This inability to remember new facts and constant resetting to a blank slate reminds me of a story about Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome⁰ in one of Oliver Sacks's b

This inability to remember new facts and constant resetting to a blank slate reminds me of a story about Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome⁰ in one of Oliver Sacks's books¹. Instead of regurgitating it, I'll post a summary from Wikipedia and strongly recommend the book to anyone interested. > "The Lost Mariner", about Jimmie G., who has anterograde amnesia (the loss of the ability to form new memories) due to Korsakoff syndrome acquired after a rather heavy episode of alcoholism in 1970. He can remember nothing of his life since the end of World War II, including events that happened only a few minutes ago. Occasionally, he can recall a few fragments of his life between 1945 and 1970, such as when he sees “satellite” in a headline and subsequently remarks about a satellite tracking job he had that could only have occurred in the 1960s. He believes it is still 1945 (the segment covers his life in the 1970s and early 1980s), and seems to behave as a normal, intelligent young man aside from his inability to remember most of his past and the events of his day-to-day life. He struggles to find meaning, satisfaction, and happiness in the midst of constantly forgetting what he is doing from one moment to the next. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke%E2%80%93Korsakoff_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke%E2%80%93Korsakoff_syn... 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_f...