Mind the gap : generations of questions in the early science of collaborative recall

At many stops on the London Underground you will read or hear the phrase “mind the gap”. It is an iconic expression that instantly reminds you of London. In early 2013, the widow of actor Oswald Laurence – who 40 years earlier recorded a “mind the gap” announcement that played throughout the capital for many years – approached staff of the London Underground to ask for a copy of his announcement. She said that following her husband’s death she would go to Embankment Station, where his message still played, to hear him again and to remember, at least until his version of the message was phased out (“Mind the Gap”, 2013). In our everyday lives, it is crucial that we keep remembering successfully and keep our memories alive, especially as we age. Memories serve not only to guide our day-to-day actions and plans for the future, but they teach us and teach others, tell us who we are and who we are not, and connect us to our most intimate remembering and life partners: our spouses, children, families, friends, neighbours, colleagues and others (Harris, Keil, Sutton, Barnier, & McIlwain, 2011; Williams, Conway, & Cohen, 2008).