Roll up, roll up for the Magical Memory Tour. Scientists are recruiting the Beatles in an effort to increase their understanding of human memory.

Psychologists at Leeds University are asking people to recall moments in their lives that relate to the Fab Four in order to discover how musical memories can shape a person’s identity.

The thoughts may be linked to a particular Beatles song or album, or perhaps a news event, such as the assassination of John Lennon.

The team behind the project, which is launched today as part of National Science and Engineering Week, aims to create the biggest internet database of so-called “autobiographical” memories.

Psychologists say these memories can be triggered by certain cues and that music, in particular, has a strong emotive and recollective power in relation to long-term memories.

By using the Beatles to trigger such thoughts researchers believe they can reach out to the widest possible population sample.

“We are using an iconic cultural entity to get all those memories in one place and to try to assess the influence that the Beatles had on people’s lives,” said Dr Catriona Morrison, a senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds University.

Morrison, who associates the song Yellow Submarine with childhood memories of her aunt, added: “Whether you were there in the 1960s or if you grew up in the 1980s, virtually everybody has got some thoughts or memories about the Beatles.”

Professor Martin Conway, who is jointly overseeing the study, said: “One of the things we hope to analyse are which Beatles cues trigger the most memories and why? Is is it a song, album or news event?

“Does this memory depend upon the age you were when the memory event occurred or is it more closely related to how strongly you feel about the Beatles or the memory itself?”

Participants can post their thoughts, and view other people’s Beatles-related memories, on a website, www.magicalmemorytour.com.

The findings will be published in September at a festival in Liverpool – where else? – organised by the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

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