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March 2014 - Epigenetics Revolution
By Betsy , co-mod · 13 posts · 147 views
By Betsy , co-mod · 13 posts · 147 views
last updated Nov 06, 2019 03:45AM
September 2014 - Sixth Extinction
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By Betsy , co-mod · 62 posts · 168 views
last updated Jan 06, 2016 01:48AM
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Who are we? Introduce Yourself. #1
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What Members Thought
This is a fascinating book about the subculture of memory competitions. Joshua Foer, a journalist, decided to explore this subculture by attending competitions and talking with a number of the competitors. He relates some of the astounding feats of memory, like reciting 50,000 or even 80,000 digits of pi. He interviews Kim Peek, about whom the film Rain Man was written. Kim Peek really has the mental abilities portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the movie, but is much more sociable (maybe even overly
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Quite naturally, I assumed I'd read this book, do a couple of fun exercises therein, and be able to remember everything I ever wanted to again.
Well, no. Foer tells you all you need to know (and it's really not much) to memorize the kinds of things memory gurus memorize (digits, playing cards, peoples' names), but it's still a lot of work.
The tricks boil down to conjuring ridiculous images, and placing them spatially in a place you know well (like, a tour of your house).
And, he rightly points ou ...more
Well, no. Foer tells you all you need to know (and it's really not much) to memorize the kinds of things memory gurus memorize (digits, playing cards, peoples' names), but it's still a lot of work.
The tricks boil down to conjuring ridiculous images, and placing them spatially in a place you know well (like, a tour of your house).
And, he rightly points ou ...more
A pretty interesting read that addresses memory and how one can develop it.
Bravo to the author for his dedication in writing and exploring these techniques, having said that, the only method that I plan on using and pursuing further is the "Major method" short strings of numbers. As he points out, a great deal of the other methods seem to be for novelty and not usefulness...
Also some of his assertions about memory are outdated and wrong (contrary to his assertion, memories are not recorded in ou ...more
Bravo to the author for his dedication in writing and exploring these techniques, having said that, the only method that I plan on using and pursuing further is the "Major method" short strings of numbers. As he points out, a great deal of the other methods seem to be for novelty and not usefulness...
Also some of his assertions about memory are outdated and wrong (contrary to his assertion, memories are not recorded in ou ...more
I found the actual science-y parts interesting but couldn't concentrate on the memory techniques - I'm thinking this should tell me something??? Some intriguing ideas, a worthwhile read.
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meh.
Interesting topic, but I think I just wasn't in the mood for a non-fiction book. Got about halfway through it. Might pick it up again another time. ...more
Interesting topic, but I think I just wasn't in the mood for a non-fiction book. Got about halfway through it. Might pick it up again another time. ...more
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