Can you imagine being able to remember every single experience of your life and every word in your favorite book? That's what Becky's life is like, and as wonderful as it sounds, it can also be quite terrifying at times.
Three years ago, Becky was reading a newspaper article which mentioned that it was impossible for people to remember the details of their life in the first three years. "What nonsense(胡说八道)!" she thought, because she could clearly remember her life all the way back to when she was just 12 days old. Her parents had carried her to the driver's seat of their car and laid her down for a photo. But it wasn't nonsense. She was just one of only 80 known people who have a condition called HSAM (Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory).
Becky's unusual condition was recently shown on a program called 60 minutes, where reporter Allison tested her ability by asking her questions about her favorite book series, Harry Potter. Allison would pick up a book and open a page and read her a line. Immediately Becky would name the book, chapter number, chapter name and could recite every word until Allison told her to stop.
Being able to remember every little detail is a great ability, but as every person with HSAM will tell you, it can be very hard to deal with. Forgetting is one of the things we use to get over sad experiences in our lives, but it's something that people like Becky are unable to do. Even walking on the street and lightly bumping(撞) into somebody brings back memories from Becky's childhood, when a boy knocked her over. She's taken right back to that time, living the experience all over again. Also, like Becky, people with HSAM never do well in school, because they have problems filtering(过滤) through all the information, remembering only the important bits.
Becky's special brain could help scientists find a way to treat people with terrible illnesses like Alzheimer's. Her condition could hold the secret to treating or even preventing Alzheimer's.
