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Sweden: Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel attended the launch of the Pep Report

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel attended the launch of the Pep Report on Wednesday in Stockholm, which saw the results of a survey of 11,000 young people in Sweden – questioning their physical activity and approach to health – published.

“Generation Pep works to ensure that all children and young people in Sweden have the opportunity and the desire to live an active and healthy life,” according to its official website.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel founded Generation Pep in July 2016 as a way to encourage a healthier lifestyle in Sweden’s young people and have since championed its initiatives.

The report compiles the results of 11,000 children surveyed between the ages of four to 17-years-old, along with their guardians to see “how the children move, what they eat and how factors around it are connected with living habits.”

The major findings of the Pep Report are as follows:

  • A larger proportion of respondents said they do 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
  • Most respondents participate in organised physical activity, but it’s dependent on socioeconomic factors and participation drops off after the children turn ten.
  • Children know they should eat well, but few are doing so. “Only four out of ten children have indicated that they eat vegetables every day and two-thirds say they usually or almost always eat white bread.”
  • The majority of respondents say that they spend three or more hours each day sitting in front of a screen outside class time.
  • Only four out of ten young people say that they participate in physical activity outside of school, but it varies greatly by age group.
  • Young people need adult role models to emulate healthy behaviour. “Children of active parents move more themselves, and children who eat dinner with adults receive more vegetables and fish.”

The Pep Report finds that:

“Children and young people in Sweden today move too little and often eat too little… Because there are so few children and young people who meet the recommendations when it comes to food and physical activity, the problems are not something that only concerns a particular group in society, but they are relevant to all of us. At the same time, we see that children who grow up under different socio-economic conditions have different opportunities to be physically active and eat healthily and in the adult population this is reflected in differences in the incidence of several serious diseases and in life expectancy.”

As for a way to move forward, Generation Pep writes that:

“The challenges are too big not to be taken seriously…but the development can be reversed. To succeed, we believe that the required direction and clear level of ambition from the national level, supported by the UN global goal. Several countries have adopted clear national frameworks and strategies, but those clear common guidelines are still lacking in Sweden. Many studies have made to investigate what are effective efforts to promote healthy behaviours and there are evidence-based measures to use within maternity care, child health care, preschool, school, association life, business and industry through political instruments. With clear coordination and prioritization of the issue, we have good hope of seeing a positive development in the coming years’ reports.”

Featured image: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (NordenBladet)

Ministry of the Environment investigates the use of plastics in buildings – ARA, Senate Properties and the University of Helsinki studying how to reduce the use of plastics in their construction projects

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —  A study by the Ministry of the Environment on the use of plastics in residential buildings and day-care centres reveals that plastics can be found in all parts of buildings. The amount of plastics in individual buildings, however, is very small when compared to the other materials. Some of these plastics would be relatively easy to recycle or replace using other solutions.

“Around 20 per cent of plastics are used for construction. We must reduce the amount of plastics and increase the recycling rate if we want to decrease the carbon footprint and environmental harm caused by construction. That said, the use of plastics is still necessary in many parts of buildings,” says Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen.

In connection with their 2019 construction and renovation projects, the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA), Senate Properties and the University of Helsinki Properties and Facilities are investigating how the use of plastics can be reduced and how plastics can be replaced with other materials in structures and systems without compromising on essential technical requirements. The project will also explore how to reduce the amount of plastics waste generated by construction and how to increase the rate of recovery and recycling.

Plastics less than 0.5 per cent of total building weight
The study carried out by the Ministry of the Environment and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland investigated seven typical residential buildings and three day-care centres. The buildings in the study had either concrete or wooden frames. The study found that out of all building materials used, plastics made up less than 0.5 per cent of the total building weight. The proportion of plastics in the total weight of concrete-framed buildings was slightly smaller than in wood-framed buildings.

In residential buildings, plastics were used relatively evenly in all building parts. Plastics were used in all parts of day-care centre buildings as well, but they were distributed less evenly across the different building parts. The amount of plastics used in day-care centres was clearly larger than in residential buildings, as day-care centres had relatively more building service components and were more likely to have plastic floor coverings. Day-care centres also had more plastic-based thermal insulation materials than residential buildings. The safety surfaces of playground areas at the investigated day-care centres also contained high volumes of EPDM rubber.

