Can You Improve Your Working Memory and Attention? with Edward Awh
From Big Brains by University of Chicago Podcast Network
February 5, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 187
About this episode
The episode discusses the limits of human memory and attention with cognitive neuroscientist Edward Awh, exploring ways to improve these cognitive functions.
In today’s world, our brains are overloaded with information, making it hard to focus and remember. But what are the true limits of the human mind—and why do they exist? And why are some people seem so much better than remembering things than others? In this episode, we talk with with Edward Awh, a cognitive neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. Whose lab studies how the brain controls focus, memory and attention. His research explores the connection between attention and working memory, why our conscious awareness is far more limited than it feels, and what those limits mean for life in an information-saturated world. He explains what we can actually do to improve our memory—including one easy thing we can all do every day—and how using the “remote control of your mind” could help you focus your attention, given the limited space in our brains.
People in this episode
Guest: Edward Awh
Topics covered
- working memory
- attention
- cognitive neuroscience
- information overload
- focus
- memory improvement
Keywords
- working memory
- attention
- cognitive neuroscience
- information overload
- memory improvement
- focus
- conscious awareness
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Chicago, University of Chicago Podcast Network
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