3 ms·

> There’s a lot of research on this, but in short, most people develop much stronger memories of the things they physically write (typing is less effective IIRC

> There’s a lot of research on this, but in short, most people develop much stronger memories of the things they physically write (typing is less effective IIRC), whether they ever refer back to the notes or not. Do you remember why typing would be less effective? Is it something to do with writing being much slower, therefore you have to think about it more while recording it?

Shank 7y ago
> Is it something to do with writing being much slower, therefore you have to think about it more while recording it? I am not of any importance as a person, but my hypothesis is exactly this. For most of the HN audience, I expect that typing is well within the 70-100wpm range if not more, and at that rate, it becomes much faster to get something out of one's mind and into a system that it doesn't take time to "buffer" and linger. I somehow personally doubt that actually forming the words on paper is enough to create memories, but I suppose anything is possible given how humans have evolved so far.
seventhtiger 7y ago
I find the same experience and my guess would be the amount of engagement. A good typist can type while having a conversation. Writing demands more focus and coordination and gives more feedback.
burlesona 7y ago
If I remember right, the idea is that writing on paper has several kinesthetic properties: the feel of the pen and the paper, the smell, the way the notebook looks on the table, with the current location lighting, etc etc. There’s also the relatively slower, more physical act of actually writing by hand. Brains normally form memories with all that data wrapped in. Typing on a screen it’s all kind of the same, compared to how different each physical writing experience feels. Those differences give your brain more “texture” to work with in forming a distinct memory and giving you hooks to recall it later. If you’re interested in this stuff, there’s a very entertaining book about memory called “Moonwalking with Einstein,” which I highly recommend :)

Shank 7y ago

> Is it something to do with writing being much slower, therefore you have to think about it more while recording it? I am not of any importance as a person, but my hypothesis is exactly this. For most of the HN audience, I expect that typing is well within the 70-100wpm range if not more, and at that rate, it becomes much faster to get something out of one's mind and into a system that it doesn't take time to "buffer" and linger. I somehow personally doubt that actually forming the words on paper is enough to create memories, but I suppose anything is possible given how humans have evolved so far.

seventhtiger 7y ago

I find the same experience and my guess would be the amount of engagement. A good typist can type while having a conversation. Writing demands more focus and coordination and gives more feedback.

burlesona 7y ago

If I remember right, the idea is that writing on paper has several kinesthetic properties: the feel of the pen and the paper, the smell, the way the notebook looks on the table, with the current location lighting, etc etc. There’s also the relatively slower, more physical act of actually writing by hand. Brains normally form memories with all that data wrapped in. Typing on a screen it’s all kind of the same, compared to how different each physical writing experience feels. Those differences give your brain more “texture” to work with in forming a distinct memory and giving you hooks to recall it later. If you’re interested in this stuff, there’s a very entertaining book about memory called “Moonwalking with Einstein,” which I highly recommend :)