The most commonly used plastics in the investigated buildings were polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (EPS), polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PUR) and EPDM rubber. In the case buildings, these plastic types were used most commonly in cables, ducts, pipes, insulations and the safety surfaces of playground areas. Some of these plastics are used as products or as parts of products in such a way that the plastic component can be separated in demolition.

A very significant proportion of the plastics in buildings are used as resins and binding components. Large volumes of these plastics were found in paints, glues and as binding or reinforcing components in boards, roofing and insulation materials. The share of these was 44 per cent of all plastics in concrete residential buildings and 37 per cent in wooden residential buildings. These materials are very difficult to recycle, which means that other solutions are needed.

In addition to the plastics observed in the study, plastics are commonly used in the furniture and appliances found in buildings, and assessing the amount and quality of these requires further investigation. The results of the study cannot be used to make generalisations concerning all buildings in Finland.

How does reducing the use of plastic affect construction?
In their study, ARA, Senate Properties and the University of Helsinki Properties and Facilities are also investigating how reducing the use of plastic affects the costs, completion schedule and carbon footprint of construction. At the same time, the operators will develop the planning, project management and procurement practices used in their construction projects. The Ministry of the Environment is supporting this work by commissioning impact assessments and environmental assessments and by communicating the interim results of the project to accelerate the other measures in Finland’s national Plastics Roadmap.

The plastics study and the project to reduce the use of plastic are measures included in Finland’s Plastics Roadmap. The Plastics Roadmap website was launched today and provides information about plastics and the roadmap measures.

  • The full report on the use of plastics in construction will be released in April: Plastics in buildings – an inventory from Finland. Ministry of the Environment, 2019. Kuittinen, Vares & Häkkinen.
  • Plastics Roadmap for Finland web site (brief in English): Muovitiekartta.fi

Inquiries:
Study on plastics in construction:

Matti Kuittinen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 2952 50268, firstname.lastname@ym.fi

Joint project by ARA, Senate Properties and University of Helsinki Properties and Facilities:

Matti Kuittinen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 2952 50268, firstname.lastname@ym.fi
Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA): Vesa Ijäs, Development Architect, tel. +358 29 525 0868, vesa.ijas@ara.fi
Senate Properties: Juha Lemström, COO, tel. +358 40 550 0847, juha.lemstrom@senaatti.fi
University of Helsinki Properties and Facilities: Teppo Salmikivi, Director of Properties and Facilities, tel. +358 50 566 4398, teppo.salmikivi@helsinki.fi

A study by the Ministry of the Environment on the use of plastics in residential buildings and day-care centres reveals that plastics can be found in all parts of buildings. The amount of plastics in individual buildings, however, is very small when compared to the other materials. Some of these plastics would be relatively easy to recycle or replace using other solutions.

Source: ym.fi

Estonia celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly elections

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Today, the local governments celebrate the 100th anniversary of the elections of the first democratic representative body of the Republic of Estonia, the Constituent Assembly, in the places of birth of the deputies elected to the Constituent Assembly.

The eldest member of the 14th Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Enn Eesmaa invites everybody to participate in these events in their home counties. “Let us recall with gratitude the activities of those 120 men and women who laid the foundations of our state and adopted the first Constitution of the Republic of Estonia,” Eesmaa said.

The events will be held in the places of birth of all members of the Constituent Assembly, in 49 local governments. The places of birth of the 120 members of the Constituent Assembly are marked on the map that can be found on the home page of Estonia 100 (EV100).

More information about the events is available in the information channels of local governments.

Elections of the Constituent Assembly took place from 5 to7 April 1919 all over Estonia on the basis of a general and uniform right to vote by secret ballot on the principle of proportionality. All citizens of Estonia who were at least 20 years of age had the right to vote.

The task of the Constituent Assembly was to lay the foundations for the Estonian statehood, to adopt the Constitution and the Land Act. The Constituent Assembly acted as the national representative body and the legislative power of Estonia from 23 April 1919 until 20 December 1920.

