Memories are based on learned associations. The photo of a boat evokes its name, perhaps the smell of the sea. The sight of notes combined with a preceding note causes the pianist to associate with the right key. For this to be learned, the brain cells must establish new connections. It also requires a timing mechanism to ensure that the key is pressed at the right moment. We can follow the learning of an association in a single neuron in the cerebellum. An experimental animal hears a tone followed by an air puff to the eye. After repeated such stimulation, the tone will trigger a blink before the air puff - a conditioned reflex. The conditioned reflex is precisely timed - it comes just when the air puff is expected with a precision of some tens of milliseconds. We believe that the mechanism behind the timing is the same one that allows the pianist to press the key at exactly the right moment. We have identified the cells in the cerebellum that learn the association and we have discovered that these cells contain a kind of 'microclocks'. We can identify key components of the clocks' structure and want to go further to investigate the details. The discovery on which the project is based implies a completely new principle of signaling and learning in the brain. The project may also have medical implications, such as improved motor learning in stroke patients. As the same mechanisms appear to be damaged in children with autism and language disorders, the project could lead to better treatment for them too.