Online English Conversation Course for PhD Students
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Week 7 - Human memory
How many of us could not learn a short rhyme in Primary School? How many times we were reading the same sentence unable to remember simple words? How many of us were asking themselves the same question? "Why can't I learn it?"
The reason is that our brain contains synapses which proceeded from electrical impulses and chemical reactions. These, in turn, are formed by external stimuli. Our memory is created thanks to synapses which number grows accordingly while we are learning new things. All assimilated information is wandering in our brain, however, new things not immediately reach the center of the mind. They congregate under so-called "hipokarmia", which can be compared to computer files. All the information, which is located there, is also agglomerated in different folders which if not used for long time, is deleted from memory, and only those files which are exploited stay. The same situation occurs in our brain, only this information which is used and regularly recalled is saved. We forget the other part and, unfortunately, it happens without our control. One thing is for sure, it is easier for vizualisers to consolidate information who while seeing particular thing or person can straightaway recreate the situation which is connected with it.
The link shows how to train our brain:
http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
Different kinds of human memory:
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-three-types-human-memory-34399.html
The film shows a man with extraordinary talents:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg9tdfdxso4
Questions:
What's your technique for remembering?
How do you train your memory?
Is it possible to train memory as the man in the film?
Which kind of human memory is the best to remember information?
Which kind of human memory is the most similar to your brain?
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I liked the presented tips, I usually try to apply at least some of them on the regular basis, but unfortunately work and healthy life style are not always compatible. I generally don't have much problems with my memory (or maybe I just don't remeber them ;) ). I did have some at primary school, when I had to learn historical dates or the amounts of various resources mined in different world regions by heart. However I strongly believe, that it was not the problem of my memory, but the lack of concentration and (most of all) interest. On the contrary I still do remeber quite a lot from the biology-related topics as well as some parts of a book by Jan Brzechwa, I used to read as a child, when I was ill :) (I was really surprised when I realized that, because I never tried to learn it by heart). Regarding the contests - it is indeed impressive, but I wonder, whether such exercises do improve the long term memory as well...
ReplyDeleteYes, I had similar experiences. I also think that my problem with not being able to memorize some elements is mainly due to lack of interest. But in my case it was the other way around - I was bored with biology but interested in history :)
DeleteUnderstanding information which is interesting for us is really important. We will also remember those things faster.
DeleteWhen you're not interested in a topic it's very hard to pay full attention... So that's probably why most of us have problem with memorizing thing that are unintresting and dull.
DeleteI'm not particularly good at memorizing things such as texts and reciting them word for word. I guess it can be learned but I don't find it that useful. It's all good advice in the article if you want to live a healthy life, so it might be worth to make those things a habit regardless of the benefits to your memory.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've learned from the other article is that the three types of memory are all necessary to store and retrieve memories. They function like layers – first you have the sensor memory for the senses to capture data, then working memory to process it and lastly long-term memory to store important things. So they are all play a role in this and training memory probably involves training all of them at the same time to get desired effects (for example to be able to do the things the man in the video is doing).
A healthy lifestyle has many advantages not only for mind but also, when it becomes a way for life, it is easier for us to solve all difficulties. You have nicely enumerated levels of information transition. It is a way to long-term memory.
DeleteThe first article you listed is really interesting. I like those kind of texts that make you think about all of the everyday activities and point out how each of them affects the other. I just recently decided to put more focus on arranging my day schedule and even as small thing as including some time for a good book every evening or ensuring that I will have 8 hours of sleep made my mind much sharper.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing mentioned in the article is advice to spend some time with fiends and relax. I found an interesting way of doing that, as quite often when we meet, we play some strategic board games. Maybe some of you heard about games like "Agricola" or "Chaos in the Old World"? Or the ones that are based on messing around with words or images: "Dixit" or "Tabu". Playing such games not only relaxes but is also good exercise for the mind.
Are the first two games you have mentioned the ones, some people play in those stores with large tables and models inside? I often passed by one of them and I have to admit that it looked quite cool :)
DeleteYou are right, we can mix relax with brain exercise while playing games. A good arrangement of a day can also have an advantageous influence for brain’s work. The games you enumerated are a really good example of developing our mind. Moreover, I recommend to try yourself with those games.
DeletePlayed "Dixit" with friends – really love it... We played it so often that most people memorized all the cards and it stared to be very predictable :) Don't know the other games, but will put them on my "to do" list. Which one is the best in your opinion?
DeleteWhat's your technique for remembering?
ReplyDeleteUsually I read few times material to learn. After that I remember most of them.
How do you train your memory?
I play different play puzzle or do crosswords.
Is it possible to train memory as the man in the film?
I didn’t try it, but it certainly looks interesting.
Which kind of human memory is the best to remember information?