 

Source: Parliament of Estonia

 

The new Board of the Riigikogu emphasised the importance of the parliament

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The newly elected members of the Board Henn Põlluaas, Helir-Valdor Seeder, and Siim Kallas held a press conference after the opening sitting of the 14th Riigikogu, stressing the importance of parliamentary democracy.

The President of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas reflected that the new Riigikogu is assuming office in a politically fraught situation, but that this is a sign of democracy. Põlluaas explained that the Riigikogu must stand for the interests of the Estonian sovereignty, democracy, freedom of speech, and the people. The President expressed his conviction that the new Riigikogu and the new Board will fulfil their tasks with flying colours.

Vice-President Helir-Valdor Seeder declared himself a firm believer in democracy, and named improving the authority of the parliament as a working goal. The Vice-President called for a better balance between the legislative and the executive powers. Seeder added that debates should remain within the wall of the Riigikogu and politics should spill less out onto the streets.

Vice-President Siim Kallas called the parliament and the government two sides of a single coin. Kallas promised that the newly elected Board of the Riigikogu will do everything in its power to make sure the parliament has a worthy and weighty place in the democratic decision making process in Estonia. The Vice-Chairman said that the Board has a number of ideas on how to achieve this.

Video of the press conference of the new Board of the Riigikogu.

 

Source: Parliament of Estonia

 

The 14th Riigikogu held its opening sitting

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet  – At the opening sitting of the new Riigikogu, Henn Põlluaas was elected the President of the Riigikogu, and Helir-Valdor Seeder and Siim Kallas were elected the Vice-Presidents.

The President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid opened the first sitting and also made a speech.

Kaljulaid presented her recommendations to the new Riigikogu. “Let us keep what we have and speak honestly about what to do better from now on by building, not by tearing down. Let us recognise our success as an e-state. We are proud of our role in the European Union and NATO, not merely as a member but as an active and dutiful contributor. Let us recognise and thank all those Estonian politicians who have led us so far. But let us also be honest about how to improve the functioning of society,” the President said.

“Today, the 14th composition of the Riigikogu commences work. Everyone who is here is here as a result of democratic processes. Estonia’s democracy works. Still, we should ask why, a month after the elections, a large portion of the people feel as if something has been broken in our society. Certain agreed limits no longer seem applicable. It is not a matter of world views but often of elementary politeness and respect. Of respect towards each other and the people,” Kaljulaid noted.

Then the members of the Riigikogu took their oath of office. The eldest member of the Riigikogu Enn Eesmaa read aloud the text of the oath.

After the members of the Riigikogu began to perform their duties, the elections of the Board of the Riigikogu were held, which were organised by Meelis Eerik, Chairman of the National Electoral Committee.

Member of the Riigikogu Martin Helme nominated Henn Põlluaas as a candidate for the President of the Riigikogu, and member of the Riigikogu Jevgeni Ossinovski nominated Sven Mikser.

100 members of the Riigikogu took part in the secret ballot. 55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Henn Põlluaas, who was elected the President of the Riigikogu, and 45 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Sven Mikser.

Member of the Riigikogu Aivar Kokk nominated Helir-Valdor Seeder as a candidate for a Vice-President, and Member of the Riigikogu Jürgen Ligi nominated Siim Kallas.

100 members of the Riigikogu took part in the secret ballot. 55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Helir-Valdor Seeder, and 44 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Siim Kallas. One ballot paper was invalid. Thus, Helir-Valdor Seeder was elected the First Vice-President of the Riigikogu and Siim Kallas was elected the Second Vice-President.

After the election of the Board of the Riigikogu, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas announced the resignation of the Government in accordance with the Constitution.

At the festive opening sitting of the new Riigikogu, Ellerhein Girls’ Choir conducted by Ingrid Kõrvits performed.

 

Source: Parliament of Estonia

 

Helena-Reet: A Course on Preparing Ointments at the School of Traditional Wisdom and Folk Healing

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – While long ago every corner and every village had its own healer who treated people’s wounds and gout with ointments, oils and herbal elixirs and who skillfully prepared herbal tea, then today people know less and less of this craft. “Hamburgers are being eaten and a handful of medicine administered on top of that” – I’d hereby quote the hostess of Karepa Herbal Garden, Katrin Luke, whose course on preparing herbal ointments I recently completed.

