Memory loss is a sign of mental decline—or is it? Not necessarily, Alzheimer's researcher Scott Small suggests here, revealing that forgetting can be a required function for our minds to work best. Forgetting benefits our cognitive and creative abilities, emotional well-being, and even our personal and societal health. From studies of bonobos in the wild to visits with painter Jasper Johns and decision-making expert Daniel Kahneman, Small looks across disciplines to put these new scientific findings into context.