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Final answer:Joe's difficulties in forming new memories after a stroke point to damage to the hippocampus, leading to anterograde amnesia. This brain area is crucial for converting short-term memories to long-term ones, and its impairment results in an inability to learn new information.Therefore, the correct option in this case is C. hippocampus.Explanation:The symptoms described in the question are indicative of damage to an area of the brain responsible for forming new memories. Given the options provided, the hippocampus is most likely to be affected in Joe's case, leading to difficulties in remembering new people and forming new memories, known as anterograde amnesia.Research, including case studies such as that of Henry Gustav Molaison (H. M.), has shown that damage to the hippocampus can result in an inability to transfer information from short-term to long-term memory. This means that while individuals may still remember past events (retrograde memory), they will struggle with learning new information post-injury. As Joe is unable to recognize new people or retain their names, it suggests that he is experiencing anterograde amnesia due to the hippocampal damage sustained from his stroke....