Alcohol improves memory of previous learning Written by Catharine Paddock, Ph.D. A new study finds that drinking alcohol can improve recall of learning that occurs before a drinking session, and that this effect is stronger with greater alcohol consumption. Is it possible that drinking alcohol can actually improve information recall? The reason for the finding is not fully understood, say researchers from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, who report it in the journal Scientific Reports. It has been suggested, they note, that alcohol stops the brain being able to take on new information, freeing up resources to more firmly bed down earlier learning. "The theory is that the hippocampus - the brain area really important in memory - switches to 'consolidating' memories, transferring from short- into longer-term memory," explains senior...