The previous week we watched Black Mirror: the Entire History of You. Before watching it, I always heard that Black Mirror is one of the greatest scientific fiction series ever.

Life is too short, but somehow we forget some of our most important memories: our birth, the first time we walked, the first word we said, the first person we saw…Sometimes I am curious: what if there is a camera/equipment planted in me that records every moment of my life? I would be able to replay my best memories over and over again – running on the grass with my childhood best friend, the look of my first secret crush, cuddling with my mom and sitting on dad’s lap…those priceless moments that are so easily forgotten. What if I can even record my dreams? Every time I woke up from a long, beautiful dream-whether it was flying on a broomstick with Voldemort chasing after me, or greeting foreign royal families as a princess in a castle, or skating with Yuzuru Hanyu on winter olympics… So many details were lost within 5 minutes of waking up. I know that a “grain” implanted in me would let me keep those memories intact, even after years. Isn’t that brilliant – living in a dream.

It did not seem to work well for Liam in the show. He used his “memory” to prove his wife’s disloyalty. He made his wife to show him the video of her cheating on him. Eventually, lying alone on the floor, he decided to get rid of the implant. This, to me, does not make sense. With a photographic memory, crimes can be detected and no one can lie to other people or perjure themselves on stand. And by crime, I also mean cheating in marriage. However, even though it is easier to detect cheating in the marriage, the fallen apart life of Liam’s is by no means the technology’s fault. First, his wife chose to cheat on him with the understanding that this memory will be recorded. And she did not choose to delete it. Second, Liam chose to rip the band-aid off after finding out about the affair. He could’ve pretended he never knew about this affair, if he really wanted to keep the marriage and forgive his wife. This is his decision.

Eventually, a photographic memory would not only make all the best memories in our lives not easily forgotten, but also our exams would be so much easier, and we would be living in a world with more honesty and relationships would be more straight forward. Whether that’s a good thing or not, it is another day’s topic.