Comments on: Of memory champions and memory palaces http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 12:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Cowicide http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1387777 Cowicide Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1387777 Thank you for the info, @boingboing-22fa300cf68c8f75931e26905d6bbeae:disqus Thank you for the info, @boingboing-22fa300cf68c8f75931e26905d6bbeae:disqus

]]> By: Rachael Hoffman-Dachelet http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1385028 Rachael Hoffman-Dachelet Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1385028 I learned this trick in the 7th grade, and though I don't use it often any more it's the only way I could get through my Art History major in college.  I would find parts of each art work to "hang" the date, artist's name, and any thing else I needed to remember on, sometimes also making up silly rhymes to help.  I still can't see Zozar's Step Mastaban without singing the "king zozar is so bazar" song.  I could also walk you through Marshal high and tell you all about my American History facts and dates from 7th grade. I learned this trick in the 7th grade, and though I don’t use it often any more it’s the only way I could get through my Art History major in college.  I would find parts of each art work to “hang” the date, artist’s name, and any thing else I needed to remember on, sometimes also making up silly rhymes to help.  I still can’t see Zozar’s Step Mastaban without singing the “king zozar is so bazar” song.  I could also walk you through Marshal high and tell you all about my American History facts and dates from 7th grade.

]]> By: Ambiguity http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1385012 Ambiguity Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1385012  Cool -- I'll have to look that one up. Thanks!  Cool — I’ll have to look that one up. Thanks!

]]> By: kairos http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384993 kairos Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384993 That doesn't make sense, though. Human memory isn't anything like a computer's - it isn't storage as such, and didn't evolve to store homogeneous mass quantities of context-free numerical information. It evolved to retain associations between patterns of experience and activity operating over wildly heterogeneous domains. Featureless, sterile things are not called 'memorable' for a reason; to 'memorize' a number at all we first need at the very arbitrarily least one thing to attach it to in order to even provide initiatory conditions for recall - a person whose phone number it is, a physical constant whose value it is, etc. At the most basic level, you're using a scarcity model to understand something functioning in an abundance situation. The problem-structures the brain is 'solving' in the operations of perception, retention, and recall deal with filtering and synthesizing a toxically hyperabundant flow of information, not allocating a finite stock of it. That doesn’t make sense, though. Human memory isn’t anything like a computer’s – it isn’t storage as such, and didn’t evolve to store homogeneous mass quantities of context-free numerical information. It evolved to retain associations between patterns of experience and activity operating over wildly heterogeneous domains. Featureless, sterile things are not called ‘memorable’ for a reason; to ‘memorize’ a number at all we first need at the very arbitrarily least one thing to attach it to in order to even provide initiatory conditions for recall – a person whose phone number it is, a physical constant whose value it is, etc.

At the most basic level, you’re using a scarcity model to understand something functioning in an abundance situation. The problem-structures the brain is ‘solving’ in the operations of perception, retention, and recall deal with filtering and synthesizing a toxically hyperabundant flow of information, not allocating a finite stock of it.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384940 Brainspore Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384940 What a waste of effort. I just write all that stuff down! Now, where did I leave my notebook? What a waste of effort. I just write all that stuff down!

Now, where did I leave my notebook?

]]> By: Culturedropout http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384906 Culturedropout Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384906 It always seems odd to me that so many successful "memorizers" will take something simple (like a 7-digit number) and convert it into some bizarre, complicated mental image to make it _easier_ to remember.  I would always expect the exact opposite; take a complicated thing and generate a simplified representation to remember it.  The human brain is a strange, strange place... It always seems odd to me that so many successful “memorizers” will take something simple (like a 7-digit number) and convert it into some bizarre, complicated mental image to make it _easier_ to remember.  I would always expect the exact opposite; take a complicated thing and generate a simplified representation to remember it.  The human brain is a strange, strange place…

]]> By: Nancy J Gill http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384903 Nancy J Gill Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384903 Dells admits to having a mediocre, at best, memory in daily life: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/27/149480704/total-recall-memory-champ-on-triumph Dells admits to having a mediocre, at best, memory in daily life:
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/27/149480704/total-recall-memory-champ-on-triumph

]]> By: kairos http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384873 kairos Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384873 They actually go back quite a long way - certainly to Attic Greece, and probably further; the earliest surviving works on it are from Aristotle, Cicero, and an unknown Roman contemporary. Students of rhetoric would have to first memorize the layout, rooms, and contents of an existing palace, to use for life as the model for their palace of memory. The techniques returned to popularity/visibility in the West (for awhile, at least) via the writings of Thomas Aquinas. They actually go back quite a long way – certainly to Attic Greece, and probably further; the earliest surviving works on it are from Aristotle, Cicero, and an unknown Roman contemporary. Students of rhetoric would have to first memorize the layout, rooms, and contents of an existing palace, to use for life as the model for their palace of memory. The techniques returned to popularity/visibility in the West (for awhile, at least) via the writings of Thomas Aquinas.

