University of Tokyo and RIKEN model when organisms should spend resources on memory

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo and RIKEN developed a mathematical theory for when living systems should rely on memory versus current sensory input, according to a University of Tokyo write-up on phys.org of work published in Physical Review Letters. Remembering the past can help organisms make better decisions, the team notes, but storing and using information requires energy and resources. Their results showed that the amount of available resources determined whether an organism relied on memory or made decisions solely based on current sensory input. The researchers created a simplified model of estimation strategies in a changing environment, allowing the organism to use both current sensory information and memories of past observations while treating memory maintenance as a cost. That trade-off between accuracy and resource use produced sharp switches in strategy rather than gradual change, the write-up says. The theory is framed as relevant across scales, from animals foraging to single cells responding to surroundings, and links information processing to ecological resource limits. The phys.org article is based on the University of Tokyo release and cites the Physical Review Letters publication.