Facebook says this can be helpful if someone wants to send a message to someone who they say speak at a conference or to contact someone about a job opening.

FORBES: Facebook Test Lets Strangers Pay For Message Delivery

And no matter how much of a culinary purist you are, watching someone butterfly a shrimp on YouTube or the Food Network is almost always going to be more helpful than a written description of the process.

WSJ: iPad as Sous Chef

Memory also appears to play a role in imagining what someone else might be feeling, known as theory of mind, which is helpful in deciding how to behave in unfamiliar social situations, such as going to a party with a new group of friends or starting a job.

WSJ: Memory: Research Finds Links Between Recall, Future Planning