'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 marushka

Vote down Vote up Report this

All this means is if you have an emotional reaction to a memory you will retain it and for a longer time. If it doesn't elicit an emotion you will forget it. N'est-ce pas?

By Bilbo

Wow I could remember everything my wife said. What kind of hell is this??

By jbsasktheape3000

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I think you better stop watching the view and crawl out from under your rock because a man having children doesn't mean he's not gay. There are a lot of men who put on a show.

By CroMag

I remember when (Taxi episodes) Marilu had the most protruding sweater bumpers attatched to a rack that defied gravity. Surely time and gravity are not her friends.

Hattie you must have crabs because you are so bittchy.

By ljh8888

That was the best.

By John

I'm trying to think but nothing happens

By Chuck

I watched that program last night and I was very impressed by Marilu and her fellow savants. What a great gift they have although I'm sure it has it's drawbacks. I could only imagine what I could do with that kind of a memory. I was surprised that they only seemed to use this gift to track trivial life episodes, I would think they could use this gift for loftier goals.

By AL MARTIN

LOL.. ALL THE FORTUNATE PEOPLE WITH GOOD MEMORY I USED HAVE DECENT MEMORY BUT I GOT THIS NEWW ONE ITS CALLED C.R.S.

By carip827

Who cares, she is so uninteresting and bland.

By psycoand assoc

So, is this a good thing? I knew a guy like this. Total flash back psyco boy! He would walk up and tell me something i said 18 years ago like it was 10 minutes ago and still be pissed off about it. You need to let go. His brain was still processing stuff that should have been water over the bridge years ago. Funny thing is he totally missed real basic things. Like never heard of Koria? A grown american adult and never heard of north and south korea after even claiming to be in the us army? He also suffered from several other mental illness and he has a miligering hyper train wreck. So, maybe remembering every thing is not a good thing.

By same

who cares!!!

By Bev

Everyone has a gift this just happens to be hers. I believe everyone is born with some sort of special talent, for the lack of a better word. Some may remember things like this woman while others can write beautiful poetry or be the caring person that has a special listening quality which not everyone has. All people are special in some sort of way

By richard miller

here is a test remmber every second of your life....I bet ya there like the rest of us, they can't remmber it..a bunch of hooey!!..you remmber what you want to remmber..and don't for get it...R.G.

By Wm Vnaderslice

So what is so special about their memories. I was reading the Sunday Baltimore Evening Sun in front of the radio listening to the Moylan Sisters (spelling) song for Thrivo dog food when they broke in about the Pearl Harbor. I was 12. I can draw and paint each house we ever lived in.....nothing super about it as far as I am concerned..where do you want to go?

By bev

I really don't understand why this made any headlines at all. She remembers menusha and menusha is exactly what it is.

By G-Man

Sounds to me like these people are just narcissistic, self-centered, egocentrics. Very focused on their own existence, indeed. Ask them if they can remember important things about their friends and family that aren't related to their own experiences or exisitence. ;)

By Doonut

This kid named Alfred crapped his pants in kindergarten. I remember where I was standing after I found out,as far away from Alfred as I could be.

By Ruth

It would have been really interesting to see if there are people with this ability that have experienced a type II trauma. I was wondering that while I was watching this segment. Type II trauma people have experienced recurring traumatizing events, like child abuse, but then blacked out all of the events. They can't remember most of these events unless they really work with a psychotherapist to discover the hidden memories. I was wondering if a person with this memory ability would not forget type II traumas.

By Barry

My little brain does these video clips of my past. Way back when I was 3. It can show me in detail so very much of people, faces, words, things, etc. Then with regular memory stuff I flunk.
I was and still do record everything in minute detail. In school I was recording the events not the school work.

Page 6 of 10