Rachel Aviv

published in The New Yorker
Elizabeth Loftus performed a revolutionary experiment that changed how psychologists viewed memory; she showed that false memories of being lost in a mall as a child could be implanted in people's minds when they were older. Showing that memory was not a fixed structure, but could change over years and new experiences, brought Loftus to testify in court for defendants accused of past crimes. While crucial for proving innocence for some, her testimonies were also used to defend dubious clients such as Harvey Weinstein and Martha Stewart.
1247 days ago