In my opinion the best remembered information is always connected to some traumatic experiences. The best examples of these are documented based on war stories or some catastrophic accidents.
Which kind of human memory is the most similar to your brain?
The question is not properly formulated from the English grammar point of view. I can presume author is asking “what kind of information my brain can most easily memorize ? “. Personally I memorized the best information related to some very important events or acquired during strong emotional states.
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DeleteNot only difficult experiences are remembered easier. Note how many cheerful moments we can recreate. The brain exercise is also a game and you surely have played a lot of similar ones. We can read an article several times in order to remember it better but what if the article is really long?
DeleteI never have problems with my memory and with memorizing some thing.
ReplyDeleteIn primary school there was a lot of thing that I need to remember for example from that subject like history or biology and I never had problem with this:)
My way to remember something is that I always try to understood the subject first because if I understood that what I want to remember it is easier:).
I think also if something is presented in interesting way it make that also easier to remember look for one of the article which was presented about learning without textbook:)
I agree that understanding the topic is very helpful in remembering one.
DeleteYou are right. The interest stimulates memory sense.
DeleteI must admit that I am not a fun of remembering things. I believe that there are better ways to store information then using our brain. Nowadays there is no problem with the information but with having a knowledge how to process that vast amount of one we have.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your technique for remembering?
I do not use any technique and honestly I am even not very interested in getting to now one.
How do you train your memory?
I try to behave naturally. Log enough sleep if possible is my friend.
Is it possible to train memory as the man in the film?
Yes, the film is the proof :) but there is the question if that agility is helpful on a daily basis.
Which kind of human memory is the best to remember information?
Regarding to the text the long-term memory. The information stays there long term and the capacity is unlimited (according to the thesis from the text).
Which kind of human memory is the most similar to your brain?
I am not sure if I understand the question. I believe that my brain contains all types of memory mention in the text in proper proportion.
There are a lot of ways of storing information but why shouldn’t it be our brain? Technologies will not replace our mind. We can write the information on disc but it is not enough. We also have to remember that anything was written at all.
DeleteMaybe because we have better researched media which are more certain than our heads.
DeleteI can’t memorize facts which I don’t understand. I heard about memorizing by building associations but I wasn’t able to use this method in my life. When I had to memorize something incomprehensible for me (i.e. like quantum physics during studies) I had to learn by heart it.
ReplyDeleteI train my memory by training my whole body. Sometimes I try to avoid being a sleep deprived but I don’t use term “training” for this activity. Sometimes I solve puzzles or crosswords (similarly to colleagues) but my motivation is entertainment rather than training memory. The most important thing in my “training” are continuous trials of engaging my brain for different activities.
The man in the film is incredible. I can’t imagine that I would make such thing like him. I suppose that in his case we may observe natural talent connected with some training. So, in my opinion, it’s impossible to make such things only after training.
For question “Which kind of human memory is the best to remember information” I agree with Waldek.
About memory the most similar to my brain – I think that I have this kind which may contain the most number of holes :-;. Seriously, I believe, similarly to colleagues, that I have all three types. I can’t say if I have one of them better developed because I don’t know what is standard.
Grzegorz, I could agree more on what you wrote in first paragraph... If I don't understand something – it's almost impossible for me to remember it for longer (just can't fit it into my "information map"). The only solution then it to learn by heart (...or take time to understand).
DeleteWhat's your technique for remembering?
ReplyDeleteMy technique for remembering depends on situation. If I need to remember a lot of information for a short time (exams) I read text 2-3 times and usually it is enough to remember information for couple of days. If I really want to remember something for a longer I visualise it, associate with some kind of situations or objects or I am using mnemonics.
How do you train your memory?
To be honest I do not train my memory at all...
Is it possible to train memory as the man in the film?
I do not believe that everyone would be able to train memory as the man in this film.
Which kind of human memory is the best to remember information?
I think that long-term memory is the best to remember information but the most similar to my brain is short-term memory.
I just read all the articles related with memory and they are very inspiring. Noticed I already use some of the tips listed in one of the articles – but was’t truly aware that there’s so many “mnemonic techniques” that can help me even more. The techniques were also mentioned by Marcin Kowalczyk (“memory master”) so I decide to look for some more information that could help me with applying the techniques. Maybe you’ll be interested too:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marshallcf.com/assets/book_reviews/Your%20Memory%20-%20How%20it%20Works%20%20How%20to%20Improve%20it%20-%20Ver%202.pdf
http://www.bucks.edu/media/bcccmedialibrary/pdf/studentservices/pass/Mnemonics.pdf
My technique to remember things is based on visualisation – simply try to imagine what I have to remember. I also use information like puzzles – it’s much easier to remember something that relates to other things I already know... I place everything an “information map” - some part’s of my map are connected, some are “lonely islands”, but I constantly try to develop new reads between them and create a logic structure.
