4 ms·

I wonder if she can index on specific details, or if a linear scan is required to answer more complex queries. If she sits down to read through the periodic ta

I wonder if she can index on specific details, or if a linear scan is required to answer more complex queries. If she sits down to read through the periodic table, can she look up all of the properties of any element on demand?

prng2021 3y ago
Isn’t that what she did? They randomly picked calendar dates and asked her to explain things that happened on each day.
- neilv 3y ago
  Is that O(n), O(1), or something else? And is any n the total amount of information stored, distance from now, distance from start, or something else?
  - datameta 3y ago
    From what I understand, if they are asked about let's say April 17th 2009 they linearly scan through all the April 17ths. So there is a filtering step that ignores all other 364 days. But they also don't start from their earliest memories so how does that filtering work?
- datameta 3y ago
  If I'm not mistaken, the question here is whether they will be using episodic or semantic memory in the recall of the periodic table. Meaning - can they recall learned facts as well as lived experiences? Will they linearly remember the moments of learning about each element? What is the granularity of their recall?
- lolinder 3y ago
  That's technically different than what OP is asking about. She could have a perfect memory for dates and experiences in her life but not have indefinite perfect recall for something more fact-oriented like the periodic table. It sounds like her fact-recalling abilities are deeply tied to memories of experiences and conversations, so she could probably intentionally structure a study session to take advantage of that, but it doesn't mean she automatically can recall everything she reads. Edit—looks like in general people with HSAM do not have better than average memory as measured by other kinds of tests: > So far, the studied conducted at UC Irvine suggest that individuals with HSAM have superior abilities in autobiographical memories but are no different from age- and sex-matched control participants on standard laboratory memory tests. https://cnlm.uci.edu/hsam/ https://cnlm.uci.edu/hsam/
criddell 3y ago
That’s a good question. She did mention that her memory seems to be calendar based. She might be able to master the periodic table a day at a time. Jan 1, study hydrogen. Jan 2, study helium. Jan 27, study Cobalt.
kibwen 3y ago
Up above I linked a short story written by a man with HSAM. Here's an excerpt that's a dialogue between himself and someone else with the condition: --- “How many have you seen?” I asked her. She went on looking at the dog. She blinked a couple times. “Are you allergic to dogs?” I asked her. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ve seen sixteen Pomeranians in my life.” “Nice. I’ve seen, uh.” We were silent two minutes while I counted. “I’ve seen fifty-eight Pomeranians.” “Shit, that’s a lot of Pomeranians.” “Well, you see them on the train in Tokyo sort of a lot.” “How many poodles have you seen?” “Fourteen,” I said. “You answered very quickly.” “I counted them a few months ago.” “Why did you count them?” “I was trying to get to sleep. I count memories when I am going to sleep.” “That’s interesting.” “It’s gotten more interesting as I’ve gotten older. It’s like Memory Golf: I try to think of things that have only happened between three and five times.” “Why three and five times?” “It’s hypnotic,” I said. “Three or five times gives you a little slice of every part of your life. You can write a complete and thorough autobiography about anything that’s happened to you between three and ten times.” “Why not more than ten times?” “Then it’d be too long.” “How many cups of coffee have you drunk in your life?” “Whoa — whoa. Please don’t ask me that. I’ll start counting and then I’ll slip into a coma for a year.” “Sorry. Now I am thinking about it too. Oh no. I hate it.” “You have to be careful with this stuff. You can’t write an autobiography about all the cups of coffee you drank, or all the times you’ve used the toilet. It has to be something that’s happened between three and ten times.” “Not about something that happened twice?” “No. It might just be a coincidence.” “Not about something that happened once?” “Maybe I’m wrong.” “Maybe you’re not.” “Whenever I tell people about this, I use the example that I’ve eaten a cinnamon bun thirty-two times in my life.” “How many times have you told people that you’ve eaten a cinnamon bun thirty-two times?” “Uh, nine.” “You could write a complete and thorough autobiography about the nine times you told someone you’ve eaten a cinnamon bun thirty-two times.” “I’m going to have a stroke if I think about that.”

