Life may unfold as a continuous stream, but our memories tell a different story. We do not recall the past as one long, unbroken text. Instead, we remember it as a series of meaningful events, like how sentences are structured with grammar and punctuation. Like any narrative, this organization gives our experiences shape and coherence, helping us make sense of what and when things happen.

The brain must devote a lot of space to this herculean task, right?

Wrong! It turns out that a tiny but mighty region pulls far more than its weight.