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Dermot & Dave

What's It Like To Be The Man Who Can Remember Everything?

 Bob Petrella is one of 60 people in the world who can remember every day of his life. Out of seven...
TodayFM
TodayFM

10:35 AM - 17 Feb 2017



What's It Like To Be The M...

Dermot & Dave

What's It Like To Be The Man Who Can Remember Everything?

TodayFM
TodayFM

10:35 AM - 17 Feb 2017



 Bob Petrella is one of 60 people in the world who can remember every day of his life.

Out of seven billion people, only 60 have been diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (or HSAM for short) and Bob is one of them.

It means he can recall what was happening in his life, and around the world, on any given day.

From what he did on March 23rd 1998 to who won the Super Bowl in 2000, Bob knows the answer - down to the scoreline.

Bob, a TV producer who has worked on the reality TV show Deadliest Catch, was born and raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.

He was an average student, however he excelled at history, mostly down to his keen sense of remembering days and dates.

When it comes to remembering the bad stuff Bob has a very unique way of looking at it.

He feels that even when he loses someone close to him he's at an advantage because he has a bank of precious memories that he can tap into more easily than anyone else around him.

Bob says he's learned to hold back on pointing out when people are wrong, "I try not to do that in relationships because women don't like when you do that."

"Sometimes people call me the Google Man because I find things out quicker than Google can."

We had to put Bob to the test and with the Oscars coming up we quizzed him on some pretty obscure winners from years ago.

Incredibly Bob nailed every question. Dave couldn't even google the correct answers as quickly as Bob was responding to the questions.

Bob didn't know for a long time that he was different to other people, as a child he believed everyone could remember things the way he could, "I didn't know if it was rare or if it was just like being left handed or a red head."

People are always intrigued when they learn of Bob's HSAM diagnosis, "I'll get tested on the spot from time to time, but if I'm in a bar with two or three drinks on board then my memory is not as clear as it usually is."

Bob joined Dermot & Dave for a seriously interesting chat, catch the full interview here:



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