The sequential acquisition of new data is incompatible with the gradual discovery of
structure and can lead to catastrophic interference with what has previously been
learned. In light of these observations, we suggest that the neocortex may be
optimized for the gradual discovery of the shared structure of events and experiences,
and that the hippocampal system is there to provide a mechanism for rapid acquisition
of new information without interference with previously discovered regularities. After
this initial acquisition, the hippocampal system serves as a teacher to the neocortex