]]> By: addalled http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384862 addalled Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384862 I've had this in my bookmarks for a while: Memory Palaces - A Millennial Metaphor? http://mappa.mundi.net/cartography/Palace/ And at the bottom there are three good book references. I’ve had this in my bookmarks for a while:
Memory Palaces - A Millennial Metaphor?
http://mappa.mundi.net/cartography/Palace/
And at the bottom there are three good book references.

]]> By: Glen Able http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384809 Glen Able Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384809  > I remember his last name to this day because I still visualize a raining storm cloud that's low to the ground (low rain). I bet if you ever bump into him, you'll say "It's you!  Harry Floordrizzle!"  > I remember his last name to this day because I still visualize a raining storm cloud that’s low to the ground (low rain).

I bet if you ever bump into him, you’ll say “It’s you!  Harry Floordrizzle!”

]]> By: Cowicide http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384804 Cowicide Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384804 Harry Lorayne also uses similar techniques going way back and AFAIK he's the grandaddy of these techniques.  He was on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, etc. and would flip people out with his memory skillz by memorizing every audience member's name and offering 1000 dollars to anyone he'd forget (which he wouldn't). I've read his memory books and they simply worked for me. I remember his last name to this day because I still visualize a raining storm cloud that's low to the ground (low rain). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Lorayne Harry Lorayne also uses similar techniques going way back and AFAIK he’s the grandaddy of these techniques.  He was on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, etc. and would flip people out with his memory skillz by memorizing every audience member’s name and offering 1000 dollars to anyone he’d forget (which he wouldn’t).

I’ve read his memory books and they simply worked for me.

I remember his last name to this day because I still visualize a raining storm cloud that’s low to the ground (low rain).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Lorayne

]]> By: Daemonworks http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384793 Daemonworks Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384793 I'm really not understanding how you go about forming an association between "0093495" and "Olivia Newton slam-dunking a helmet while wearing spandex", but the memory palace thing goes back at least as far as roman times. I’m really not understanding how you go about forming an association between “0093495″ and “Olivia Newton slam-dunking a helmet while wearing spandex”, but the memory palace thing goes back at least as far as roman times.

]]> By: Wreckrob8 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384776 Wreckrob8 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384776 Apparently she suggests that Giordano Bruno was burnt for his Hermeticism and not his belief in heliocentricity. I always thought that was the case anyway. Apparently she suggests that Giordano Bruno was burnt for his Hermeticism and not his belief in heliocentricity. I always thought that was the case anyway.

]]> By: Michael Lathrop http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384740 Michael Lathrop Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384740 Mary J. Carruthers also has an excellent book on this topic, but she looks further back, beginning in antiquity and focusing on the Medieval period.  I'm going to go look for Yate's book; excellent tip. Carruthers' book is:  The Book of Memory. Mary J. Carruthers also has an excellent book on this topic, but she looks further back, beginning in antiquity and focusing on the Medieval period.  I’m going to go look for Yate’s book; excellent tip.

Carruthers’ book is:  The Book of Memory.

]]> By: TheMarchingMorons http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384738 TheMarchingMorons Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384738 It is like on-demand Synesthesia! It is like on-demand Synesthesia!

]]> By: bassguitar115 http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384692 bassguitar115 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384692 I'd highly recommend Joshua Foer's 'Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything'. Just finished it and learned a lot about the world of extreme memorization.   I’d highly recommend Joshua Foer’s ‘Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything’. Just finished it and learned a lot about the world of extreme memorization.  

]]> By: Ambiguity http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/of-memory-champions-and-memory.html#comment-1384661 Ambiguity Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=152331#comment-1384661 For those interested, Dame Frances Yates wrote a wonderful book, <i>The Art of memory</i>, that examined the memory palace in the context of the Renaissance, spanning from occult philosophies to the beginning the the scientific paradigm. And any book with Giordono Bruno is great, of course! For those interested, Dame Frances Yates wrote a wonderful book, The Art of memory, that examined the memory palace in the context of the Renaissance, spanning from occult philosophies to the beginning the the scientific paradigm. And any book with Giordono Bruno is great, of course!

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