I’d like to share something more with you – the material helped me understand the way in which I’m learning. It presents concept called “holistic learning”. Hope it helps you too.
http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/Programs/HolisticLearningEBook.pdf
Kate
Certainly the video shows that the human brain is an impressive organ and we do not know many of its abilities. People can train their memory and achieve a lot through this training.
ReplyDeleteThere are many well known techniques for remembering. When I was a child my teachers in primary school showed us some techniques - like visualising things or creating acronyms for the terms you need to remember. I use some of them still, especially when studying.
I suppose it is possible to boost your memory but it requires a lot of effort and training - that is the possible reason many people give it up.
The most efficent would be probably the long-term memory with its unlimited capacity. If informations are used often enough, they may be kept in this memory for a long period of time.
When it comes to the last question, I assume that the answer is long-term memory, but I think that human brain contains elements from all the types of memories.
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ReplyDeleteI've always liked the idea behind cue cards/flash cards. My sister used to learn spanish with them and I learned English. There are quite a few application for this on the web. Many of them can be used for free and some have large libraries of cards already (http://www.cram.com/). However, I've always preferred paper cards over electronic ones. I guess there is something about having a physical object in your hand that improves remembering. It is very important to regularly read them and I think the random order matters a lot as well. Also, each should be read only once and then put back inside the box.
ReplyDeleteI like to think that the way I read emerged party from using cards. I try not to stop at any point, even if I didn't understand a few sentences read earlier. This way I move through paragraphs much faster. If the text is really important I just reread the important bits later.
According to article "How to Improve Your Memory..." living a healthy and happy life brings us good memory.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning:
-spending right amount of hours in bed gives your brain time to "order" all new information and connect with older content of long-time memory to make them more accessible. Also In the same way good sleep brings us much better mood every next morning and enough power to face new day - what simply makes us happier in comparison with situation when we wake up already exhausted. Similar
-Physical exercises provides supplies of oxygen for our brains and "reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss. Beside that, exercises are obviously good for our general condition and frame of mind.
-Tip 2 informs us that spending time with friends and having healthy relationships can boost our memory. Again the same: having fun especially with good friends makes our lives easier.
-Keep stress in check. That is probably the most important issue this days. Stress destroys our day, physical condition and, as we could read, has big influence on our condition.
-Last thing is healthy diet. For sure, not only memory would get benefits on that.
To sum up, maybe trying to improve our memory is good way to makes our lives better?
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ReplyDeleteI personally use technique called visualization. When i have to learn some information, i try to image how they could look like. I think i dont train my memory in sophisticated way, because i don't do that. I personally use technique called visualization. When i have to learn some information, i try to image how they could look like. I think i dont train my memory in sophisticated way, because i don't do that. In my opinion human memory is big unknown. Because in the world are savants. brains of this people are questions for science.I think this how we learn or how we remember depends on our lifestyle. The way we live and what we do. I would like to use long term memory only, but for sure I am a person which very often forgot about many things. So the first one is rather me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I try to remember something I usually write it down or draw it (whenever it is possible). I find it more effective then reading on its own. However when drowning is not a case, and the only way to learn is by reading itself, it is much more difficult to learn when reading "without making any lips movement". Reading out loud help to memorise information through face movement. That is in my particular case anyway... I have to admit I have to work a lot to remember something for good. Unlike my girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteIt is enough for her to read cars registration plates once, to give correct answer when ask for it few weeks later. Of course She won't remember any registration plate that she will see on the street, but if asked to remember one, she will actually... remember it! (amazing enough for me). Unlike myself ... who forget this stuff few minutes later.
I don't remember training my memory in any special way. I think every day tasks stimulate our brain in it's own way.
Regarding the man from the video. I think this guy was using some kind of algorithm and then have reversed it. This way or another it was quite impressive. I would take a lot of practice for me to repeat his show.
I think short memory is an entry point for the long term memory. As it is not precisely define what is the duration of the short or long memory, it make it very difficult to distinguish between them. Any way... I consider myself as short term memory guy.
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Does anyone know, how many comments we have to make ? Is it only one for the topic that we have chosen or do we have to make comments for all three of them?
Kind Regards!
W.L
Grrrrrrr.... Are we not allowed to edit a comment after submitting it :// ???
ReplyDeleteWhat's your technique for remembering?
ReplyDeleteI always try to understand subject instead of learing it by heart. This way is more useful.
How do you train your memory?
I tried once but it was a total disaster so now I don’t even try.
Is it possible to train memory as the man in the film?
Everything is possible. In my opinion it is matter of time and attitude. For sure proper methods are useful too.
Pretty good I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info. Brainfort supplement
ReplyDelete