Ep. 134 – Altered Memories and Alternate Realities with Dr. Elizabeth Loftus

In this episode, Chris Hadnagy and Ryan MacDougall are joined by distinguished professor: Elizabeth Loftus. Listen in to understand the vulnerabilities in human memories and how they are sometimes exploited. Learn to defend against attacks on your memory and how this info can be applied in the information security industry.  

00:01 – Introduction to Elizabeth Loftus and her research on the malleability of human memory. 

01:41 – Elizabeth's reasoning for researching human memory.  

03:12 – What our faulty memory means for eyewitness testimonies. 

04:20 – How the phrasing of a question can distort someone's memory.  

06:27 – Is it possible to verify the accuracy of a memory? 

10:34 – Trying hard to remember something can sometimes lead to the creation of a false memory. 

11:22 – Elizabeth's experience with the trial of George Franklin. 

14:13 – How can we protect ourselves from having our memories modified? 

14:21 – The similarities between preventing false memories and preventing scams. 

 20:40 – “What the heck is going on in the world of Social-Engineer: COVID Style.” 

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25:43 – How hypnosis therapy often generates false memories.  

30:21 – How to protect yourself from having your memories altered. 

32:58 – The prevalence and impact of misinformation on social media. 

38:30 – Elizabeth’s website, Ted Talk and books. 

Elizabeth F. Loftus’ UCI School of Social Ecology Website 

Ted Talk at TedGlobal 2013 

Books by Elizabeth 

39:44 – Elizabeth’s book recommendations. 

Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) 

41:50 – Outro  

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