The six articles in this trenchant issue of American Behavioral Scientist showcase how memory has been perceived by society throughout time. Why is memory important, especially at this point in history? As this issue demonstrates, "social," "collective," and even "traumatic" memories are significant building blocks in the rise and fall of nations, communities, politics and culture. Electronic, surveillance, digital, and biological technologies today offer new forms of memory (what the editor has dubbed "commodity" memory) that challenge our concepts of individuality and...