5 ms·
I guess I must have missed the article "Why to Memorize the Largest Known Prime". Memorizing lists of numbers in sequence seems like such a huge waste of time.
by sudosteph 8y ago
I guess I must have missed the article "Why to Memorize the Largest Known Prime".
Memorizing lists of numbers in sequence seems like such a huge waste of time. We already have computers, and in a pinch, paper and pencils which serve the purpose of reliably recording large streams of numbers much better. I understand that there is some appeal in understanding ways to improve memory, but if you're going to spend that much time training your memorization, why not at least get pick a subject where you might get something useful out of it? Learn to memorize a new language with a different character system, or memorize how to play difficult musical compositions . At least those would also improve your ability to communicate in some form or provide value to other people around you.
I know I shouldn't be this irritated by what people choose for their hobbies, it doesn't really matter and this is probably still better than watching cable news all day. But this topic in particular frustrates me because it seems to serve no purpose other than to allow nerds to show off to each other and pat themselves on their backs for "achieving" something that is totally without value.
- DennisP 8y agoI took it more as a fun game: figuring out how to memorize the largest known prime. Along the way I learned something about the nature of this prime. I don't plan to actually memorize it, but I enjoyed the read.
- anyfoo 8y agoDid you actually read the article? I don’t think the author really expects you to memorize anything. The last part about bathroom breaks emphasized the already non-serious style. Instead, the article teaches the reader about what a Mersenne prime is, what special property it has to make it actually possible to remember this very very long number (perhaps surprisingly, if you did not know about Mersenne primes already), and did give me a few neat, new ideas on how to memorize numbers in general. It’s just a fun read. No need for the soap box, really.
- sneakernets 8y agoI'm with you on this. There needs to be a term for achieving something that serves absolutely no purpose in any situation imaginable. And when I mean "no purpose", I really mean it. This prime can't even be used for encryption because it's so absurdly large, and now that it's a well-known prime, it's a cinch to check for it.
- anyfoo 8y agoYou mean like playing any other kind of sports or game? Or entertainment in general? And in this case, it does not even appear that the author really expects you to memorize anything. It’s just a few neat properties and tricks. This is not a serious article.
- sneakernets 8y agoSports and games have strong cultural connections. Primes, not so much. (And yes, I'm very much aware that this isn't serious.)
- lsc 8y agoI personally would rather connect with the small subculture that connects with large primes than with the much larger (but in my opinion, less interesting) subculture that connects with sports. I mean, I'm not saying that one is any more objectively valuable than the other, just that it's a preference, and neither one is more valid than the other.
- boxed_thought 8y agoWell, you know, I think we all remember the tune of the alphabet song, that one that ends with "...now I know my ABC's, next won't you sing with me?" And so, what the author exposes here, is a methodology for even more powerful mnemonics, that permit storing a structured value even larger than a 26 letter case-insensitive, ordered set. So perhaps that's the game we're playing, yes? Memory palaces [0] perhaps? Why not? ...or we can just leave you out of our reindeer games, next time. How about that? [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci