she may wake up one morning and the memories of her life in the future will no longer seem real to her. "One day you're going to wake up and just wonder if any of it ever happened." It's a statement that's both thought-provoking and horrifying at the same time.
So, I guess the big question is: how much do you think your memory makes you who you are?
Are you watching Continuum? It's one of my favorite t.v. series.
Good questions about memory and the future. Its a - shoot, can't think of the word. Where one event cancels out another. Paradox, that's it.
ReplyDeletetoo much controversy for me to digest. What happens if you change one small thing in your past? Or someone elses, and the entire future is changed. But, if the future is changed, how could you have gone back to the past.
I'll leave the unanswerable questions up to the Incarnations :)
........dhole
The description of the drug doesn't make any sense to me. It doesn't sound like she is literally travelling into the past, so she is still physically there in the same present as always. Oh well, I hadn't heard of the show.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that memory is what makes us who we are, almost entirely. Everything about us is formed from what we experienced, and what we experienced is either in active or passive memory. I'm sure some other portion of what makes us who we are is made up of things like reflexes and muscle memory and such, but I'm no expert.
I've watched it a few times, but Friday is movie and date night otherwise.
ReplyDeleteWe are the sum of our past. All those experiences shape our decisions for the future and reflect what kind of person we'll become.
I'M like Donna, I find the whole concept mind boggling (time travel). Memories are an important part of who we are. Without them, we would constantly be adrift.
ReplyDeleteInterestind question to strat the week. Memories have an influence on us, but I don't think it's the only thing that make us. There are people that overcome all kinds of situations. Then there are those who don't. So there has to be something more to us than memories. That's my thought. :)
ReplyDeletewatched the first season, since I adore Rachel, but since it was awfully slow I'm not sure whether I'll Torrent the second season.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching it. I love the show, even though it's a little uneven sometimes. It does raise interesting questions about time travel.
ReplyDeleteAnd as someone who is witnessing their mother's memory deteriorate to nothing -- yes our memories do make up a huge portion of who we are. Without them we seem to be free floating, disconnected human beings with no ties to anyone or anything.
I am not watching Continuum, but now i want to start
ReplyDeleteI try not to remember things. The past is the past and the future hasn't happened, so try to just worry about the present.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen it.
ReplyDeleteThe real question, though, is how real are memories, anyway. People never remember the same event the same way--the reason eye witness testimony is actually so unreliable--but the way each individual remembers it is real to that person.
So, then, what is real?
@tedcross - Mike intermixed two concepts that might confuse people who aren't watching the show. The main character, Kiera, actually is a time traveler from 2077 who is trying to get home but is worried if she somehow changes 2013, that it will change her future self.
ReplyDeleteThe drug he mentioned wasn't taken by Kiera but instead introduced by another time traveler to make money. It is the new 'meth/crack' and lets people experience their past in vivid clarity. She helps to get it off the street but the writers explored the inner turmoil between what the drug does to people and Kiera's struggle in trying to get back to her own time. She realizes the longer she stays in the past that her future will seem more and more like the dreamworld of the drug users. She struggles with the idea that at some point she might have to give up hope of getting home to her family in 2077 as she is merely existing as a shell of a person in 2013.
The 1st season of Continuum was spotty as it had a tight budget but an interesting concept that attracted viewers. Their success got them additional funding and I think they've spent part of it on writers as they've added layers of complexity to season 2.
If you aren't watching you should. The 1st season is streaming on Netflix and the 2nd is currently airing on Showcase Canada and Syfy.
I haven't seen Continuum but this sounds interesting. Not much I'm watching this summer so I need to check the show out.
ReplyDeleteI watched season one and enjoy Continuum a lot. Memory is a big uncredited fabric to who we are among the human race. Poor Kiera, things only get more complicated for her.
ReplyDeleteAs a writer I rely on my memories quite a bit. I don't think I'd be much without them.
ReplyDeleteMy memories are my past, present, and future.
ReplyDeleteOur past definitely molds who we are for our present and future.
Why are older persons so fascinating? Because of their memories...
Imagine living seventy, eighty years ago. The world was SOOO different and their memories hold so much history. A history of a by gone era.
I caught Continuum a few times, but too busy to follow too close. Maybe one day in a marathon, I'll see more or it. I enjoyed what I saw, but yeah if she's changing the future you have to wonder what the results will be for her.
ReplyDeleteI have beautiful memories, and bad memories, they all play a role in who we are.
it's an interesting distinction, who we are with and without memories. I imagine in heaven we will all have no memories of who we were since memory is a biological process. Also no food and no sex. Should be fun.
ReplyDeletemood
This topic reminds me of the opposite problem of losing memories, and that's the inability to forget anything or let the past fade. Some time back 60 Minutes had a segment focusing on the rare individuals who remember every minute and detail of their lives. As one woman explained, the past is never really past, so a painful breakup or death of a loved one always remains fresh and vivid. That can make life really hard for some of them.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I didn't take that away from the episode at all.
ReplyDeleteMemory defines who we are. Although, without memory, do we become a blank slate? Or are there facets of our personality that have nothing to do with our experiences?
Haven't seen Continuum, but it's scary how much I manage to forget each day.
ReplyDeleteYou memory IS your identity. I did a post back in 2007 about amnesia. It's scary stuff. Some people experience complete memory loss after a traumatic experience.
ReplyDeleteWhat's weird is many people who suffer from amnesia become completely different person. A person who hated math has the aptitude to become an engineer. Or a guy that was a total jackass is suddenly sweet. So strange.
Michael, I think you should be following Why Evolution is True and then you could follow his posts on Free Will. Then you could get some real controversy going! I mean memory is small potatoes- how much of what we do is really us being free to choose it? Or are really just ruled by our genes and evolutionary patterns that make up our DNA? It's not all pretty interesting stuff.
ReplyDeleteAs for your subject: Memory is often a trick (or can be)- people remember what they want to remember and how they want to remember it. My daughter remembers certain things in her childhood that astonish me. I can't go into detail but I am not sure how to even talk to her about it because it's not really connected to what happened. She removed herself from the equation completely and forgot that she had a part in our relationship and she gets angry about how things changed, she only sees my part, not hers. There is more going on but she's not the only one who does this with memory.
I meant to say "It's all pretty interesting stuff"
ReplyDeleteI don't think our memories affect that much of who were are, I think it's what we learned from out past that shapes us as human beings. Our memories are basically images to remind us of those lessons.
ReplyDelete