The Science Behind Blackout Drinking And How It Could Relate To Kavanaugh

The testimonies of Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh are at odds. Ford says she is 100 percent confident she was assaulted by Kavanaugh when they were in high school, but Kavanaugh vehemently denies that it ever happened.

One way to reconcile the opposing narratives is the so-called the "blackout theory." That Kavanaugh might have done it but doesn't remember because he blacked out from drinking too much. Kavanaugh, though, also denies ever having blacked out from drinking.

So, what exactly is a blackout and how do they work? Is it possible to not know that you've experienced one?

Dr. Richard Saitz, chair of Boston University School of Public Health’s Department of Community Health Sciences and an addiction medicine specialist. He tweets @unhealthyalcdrg.