My grandma from the father’s line was an expert herbalist and great nature lover – against every ailment there was cure to be found in the nature. From very early on grandma took us kids along into the forests and to the meadows and introduced to us various plants. And it wasn’t rare when friends from school came to visit and she offered us nettle soup or herbal pie and I used to be ashamed of this from head to toe. Now however I long for those days and I feel that there would be so much I still wished to ask her, but sadly it is not possible anymore.

I live in the countryside near the town and for 5-6 years I have been studying herbs with close attention as well as growing and collecting them from my garden, from the forests and from the meadows. Earlier on I have repeatedly posted blogs about gathering herbs, but the golden rule is that you should only gather the plants that you know 100%, and only from the unpolluted nature and with a big heart – never rip the plants out carelessly nor exhaust the plant completely from the selected spot. When I am about to gather herbs I ask permission from the Earth, I talk to plants and afterwards I thank the Earth for its gifts. There is nothing more pleasant than having a cup of herbal tea from plants that you have gathered yourself, or retrieving from the freezer frozen organic food stored during the summer. A great acknowledgement for me is also when people come to visit and ask for a cup of herbal mix tea. There is cure in herbal tea against a hundred ailments – mostly these being depression, common cold, sleep problems, liver problems, joint problems, yet I also have a recipe for unlucky love and against trouble with sexual function. People sometimes ask whether it actually works? And they will be convinced that it does!

Earlier I have also prepared healing tinctures and healing oils and I also use herbs and tinctures in Elisheva & Shoshana (E&S) soaps and bathing salts, yet the preparation of ointments is something I will be doing anew. I am really excited and there are so many ideas about healing recipes already ripening in my head! Preparation of salves is actually uncomplicated in itself, yet one must have a solid base in the knowledge of herbs (naturally one must not mistake the poisonous plants for medical herbs based on similar looks). Also, you must be patient – you must collect the herbs beforehand and the preparation/boiling of salves requires precision and time.

For fans of nature and herbs the School of Traditional Wisdom and Folk Healing created an interesting course named “Preparation of Healing Ointments“, a course which I completed this Sunday. The course was carried out by Katrin Luke who has studied herbal medicine (phytotherapy) in Tallinn School of Alternate Medicine and who manages Karepa Garden of Medical Herbs. It was a great course!

During the course four great products were prepared: Natural spruce resin ointment, Marsh Labrador (Rhododendron tomentosum) salve, Calendula ointment and Symphytum root (Symphytum officinale) oil. During tea breaks the participants were offered barley bread (Karask – barley bread is traditional Estonian food) with Ramsons (Allium ursinum L.) herbal butter, Filipendula syrup, Jerusalem artichoke chips, rose jam and other pleasant things.

I guess that from early on children should be taught phytotherapy and herbs. As for myself, I set the goal to introduce to my own children all the plants one by one with the opportunities of use.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvtHjipgc14/

 

New Riigikogu holds its opening sitting on 4 April

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —

On Thursday, 4 April at 11 a.m., the 14th Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) will hold its opening sitting and elect the Board.

President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid will deliver the opening speech. Members of the Riigikogu sign the oath of office, which will be read out by the oldest member of the Parliament Enn Eesmaa.

The Riigikogu elects the President of the Riigikogu and two Vice Presidents from among its members.

Pursuant to the Constitution of Estonia, after the election of the Board of the Riigikogu, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas announces the resignation of the Government of the Republic.

Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, conducted by Ingrid Kõrvits, will perform at the festive opening sitting of the Riigikogu.

Dear members of the press,

You are kindly invited to attend the opening sitting of the Riigikogu and the press conference of the new Board, which will be held 15 minutes after the end of the sitting in Room L240 (next to the White Hall).

Journalists wishing to cover the opening sitting and attend the press conference are asked to register by 12 o’clock on 3 April at the latest on the web page of the Riigikogu.

Please note that the permanent accreditations of the Riigikogu are not valid on the day of the opening sitting. Unregistered representatives of media publications are not allowed entrance to the Riigikogu.

