Last week's question: Scientists have theorized that many older people are slower to recall facts not because of cognitive decline but because their brains are so stuffed with accumulated knowledge. If you could jettison some old information to free up brain space, what would you choose?
RESULTS:
THE WINNER: High school
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Debra Martin, Wauwatosa, Wis.
SECOND PLACE: Operating instructions for my VCR, cassette tape player, and computer punch card reader
Mark Chartier, Lyme, Conn.
THIRD PLACE: Everything but the grudges
Bert Lawrence, Imperial Beach, Calif.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Bush years
Donna Astor-Lazarus, Princeton, N.J.
The Carter administration
Jay Pernik, Centerville, Ohio
The Godfather Part 3
Barbara James, Bedford, Mass.
Everything I learned at Harvard
Chris Wooding, Haiku, Hawaii
Every phone number I have in my memory
Ed Cortes, Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dating in high school
Justin Sheldon, Prattville, Ala.
All things Kardashian and the Real Housewives of anywhere
Fred Romano, Walpole, Mass.
Amo, amas, amat...
Sue Free, San Francisco
The lyrics to “MacArthur Park”
Chris Claus, Gallupville, N.Y.
All my failed marriages
Steven Zak, McAllen, Texas
Anything to do with algebra
Michael T. Sherman, Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Every promise made by every politician ever
Barry Cutler, Palm Desert, Calif.
The theme song from “Petticoat Junction”
Rebecca Lee, Rocky River, Ohio
The Detroit Lions’ last 50 years
Alan Parven, Commerce Township, Mich.
My mistakes—my wife will remember them for me
Steve Hubbard, La Mesa, Calif.
My wedding day weight
Elicia Elliott, Mercer Island, Wash.
Cursive writing
Gail Moloney, Morrison, Colo.
60 years of baseball trivia
Bob Langer, West Hartford, Conn.
The true identity of Keyser Söze
Mike Fisher, Forest Hills, N.Y.
The metric system
Tony Pribyl, Piedmont, Calif.
That scary part with the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz movie
Scott Goodwin, San Clemente, Calif.
Anything you can Google (i.e., just about everything)
Peter Bowen, Marblehead, Mass.
Valle dell'Erica Thalasso & Spa: a tranquil haven in Sardinia
America's controversial path to the atomic bomb
Crossword: August 6, 2025
