'Taxi' Actress Marilu Henner Has Super-Rare Autobiographical Memory Ability

By Zach Dionne Posted Dec 20th 2010 11:02AM

'Taxi' star Marilu Henner was featured on Sunday's '60 Minutes' for a reason entirely separate from her celebrity status: The actress, 58, has an ultra-rare ability called "superior autobiographical memory," a status scientists have only designated to a minuscule handful of people around the world.

In short, Henner can remember almost every day of her life vividly and accurately. "A day 10 years ago is as clear to them as yesterday is to you or me," a voiceover explains.

The pitch to CBS reporter Lesley Stahl was to center around super-memory violinist Louise Owen, but Stahl says: "When I first heard about this research, what surprised me was not that this condition existed, but that it was considered so rare. That's because it sounded like a description of a friend of mine."

The friend is Marilu Henner. "I can rattle off almost every time I've seen you," Henner tells Stahl in conversation. The actress goes on to run through her shoe-closet and super-specifically cite the first time she wore many pairs. It sounds hokey, but rigorous tests and thorough reporting document this remarkable ability Henner and Owen possess. See the segment after the jump.

Part One (Marilu Henner portion of the segment begins at 6 minutes):

"Louise says she can remember every day of her life since age 11," Stahl says.

Owen's explanation of it? "It's almost as automatic as if you say, 'What is your name and where do you live?'"

Speaking with Henner, Stahl says: "You really do remember your whole life."

"It's like putting in a DVD and it queues up to a certain place," Henner answers. "I'm there again, so I'm looking out from my eyes and seeing things visually as I would have that day."

Part Two:

Tags: 60 Minutes, Marilu Henner

Comments

(185)

Monday 20 December

By Iggi

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I can't even remember what I had for lunch yesterday.

By handiestguy

Henner and Stahl would make great cougars to a 60 year old guy.

By Joe

Doesn't seem so far-fetched to me. I can recall the most specific details of almost every day for probably the past 9 or 10 years, and several instances from earlier than this. I can recall entire conversations. I never lose anything. I always remember where I put things, even if I haven't used the item in years...

By Kristina

This was a very fascinating story. I was amazed how much these people remembered. They remembered the exact day of the week when they were given a date. Seriously, I mean, they remembered things as if they happened just the day before. I bet Marilu Henner can act out all the parts that she's played, and maybe other people's. I loved Henner on "Noises Off"! Hilarious movie.

By jbsasktheape3000

Let me see what I remember, I remember Marilu Henner has a nice set of boobs.

By Rooster

And I can't remember past last weekend !

By Rocco

I can't remember what this article is about.

By Mikey

In responce to your post, let me say this about that: Ok, what were we talking about again? Where are my keys? Where are my pants? Crap!!

By Senior Chief

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My wife has this ability, particularly if I did anything to irritate her that day. She can remember every excruciating detail of it. HMMM, in fact, I seem to recall a number of girl-friends who had/have the same ability. I think a more correct name for it would be Hormone-driven, selective memory. How interesting that Marilu can even remember days when her husband didn't iritate her; perhaps it really is a gift. What my wife has is more of a curse (at least as far as I'm concerned).

By Marlene

I read ilionheart and that brought to mind that I too recall (or remember my mother telling me....think it is recall), laying on the bed too young to really move, but I rolled back and forth a little until I got the momentum to roll to the end of the bed; a few times. I have asked my aunt or father about memories and I am right. I remember I was barely crawling and saw a man and woman leaving the house. I thought it was my mother and I wanted to go. I tried to tell them I did not want to be left there; that I wanted to go; but I could not get anyone to pay attention to me. I did the next best thing and bit the foot of the woman standing next to me. It turned out that woman was my mother and it was her sister that was leaving.

By BiLL

Do these people remember the emotion in their replay or is it Black and white

It's in black and white and they don't know who's who when it's in black and white because they don't know if the white people are white and if the black people are black?

By Benwa

Amazing. The has-beens (maybe, never weres) need to get back in the limelight. Of course she remembers it all, there wasn't that much going on. If only I could go into biographical self-denial to purge my memory of her.

By Color

There are other things beside ultra-rare memory. One man struck by lightning seven times is the only man in the world and he is of Irish and Old American Stock.

By adam carollo

yea right !!!! anybody can claim that. how are you going to prove their memories are accurate. you can't go back in time and investigate their claims. what fockerism!!!she's just a 70's bimbo who banged half the taxi cast...........

By Ardy

...but does she remember banging half the cast? And on what day of the week, and what was she wearing when gang-banged by the man with a cast. That is the question here.

By Kimberly

I know exactly what they are talking about! People dont believe me, but I can close my eyes and relive something, just as though I was there! I can remember things as far back as when I was 4years old. My husband is always amazed because he balley remembers his childhood and I have such detailed vivid memories!

By ymbel

Noticed that all the men were left-handed.

By kimberly

Oops!! I meant barely, not balley!!

By fluap08

That's very impressive! I have a friend who has that to a much lesser degree, but still remarkable.
Some of you will not like what I'm going to say, but it's true nevertheless: consider the perfect memmory of God, for whom all moments of all history are always present as NOW. "Everything in all creation lies open and exposed before his eyes, and it is to him that we shall all give account of ourselves." (Hebrews 4:13)

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