# Memories stored in the brain *The Urth list — 6 messages, 5 voices, 14 Jul 2013* > Exported from an unofficial mirror of a public mailing list. Copyright > in each message remains with the person who wrote it. > Email addresses are obscured as `user at host`, the form the original > archive published. This file was rebuilt from parsed fields rather than > retained headers, so it is faithful in content but not byte-exact. --- ### Ashley Crill *14 Jul 2013, 23:30* >>> From: Gerry Quinn > I assume the connection would be that memories traditionally considered > to be stored on the brain were in this case stored elsewhere in the > body. That seems to be a key Wolfean conceit and one presumably > necessary for the alzabo effect, unless the animal always eats the brain > before it mimics its dead prey. However, there may be other ways to > explain this behavior in planaria. I understood it to be the opposite. The 'Wolfean' idea represented seems to be that memories can only be transmitted by eating a certain part of the brain. Reference Severian's gruesome accession to the Autarchy as an example. --- ### Gerry Quinn *15 Jul 2013, 10:46 · in reply to Ashley Crill* From: Ashley Crill >> I assume the connection would be that memories traditionally considered >> to be stored on the brain were in this case stored elsewhere in the >> body. That seems to be a key Wolfean conceit and one presumably >> necessary for the alzabo effect, unless the animal always eats the brain >> before it mimics its dead prey. However, there may be other ways to >> explain this behavior in planaria. > I understood it to be the opposite. > > The 'Wolfean' idea represented seems to be that memories can only be > transmitted by eating a certain part of the brain. > > Reference Severian's gruesome accession to the Autarchy as an example. The way I understood it, both work - but eating the brain, rather than the body, and probably using a higher-quality elixir compared to whatever Vodalus was able to brew, works better and probably has fewer side effects. - Gerry Quinn --- ### entonio at gmail.com *15 Jul 2013, 12:09 · in reply to Gerry Quinn* Severian discusses this with Ultan. No dia 15/07/2013, ?s 11:46, "Gerry Quinn" escreveu: > From: Ashley Crill >>> I assume the connection would be that memories traditionally considered >>> to be stored on the brain were in this case stored elsewhere in the >>> body. That seems to be a key Wolfean conceit and one presumably >>> necessary for the alzabo effect, unless the animal always eats the brain >>> before it mimics its dead prey. However, there may be other ways to >>> explain this behavior in planaria. >> I understood it to be the opposite. >> >> The 'Wolfean' idea represented seems to be that memories can only be >> transmitted by eating a certain part of the brain. >> >> Reference Severian's gruesome accession to the Autarchy as an example. > The way I understood it, both work - but eating the brain, rather than the body, and probably using a higher-quality elixir compared to whatever Vodalus was able to brew, works better and probably has fewer side effects. > > - Gerry Quinn > > _______________________________________________ --- ### Jeff Wilson *15 Jul 2013, 21:43 · in reply to Gerry Quinn* >> The 'Wolfean' idea represented seems to be that memories can only be >> transmitted by eating a certain part of the brain. >> >> Reference Severian's gruesome accession to the Autarchy as an example. > The way I understood it, both work - but eating the brain, rather than the > body, and probably using a higher-quality elixir compared to whatever > Vodalus was able to brew, works better and probably has fewer side > effects. Gerry is correct; the other Vodalarii received the memories and loyalty sentiments despite there not being enough brains for everyone each time, nor did they enjoy Sev's wondrous gifts. Ultan, the best read man in the Commonwealth, also confirms that memories can be gotten from non-brain extremities, like fingers and hands. I just hope they remembered to clean the maze this time. ``` Jeff Wilson - < jwilson at clueland.com > A&M Texarkana Computational Intelligence Lab < http://www.tamut.edu/cil > ``` --- ### Lee Berman *20 Jul 2013, 18:15 · follows Jeff Wilson* > Entonio: Severian discusses this with Ultan. I think Entonio is correct. It doesn't have to be the brain. In his conversation about eating the dead, Ultan likens it to a (70'style) hologram plate in which the entire picture is stored in each and every piece, no matter how small. So you would think any body portion would do. At Voladulus' feast, isn't Thecla's whole body roasted and served? Her head remains intact enough for Severian to recognize her. Plus, it seems like a pretty big party and I get the impression they each got more to eat than a 1/50 portion of her brain. Didn't they get legs, thighs, breasts, etc. --- ### Jeff Wilson *21 Jul 2013, 04:20 · in reply to Lee Berman* > At Voladulus' feast, isn't Thecla's whole body roasted > and served? Her head remains intact enough for Severian > to recognize her. Plus, it seems like a pretty big party > and I get the impression they each got more to eat than a > 1/50 portion of her brain. Didn't they get legs, thighs, > breasts, etc. yes ``` Jeff Wilson - < jwilson at clueland.com > A&M Texarkana Computational Intelligence Lab < http://www.tamut.edu/cil > ``` ---