May 8, 2008
Scientists say a 42-year-old Californian woman can remember almost every detail of her life.
The married woman, who they have dubbed Total Recall, says her life is like a "running movie that never stops".
She can picture where she was, what she did and what made the headlines on any date since 1976, reports The Sun.
The woman, known as AJ, was tested with random dates from her teens. She recalled big news events like Elvis Presley's death on August 16, 1977.
But she also knew minor news item dates like a local tax passed in 1978 and a plane crash in 1979.
Brain expert Professor James McGaugh tested AJ and a man with similar mind power called Brad Williams.
He calls the condition hyperthymestic syndrome and noted both of them had obsessive qualities which help reinforce memories.
Bizarrely they both keep TV guides going back years. And AJ kept a diary for 32 years.
But AJ's memory is not photographic. When asked to close her eyes she failed to remember researchers' clothes.
Prof McGaugh, of the University of California, said: "Her autobiographical memory, while incredible, is also selective."
