MEMORY TRANSPLANT
A 2018 experiment at the University of California involving RNA exchange between sea snails showed that memory transfer is possible
1 ELECTRIC SHOCK
Mild electric shocks have been applied to this snail’s tail, which it ‘remembers’.
2 TRAINED SNAIL
Because it remembers the shocks, the snail contracts whenever its tail is touched, even if no shock is applied.
3 RNA TRANSFER
RNA from the trained snail is injected into the untrained one.
4 UNTRAINED SNAIL
This snail has never received an electric shock, so it doesn’t mind its tail being touched.
5 FALSE MEMORY
The second snail now ‘remembers’ the shocks received by the first snail, so it contracts when its tail is touched.