4 ms·

There isn't much value in memorizing vast amounts of facts like that anymore (you already mentioned two key areas where that's still needed: language and medici

There isn't much value in memorizing vast amounts of facts like that anymore (you already mentioned two key areas where that's still needed: language and medicine). Nowadays it's better to remember where to find facts and learn quickly than to simply remember facts upfront. It's fine for you to have a personal goal of using spaced repetition to learn dozens of languages, historical events, etc, but it's really not a tragedy that it's not integrated into our society. It's good that we've moved on.

keiferski 7y ago
Sorry but I disagree completely. The ability to quickly find information online doesn’t negate the fact that intellectual progress and creativity often come from making connections between disparate fields. The only way to make these deeper connections is to truly know and digest the information, not simply to google it. It is probably a consequence of the computer age that we think of information as a singular piece of data that is either known/nor known, and not as something that needs to be learned, dwelt upon, and digested over time.
- kthejoker2 7y ago
  But surely that's not true of (for example) learning one's colors in German? Synthesis of ideas and innovation comes in areas of high ambiguity, subjectivity, and risk and no amount of spaced repetition will turn you into a Bucky Fuller or Raymond Loewy or Alfred Sloan. There you must substitute a voracious appetite for discovery and experimentation.
- themacguffinman 7y ago
  Connecting information is orthogonal to remembering it. Same with digesting information: you don't need to use something like spaced-repetition to commit knowledge to long term memory in order to digest it, you just need to spend some time understanding the info. In fact, I'd argue that spaced-repetition runs somewhat counter to deeply understanding information. It's easy to repetitively memorize and recall info without actually understanding it.
  - sn9 7y ago
    No one's suggesting you memorize information you don't understand....
jacquesm 7y ago
Facts are data. Connected facts are knowledge. Knowledge breeds wisdom. You won't put a roof on house if you don't start with a foundation.

keiferski 7y ago

Sorry but I disagree completely. The ability to quickly find information online doesn’t negate the fact that intellectual progress and creativity often come from making connections between disparate fields. The only way to make these deeper connections is to truly know and digest the information, not simply to google it. It is probably a consequence of the computer age that we think of information as a singular piece of data that is either known/nor known, and not as something that needs to be learned, dwelt upon, and digested over time.

kthejoker2 7y ago
But surely that's not true of (for example) learning one's colors in German? Synthesis of ideas and innovation comes in areas of high ambiguity, subjectivity, and risk and no amount of spaced repetition will turn you into a Bucky Fuller or Raymond Loewy or Alfred Sloan. There you must substitute a voracious appetite for discovery and experimentation.
themacguffinman 7y ago
Connecting information is orthogonal to remembering it. Same with digesting information: you don't need to use something like spaced-repetition to commit knowledge to long term memory in order to digest it, you just need to spend some time understanding the info. In fact, I'd argue that spaced-repetition runs somewhat counter to deeply understanding information. It's easy to repetitively memorize and recall info without actually understanding it.
- sn9 7y ago
  No one's suggesting you memorize information you don't understand....

jacquesm 7y ago

Facts are data. Connected facts are knowledge. Knowledge breeds wisdom. You won't put a roof on house if you don't start with a foundation.