World News for Students of English

14-09-2026 15:00

A flashbulb memory is a strong memory of where you were during a big world event, like the September 11 attacks. People feel very sure about these memories, but scientists say they can be wrong.

Every time we remember something, our brain changes the details. Studies show that people change about 40 percent of the details after one year. Big emotions change how the brain saves memories. Strong feelings make us remember events clearly, but we still make mistakes. For example, President George W. Bush misremembered how he first heard about the 9/11 plane crash.

Flashbulb memories help us feel connected to other people because we shared the same big experience. Today, because news comes from many different sources, fewer large groups will share the exact same flashbulb memories in the future.

Difficult words: flashbulb memory (a sudden, extremely clear, and detailed memory of a shocking event), misremember (to remember something incorrectly), experience (something that happens to you).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.