# @science on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DP85QLWlOLS
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35760425-science-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/0fb7dc394c.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-18T13:00:32.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Science 🧬 (@science) — https://gondola.cc/science

## Caption

Forgetting isn’t a mistake, it’s a skill the brain uses on purpose. In new research from Flinders University, scientists discovered that the same chemical that helps us learn, dopamine, also helps us forget. Using tiny transparent worms called Caenorhabditis elegans, which share about 80% of their genes with humans, the team watched how memories form and fade inside the brain.⁠
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The worms were trained to associate a fruity smell with food. Normally, that memory fades with time. But when the worms were engineered to lack dopamine, or when dopamine couldn’t move properly between cells, the memory lasted much longer. The worms could still learn, but they couldn’t let go of what they learned.⁠
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Two dopamine receptors, called DOP-2 and DOP-3, turned out to be key. When both were turned off, the worms kept their memories far longer than normal. Even when dopamine was restored in only one type of brain cell, forgetting didn’t return to normal. The entire dopamine system had to work together, showing that forgetting is a carefully coordinated process, not just a slow fading of information.⁠
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The study, published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, builds on earlier research in fruit flies that showed dopamine can actively erase memories. The findings suggest that forgetting through dopamine is a shared feature across many species, helping brains stay flexible and avoid overload from constant new experiences.⁠
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The discovery could also shed light on human conditions like Parkinson’s disease, where dopamine levels drop and memory can be affected. By understanding how dopamine helps the brain clear out unneeded memories, scientists may one day learn how to strengthen or protect memory when it matters most.⁠
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#science #neuroscience #memory #dopamine #forgetting #learning #celegans #brain #parkinsons #research #biology⁠
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Source: 10.1111/jnc.70200

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## Tags

neuroscience, celegans, science, research, learning, memory, dopamine, brain, parkinsons, biology, forgetting

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