No neuralyzer needed: Molecular pathways and circuits that trigger forgetting in C. elegans

The 1997 film Men in Black introduced the neuralyzer, a handheld device that erases witnesses’ memories of extraterrestrial encounters. The device has become a cultural shorthand for instant forgetting.

Researchers have long sought to understand how and why humans remember and forget. As neuroscience has advanced, scientists are gradually uncovering the biological mechanisms that underlie memory, shedding light on the processes that allow memories to be formed and erased.