Ever walk into a room and forget what you were doing?

Gabriel Radvansky |

TED-Ed

• September 2026

You enter your living room, then pause. Uh-oh, what was it that you were doing? You feel your mission’s momentum wane, and its aim is suddenly lost. So, what just happened? Well, you’re not alone; this is a common memory lapse phenomenon scientists have termed the “doorway effect.” Gabriel Radvansky explores why walking into a new space can make you suddenly forget what you were doing. [Directed by Biljana Labović, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Jarrett Farkas].