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Spaced repetition definitely works (and is much better than nothing), but I found it to be quite dull. Recently, I've been reading "The memory code" by Lynne K

Spaced repetition definitely works (and is much better than nothing), but I found it to be quite dull. Recently, I've been reading "The memory code" by Lynne Kelly and found that most of the ancient cultures faced the problem of memory and used memory spaces (aka "method of loci"). I tried it out recently to memorize the timeline of evolutionary history while walking in city streets. I found I could memorize 1-3 items per minute, which very high recall hours and days later. The structure between items was readily apparent, so that I could, for instance, easily estimate that there were ~650 million years between the first terrestrial eukaryotes and first appearance of sharks. The streets have acquired new meaning and the process was really quite enjoyable. With this tool, I actually want to learn the structure of many more things.

flreln 6y ago
I suspect the method of loci works because our minds seem to remember routes through spaces better than lists. If you’re curious about spatial cognition, watch this intro to the subject from Barbara Tversky: https://youtu.be/gmc4wEL2aPQ https://youtu.be/gmc4wEL2aPQ.
- shaykk 6y ago
  What if you're directionally challenged?
  - lambdaloop 6y ago
    I was worried about this, as I don't have a great knack for directions. However, I found that binding items to locations on the street actually helped me remember the layout of the streets as well. Also, you don't need to use a whole street, you can encode a lot in just a room or two! -- Relatedly, I know some people say that they don't have visual imagery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia . I'm really curious how navigating spaces works for them. Do they have a problem with directions? Could they use memory spaces, but without visual imagery?
    - zwayhowder 6y ago
      So I am pretty high on the aphantastic scale (It sounds better when I conjugate it like that). I don't have a car license, despite growing up driving vehicles on farms and years of trying to get my car license, I can't comfortable drive a car because I cannot hold in my head the physical size and shape of the car. I have a full motorcycle licence and no problem with a bike, but as soon as I step up to a car I just can't estimate distances or space. (This cost a lot of fence posts on farms and could be deadly on a highway). Navigation I'm mostly fine, because I can remember lists reasonably well. To get from my house to my sisters is left, left, right, left (straight for 30km), right, left, right, left. Do I turn the final right at the 4th or 5th street down the road? I never remember until I'm in the intersection and recognise it. I've tried a memory palace, and it only works for me with a space I know really well and a limited range. For example the 10 rooms of my house I can use, I've lived here for 15 years. I couldn't use different parts of the rooms because I just can't visualise them. But since I can generally remember short lists pretty easily I don't find a 10 room memory palace helpful. Lastly I, like most people I suspect, remember songs and rhyme better. Want to know the periodic table? I can sing it at you (Thanks ASAPScience). The worst part about aphantasia is trying to explain it to someone who hasn't got it. I can recognise my favourite places instantly in a picture, but ask me to describe them and be preparted for a cubist impression. Heaven help anyone who is relying on me to complete a police identikit...
BeetleB 6y ago
If people like these things, I recommend The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne (he's written a few other memory books as well). I read the book and tried its techniques when I was young. Interestingly, I started doing spaced repetition more recently (2 years ago), and I found it more effective than the method of loci or anything else in his book. Yes, I may remember things using the method of loci days, or even months later, but usually not longer than that. Spaced repetition is a system that forces you to recall things later. Probably one could couple the two, though. Maybe if a SR system forced me to recall something I learned with the method of loci, I would claim the latter to be effective. I really did like the "phonetic alphabet" method in his book, though. I use it occasionally to remember things for the short-medium term.
- rimliu 6y ago
  If you want to remember something for a long time you should use spaces repetition for the method of loci.

flreln 6y ago

I suspect the method of loci works because our minds seem to remember routes through spaces better than lists. If you’re curious about spatial cognition, watch this intro to the subject from Barbara Tversky: https://youtu.be/gmc4wEL2aPQ https://youtu.be/gmc4wEL2aPQ.

shaykk 6y ago
What if you're directionally challenged?
- lambdaloop 6y ago
  I was worried about this, as I don't have a great knack for directions. However, I found that binding items to locations on the street actually helped me remember the layout of the streets as well. Also, you don't need to use a whole street, you can encode a lot in just a room or two! -- Relatedly, I know some people say that they don't have visual imagery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia . I'm really curious how navigating spaces works for them. Do they have a problem with directions? Could they use memory spaces, but without visual imagery?
  - zwayhowder 6y ago
    So I am pretty high on the aphantastic scale (It sounds better when I conjugate it like that). I don't have a car license, despite growing up driving vehicles on farms and years of trying to get my car license, I can't comfortable drive a car because I cannot hold in my head the physical size and shape of the car. I have a full motorcycle licence and no problem with a bike, but as soon as I step up to a car I just can't estimate distances or space. (This cost a lot of fence posts on farms and could be deadly on a highway). Navigation I'm mostly fine, because I can remember lists reasonably well. To get from my house to my sisters is left, left, right, left (straight for 30km), right, left, right, left. Do I turn the final right at the 4th or 5th street down the road? I never remember until I'm in the intersection and recognise it. I've tried a memory palace, and it only works for me with a space I know really well and a limited range. For example the 10 rooms of my house I can use, I've lived here for 15 years. I couldn't use different parts of the rooms because I just can't visualise them. But since I can generally remember short lists pretty easily I don't find a 10 room memory palace helpful. Lastly I, like most people I suspect, remember songs and rhyme better. Want to know the periodic table? I can sing it at you (Thanks ASAPScience). The worst part about aphantasia is trying to explain it to someone who hasn't got it. I can recognise my favourite places instantly in a picture, but ask me to describe them and be preparted for a cubist impression. Heaven help anyone who is relying on me to complete a police identikit...

BeetleB 6y ago

If people like these things, I recommend The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne (he's written a few other memory books as well). I read the book and tried its techniques when I was young. Interestingly, I started doing spaced repetition more recently (2 years ago), and I found it more effective than the method of loci or anything else in his book. Yes, I may remember things using the method of loci days, or even months later, but usually not longer than that. Spaced repetition is a system that forces you to recall things later. Probably one could couple the two, though. Maybe if a SR system forced me to recall something I learned with the method of loci, I would claim the latter to be effective. I really did like the "phonetic alphabet" method in his book, though. I use it occasionally to remember things for the short-medium term.

rimliu 6y ago
If you want to remember something for a long time you should use spaces repetition for the method of loci.