MomBoard: E-ink display for a parent with amnesia

This is one of the few HN articles that have profoundly moved me. Such a beautiful and simple use of technology to make a clear and big improvement in someone's life.

As a side note on his mother remembering that the tablet exists, it sounds like she has amnesia quite like Henry Molaison, a famous case study in neuropathology. He had very specific brain damage that seemingly stopped him forming new memories in the same way as OP's mother, but studies showed that he could remember some things, just not consciously. So for example he would have warm feelings towards people who'd been caring for him despite not remembering them, and would also pick up card games more and more quickly as he played them repeatedly despite saying he didn't remember the game. OP's mother remembering the tablet sounds very similar, particularly when paired with the feeling of being remembered and loved by her children.

> but studies showed that he could remember some things, just not consciously.

This reminds me of muscle memory. I can play pieces on the piano even though I don't actively remember the sheet music of them. My hands just "know" what to do. Funnily enough the moment I start actively thinking about certain passages that ability worsens by a lot.

Yes same for me on guitar. If I try to play something too slowly or if I really start thinking about what I'm doing it all falls apart.

I think that's when you really know a piece, when you can play it incredibly slowly. Paradoxically it's easy to play quickly and just let your fingers play out their muscle memory, playing something really slowly is the challenge.

I ran into this when teaching my son to tie his shoes. He now ties his shoes “upside down” from me, because I tied it from my perspective. It’s surprisingly hard to tie shoes in slow motion, it took some practice by paying attention to myself tying shoes quickly.

Now I’m wondering if you can tell a kid is from an “even” or “odd” generation by which way they tie shoes…

I taught it by standing (kneeling) behind, so my left was my son’s left. Didn’t occur it could be done the other way.

However my wife, who’s 3 weeks younger than me, ties her shoes in a completely different way to me, which I believe is a “bunny ears” method.

Give the large variety of ways to tie shoes, there’s no way you could infer anything other than the way they are doing it now.