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> That he could still interpret letters, Schubert says, lends support to the idea that the brain has a specialized module for processing numbers. This makes a

> That he could still interpret letters, Schubert says, lends support to the idea that the brain has a specialized module for processing numbers. This makes a lot of sense to me. I have almost no trouble at all remembering long strings of numbers, but I have the opposite problem with names. I cannot remember names to save my life unless I use them on a daily basis. I feel like this is a flip-flop from how most people process information. It seems to me that lots of people are very very good at remembering names and have a hard time remembering numbers. some people look at me offended when I forget their name as if the only reason I would ever forget their name was because I didn't like them. It's very embarrassing. When I show I can remember numbers or lines of code just by looking at them once, people are amazed but then move on.

randcraw 6y ago
I too. If a name is unfamiliar to me, even if it's no more than 5-6 letters long, I can't for the life of me recall it. But I can remember random sequences of numerals up to length 12. Why? I wonder if there's some term for this malady, like 'literophasia' or 'numeraphilia'? I wonder too if it occurs equally as often in both genders. I would guess not.
- djhaskin987 6y ago
  To add some color to this, if it's a common name it's really hard to remember but if it's a foreign name to me or something I've never heard of, it's as if my brain thinks it's a random sequence of sounds and I'll remember it forever. Indian names, native Hawaiian names, no problem, but forget about it if your name is George. It's just the common names I'm used to that I have a hard time with.
  - isoprophlex 6y ago
    Second that, i have that with organic chemicals. Diazabicycloundecene, sure, used it once, will remember it forever. Oh nice to meet you George, what was your name again?!
copperx 6y ago
I'm "suffer" from this condition, too. I haven't found much literature about it as I thought I would.
Marsymars 6y ago
Remembering names is generally not a thing that humans are good at. My intro physics prof had a party trick where he'd memorize the names of everyone in the class within the first couple weeks based on their school ID picture, but he was quick to point out that he didn't have any natural affinity for remembering names, he just brute forced it.
kharak 6y ago
This is one of those things where people say "oh I can't remember names" and what they mean is "I don't put any effort in remembering names". I know, because I've been the same. Now I repeat names in my mind again and again. The next time I see the person, but don't speak to him or her, I repeat the name in my mind. An couple of minutes after being introduces to a new person, I repeat the name. An hour later, I repeat the name. A day later, I repeat the name. I'll even write some names down inside a notebook. And guess what, now I'm excellent at remembering names and are one of these people who have seen you once and then approach you with "hey djhaskin, how are you?"
Symmetry 6y ago
And as far as I know its not something that's come up in the subliminal priming research, which is how we know most of the structure of how we recognize numbers and letters. I do wonder if it works like this for everybody, though, or if it could something specific to him. As for names I did a blog post[1] speculating that remembering names might correlate to how you deal with the following: >So, imagine someone is walking along, down a street. They see the store their going to and they enter through the shop door. So, when you were imagining this, did you see it? Which direction was the person walking, relative to your mind's eye? Did they turn to the left or right to enter the store? What color was everything? [1]http://hopefullyintersting.blogspot.com/2018/12/ways-of-thinking-and-remembering-names.html http://hopefullyintersting.blogspot.com/2018/12/ways-of-thin...
gweinberg 6y ago
It doesn't make any sense at all to me. It wasn't numbers as such he was having trouble with, he could still do math, he just couldn't recognize the symbols. And he was even able to learn symbols for numbers again,as long as they were new ones he made up himself instead of the standard symbols. It's a bizarrely specific cognitive deficit. It's not like "I can't remember your name", it's more like "I used to know your name, and I can remember this new name I've made up for you, but when you tell me your 'real' name, not only can't I remember it, I can't even make it out, it all turns to static."

randcraw 6y ago

I too. If a name is unfamiliar to me, even if it's no more than 5-6 letters long, I can't for the life of me recall it. But I can remember random sequences of numerals up to length 12. Why? I wonder if there's some term for this malady, like 'literophasia' or 'numeraphilia'? I wonder too if it occurs equally as often in both genders. I would guess not.

djhaskin987 6y ago
To add some color to this, if it's a common name it's really hard to remember but if it's a foreign name to me or something I've never heard of, it's as if my brain thinks it's a random sequence of sounds and I'll remember it forever. Indian names, native Hawaiian names, no problem, but forget about it if your name is George. It's just the common names I'm used to that I have a hard time with.
- isoprophlex 6y ago
  Second that, i have that with organic chemicals. Diazabicycloundecene, sure, used it once, will remember it forever. Oh nice to meet you George, what was your name again?!

copperx 6y ago

I'm "suffer" from this condition, too. I haven't found much literature about it as I thought I would.

Marsymars 6y ago

Remembering names is generally not a thing that humans are good at. My intro physics prof had a party trick where he'd memorize the names of everyone in the class within the first couple weeks based on their school ID picture, but he was quick to point out that he didn't have any natural affinity for remembering names, he just brute forced it.

kharak 6y ago

This is one of those things where people say "oh I can't remember names" and what they mean is "I don't put any effort in remembering names". I know, because I've been the same. Now I repeat names in my mind again and again. The next time I see the person, but don't speak to him or her, I repeat the name in my mind. An couple of minutes after being introduces to a new person, I repeat the name. An hour later, I repeat the name. A day later, I repeat the name. I'll even write some names down inside a notebook. And guess what, now I'm excellent at remembering names and are one of these people who have seen you once and then approach you with "hey djhaskin, how are you?"

Symmetry 6y ago

And as far as I know its not something that's come up in the subliminal priming research, which is how we know most of the structure of how we recognize numbers and letters. I do wonder if it works like this for everybody, though, or if it could something specific to him. As for names I did a blog post[1] speculating that remembering names might correlate to how you deal with the following: >So, imagine someone is walking along, down a street. They see the store their going to and they enter through the shop door. So, when you were imagining this, did you see it? Which direction was the person walking, relative to your mind's eye? Did they turn to the left or right to enter the store? What color was everything? [1]http://hopefullyintersting.blogspot.com/2018/12/ways-of-thinking-and-remembering-names.html http://hopefullyintersting.blogspot.com/2018/12/ways-of-thin...

gweinberg 6y ago

It doesn't make any sense at all to me. It wasn't numbers as such he was having trouble with, he could still do math, he just couldn't recognize the symbols. And he was even able to learn symbols for numbers again,as long as they were new ones he made up himself instead of the standard symbols. It's a bizarrely specific cognitive deficit. It's not like "I can't remember your name", it's more like "I used to know your name, and I can remember this new name I've made up for you, but when you tell me your 'real' name, not only can't I remember it, I can't even make it out, it all turns to static."