Riigikogu Press Service
Epp-Mare Kukemelk
+372 631 6356, +372 515 3903
epp-mare.kukemelk@riigikogu.ee 
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Source: Parliament of Estonia

National Report on Biodiversity in Finland: Biodiversity still on the decline despite rigorous work

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Finland’s broad-based working group on biodiversity has approved the sixth national report on the conservation of biodiversity in Finland. According to the report, Finland has engaged in rigorous, well-coordinated work to halt the decline in biodiversity, but the changes in practices throughout society have not been sufficient. As a result, we will not reach our target of halting biodiversity loss in Finland by 2020.

The sixth National Report on Biodiversity in Finland provides a comprehensive description of nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources in the country. The report assesses the implementation of the 105 measures detailed in Finland’s Biodiversity Action Plan. According to the assessment, progress could be seen in all areas of the action plan, but the work still needs to be intensified.

“Along with climate change, the dwindling of biodiversity is one of the most important environmental challenges we face. With this in mind, Finland and other countries around the world have committed to halting biodiversity loss by 2020. Unfortunately, it now appears that we will not achieve this target. The National Report on Biodiversity in Finland and the new assessments of threatened species and habitats in Finland provide a strong knowledge base for our activities moving forward. A long-term road map for conserving biodiversity is now very much needed,” says Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen.

When it comes to achieving the twenty global Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the report states that Finland has implemented the administrative measures required to achieve them, but that changes in practices have so far been insufficient. Finland’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, entitled Saving Nature for People, has been an important tool for highlighting the conservation of biodiversity at all levels of Finnish society.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the Rio conventions
The Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the three conventions decided on at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The Convention on Biological Diversity is the first global convention that aims to conserve the diversity of life on earth at all levels, including species’ genetic variation, populations and the diversity of their habitats. Finland ratified the convention in July 1994.

National biodiversity strategies and action plans play an integral role in implementing the convention. The convention requires its parties to draw up national biodiversity strategies and action plans that set targets and measures for its implementation. The objective is to integrate the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into all sectors and functions of society.

Finland’s national report was submitted to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity on the 21st of March and will be part of the broader international Global Biodiversity Outlook.

Inquiries:
Marina von Weissenberg, Environment Counsellor, Ministry of the Environment, firstname.lastname @ym.fi, tel. +358 295 250 321
Ari-Pekka Auvinen, Researcher, Finnish Environment Institute, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi, tel. +358 50 4113 403

Finland’s broad-based working group on biodiversity has approved the sixth national report on the conservation of biodiversity in Finland. According to the report, Finland has engaged in rigorous, well-coordinated work to halt the decline in biodiversity, but the changes in practices throughout society have not been sufficient. As a result, we will not reach our target of halting biodiversity loss in Finland by 2020.

Source: ym.fi

Members of the Riigikogu observe presidential elections in Ukraine

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —

Members of the Estonian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly are in Ukraine to observe the presidential elections held on Sunday.

Head of the Estonian delegation Mart Nutt said that the situation in Ukraine was unpredictable and most probably the President would not be elected in the first round of the elections. In that case, a second round will be held on 21 April. Three candidates, Volodymyr Zelensky, who is the leading candidate, incumbent president Petro Poroshenko and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, have a real chance of progressing to the second round of voting.

Nutt added that the President of Ukraine was elected directly, and as Ukraine was a semi-presidential republic, its president had relatively extensive powers. “Election of the president may make Ukrainian-Russian relations tenser. The relations between Estonia and Ukraine are good, and the presidential elections probably will not have any impact on them,” Nutt said.

The presidential elections in Ukraine are also observed by members of the Estonian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Jaanus Marrandi and Mati Raidma. The members of the Estonian delegation will be staying in the capital of Ukraine Kiev and its surroundings.

Deploying of election observation missions has been an important part of OSCE’s activities since 1993. The missions monitor whether the elections are conducted legitimately and according to democratic standards. Nearly 110 observers participate in the OSCE mission in Ukraine.

