http://sploid.gizmodo.com/scientists-watch-how-the-brain-makes-memories-for-the-f-1509923347
http://youtu.be/6MCf-6It0Zg
watching how molecules morph into the structures that, at the end of the day, make who we are. If there's a soul, this how it gets made.
These insights into the molecular basis of memory were made possible by a technological tour de force never before achieved in animals: a mouse model developed at Einstein in which molecules crucial to making memories were given fluorescent "tags" so they could be observed traveling in real time in living brain cells.
What they have found is fascinating: "mRNA in neurons is regulated through a novel process described as "masking" and "unmasking," which allows beta-actin protein to be synthesized at specific times and places and in specific amounts."
This observation that neurons selectively activate protein synthesis and then shut it off fits perfectly with how we think memories are made. Frequent stimulation of the neuron would make mRNA available in frequent, controlled bursts, causing beta-actin protein to accumulate precisely where it's needed to strengthen the synapse.
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