{
  "id": 6941279,
  "title": "Your memories of how you heard about 9/11 may well be wrong – we’ve been asking the same people what they remember for 25 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/your-memories-of-how-you-heard-about-9-11-may-well-be-wrong-weve-been",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-12T14:04:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/your-memories-of-how-you-heard-about-9-11-may-well-be-wrong-weve-been-asking-the-same-people-what-they-remember-for-25-years-291820"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "How did you first learn of the attacks on September 11, 2001? Was it a panicked phone call from your mother, a roommate shaking you awake, or the anxious chatter on a commuter train? Research suggests that your memory may be around 40% inaccurate. These flashbulb memories, or personal details of how we learned about significant events, are not common for most news events. However, for 9/11, people can still vividly recall their circumstances when they heard the news. Most Americans, however, did not experience the attacks firsthand. Thus, their memories of 9/11 include their unique experiences on that day. Memory is not a fixed archive; it is dynamic and vulnerable to change. As memory researchers, we know there is a high likelihood that about 40% of the details we remember about 9/11 may be incorrect. People find it difficult to accept their memories changing, possibly because they expect confidence in memory accuracy to reflect its objective accuracy. Emotional events like 9/11 can lead to improved memory for a few key details and increased confidence in that memory, even if other details are poorly recalled. The social acknowledgment of sharing a memory can boost confidence in its accuracy. This inflated confidence for flashbulb memories of 9/11 emerges because the event was highly emotional and people shared their experiences extensively. Memories that are believed to be accurate shape our identity and guide future actions. People often create a narrative that enhances their well-being and boosts confidence in their memory's accuracy. Flashbulb memories bind us to our community and help shape our social identity as Americans. So, when recounting your 9/11 story, even if some details are not entirely accurate, the narrative you provide serves to bind you with other Americans, asserting and reinforcing our collective identity.",
  "summary": "Memories are dynamic, not fixed. Even if what you’re remembering about your own experience isn’t quite how it all happened, those memories serve important roles.",
  "key_points": [
    "40% of 9/11 memories inaccurate, research finds",
    "Flashbulb memories vivid for most Americans",
    "Shared experiences shape collective identity"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}