Riigikogu Press Service
Veiko Pesur
phone: +372 631 6353, 372 55 590 595
e-mail: veiko.pesur@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Neuroscientists Paul Frankland and Blake Richards say your forgetfulness is a sign of Extraordinary Intelligence

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – How often you find yourself forgetting things? Whether it is the date of a friend`s birthday, the name of someone from the past, or a word you want to use. This might have felt troublesome and uncooperative. But, you can get relax now as according to recent studies, forgetfulness is a sign of higher intelligence. Some people`s brain is more capable at remembering, others` is capable in other sectors, whether it is music, mathematics, or other. These people have a great memory* as nature has provided them with an efficient brain.

But, as humans it isn`t always possible to memorize every tiny detail, apart from that it is also difficult to remember things you learned in school, particularly for a long time period.

You might wonder why such things happen and why minor brain lapses occur in the first place, but this is completely normal as researchers Paul Frankland and Blake Richards from the University of Toronto have discovered that old memories in the brain are “overwritten” by new memories. It is even more difficult for us to remember the old impressions, or forget them entirely.

According to the research, just because a person has a better memory, it doesn’t mean that the person is highly intelligent. In fact, the study discovered that the opposite appears to be correct. There are people who memorize all details in their heads, which is useful, but it is even more useful and healthier to remember a larger scale of everything and forget tiny facts.

“It’s important that the brain forgets irrelevant details and instead focuses on the things that will help you make decisions in the real world,” Richards explained in an interview with CNN.

There is a mechanism is the brain called hippocampus that stores memories in our minds. But, it will delete the less important memories in our heads in order to focus on what really is important. This mechanism helps us to make better and wiser decisions.

When the brain is overwhelmed with unimportant memories or too many of them, it will lead to mind conflicts and prevent us from making good decisions. For instance, a brain with too many memories can be indecisive as it accounts for too many variables.

“We know that sport increases the number of neurons in the hippocampus,” said Richards. “It’s these very details from your life that are not important, and maybe keep you from making good decisions.”

It is far more acceptable sometimes to forget small details as you can now easily look up at any fact you need at any time.

But, do you find yourself forgetting large segments of important information? If yes, there might be a more serious issue and it is critical to get help from a medical practitioner. Otherwise, it is absolutely fine to forget minor details. Therefore, there is no need to feel stupid when you cannot remember because it means that your mind is working properly!
_______________________________

* Memory is the faculty of the brain by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed.

Memory is vital to experiences, it is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If we could not remember past events, we could not learn or develop language, relationships, or personal identity.

Often memory is understood as an informational processing system with explicit and implicit functioning that is made up of a sensory processor, short-term (or working) memory, and long-term memory. This can be related to the neuron. The sensory processor allows information from the outside world to be sensed in the form of chemical and physical stimuli and attended to various levels of focus and intent. Working memory serves as an encoding and retrieval processor. Information in the form of stimuli is encoded in accordance with explicit or implicit functions by the working memory processor. The working memory also retrieves information from previously stored material. Finally, the function of long-term memory is to store data through various categorical models or systems.

Explicit and implicit functions of memory are also known as declarative and non-declarative systems. These systems involve the purposeful intention of memory retrieval and storage, or lack thereof.

Declarative, or explicit, memory is the conscious storage and recollection of data. Under declarative memory resides semantic and episodic memory. Semantic memory refers to memory that is encoded with specific meaning, while episodic memory refers to information that is encoded along a spatial and temporal plane. Declarative memory is usually the primary process thought of when referencing memory.

Non-declarative, or implicit, memory is the unconscious storage and recollection of information. An example of a non-declarative process would be the unconscious learning or retrieval of information by way of procedural memory, or a priming phenomenon. Priming is the process of subliminally arousing specific responses from memory and shows that not all memory is consciously activated, whereas procedural memory is the slow and gradual learning of skills that often occurs without conscious attention to learning.

Memory is not a perfect processor, and is affected by many factors. The ways by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved can all be corrupted. The amount of attention given new stimuli can diminish the amount of information that becomes encoded for storage. Also, the storage process can become corrupted by physical damage to areas of the brain that are associated with memory storage, such as the hippocampus. Finally, the retrieval of information from long-term memory can be disrupted because of decay within long-term memory. Normal functioning, decay over time, and brain damage all affect the accuracy and capacity of the memory.

Memory loss is usually described as forgetfulness or amnesia.

Featured image: Pexels/Daniel Spase

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