prng2021 3y ago

Isn’t that what she did? They randomly picked calendar dates and asked her to explain things that happened on each day.

neilv 3y ago
Is that O(n), O(1), or something else? And is any n the total amount of information stored, distance from now, distance from start, or something else?
- datameta 3y ago
  From what I understand, if they are asked about let's say April 17th 2009 they linearly scan through all the April 17ths. So there is a filtering step that ignores all other 364 days. But they also don't start from their earliest memories so how does that filtering work?
datameta 3y ago
If I'm not mistaken, the question here is whether they will be using episodic or semantic memory in the recall of the periodic table. Meaning - can they recall learned facts as well as lived experiences? Will they linearly remember the moments of learning about each element? What is the granularity of their recall?
lolinder 3y ago
That's technically different than what OP is asking about. She could have a perfect memory for dates and experiences in her life but not have indefinite perfect recall for something more fact-oriented like the periodic table. It sounds like her fact-recalling abilities are deeply tied to memories of experiences and conversations, so she could probably intentionally structure a study session to take advantage of that, but it doesn't mean she automatically can recall everything she reads. Edit—looks like in general people with HSAM do not have better than average memory as measured by other kinds of tests: > So far, the studied conducted at UC Irvine suggest that individuals with HSAM have superior abilities in autobiographical memories but are no different from age- and sex-matched control participants on standard laboratory memory tests. https://cnlm.uci.edu/hsam/ https://cnlm.uci.edu/hsam/

criddell 3y ago

That’s a good question. She did mention that her memory seems to be calendar based. She might be able to master the periodic table a day at a time. Jan 1, study hydrogen. Jan 2, study helium. Jan 27, study Cobalt.

kibwen 3y ago

Up above I linked a short story written by a man with HSAM. Here's an excerpt that's a dialogue between himself and someone else with the condition: --- “How many have you seen?” I asked her. She went on looking at the dog. She blinked a couple times. “Are you allergic to dogs?” I asked her. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ve seen sixteen Pomeranians in my life.” “Nice. I’ve seen, uh.” We were silent two minutes while I counted. “I’ve seen fifty-eight Pomeranians.” “Shit, that’s a lot of Pomeranians.” “Well, you see them on the train in Tokyo sort of a lot.” “How many poodles have you seen?” “Fourteen,” I said. “You answered very quickly.” “I counted them a few months ago.” “Why did you count them?” “I was trying to get to sleep. I count memories when I am going to sleep.” “That’s interesting.” “It’s gotten more interesting as I’ve gotten older. It’s like Memory Golf: I try to think of things that have only happened between three and five times.” “Why three and five times?” “It’s hypnotic,” I said. “Three or five times gives you a little slice of every part of your life. You can write a complete and thorough autobiography about anything that’s happened to you between three and ten times.” “Why not more than ten times?” “Then it’d be too long.” “How many cups of coffee have you drunk in your life?” “Whoa — whoa. Please don’t ask me that. I’ll start counting and then I’ll slip into a coma for a year.” “Sorry. Now I am thinking about it too. Oh no. I hate it.” “You have to be careful with this stuff. You can’t write an autobiography about all the cups of coffee you drank, or all the times you’ve used the toilet. It has to be something that’s happened between three and ten times.” “Not about something that happened twice?” “No. It might just be a coincidence.” “Not about something that happened once?” “Maybe I’m wrong.” “Maybe you’re not.” “Whenever I tell people about this, I use the example that I’ve eaten a cinnamon bun thirty-two times in my life.” “How many times have you told people that you’ve eaten a cinnamon bun thirty-two times?” “Uh, nine.” “You could write a complete and thorough autobiography about the nine times you told someone you’ve eaten a cinnamon bun thirty-two times.” “I’m going to have a stroke if I think about that.”