> What's the formula to calculate the volume of a conical pyramid, off the top of your head? I don't need to know the formula off the top of my head; I need to

> What's the formula to calculate the volume of a conical pyramid, off the top of your head? I don't need to know the formula off the top of my head; I need to know what a conical pyramid is, what volume is, what a formula is, and how to use it. I guarantee that between me and someone who's never done geometry at all, I can find the volume of a conical pyramid faster and more reliably. You're right that memorizing specific formulas isn't useful; but using a large number of formulas over and over to gain mastery over the general idea certainly is.