Is Your Memory Up to Par? Share Your Experience!

[Chi Meson]

Some things I remember fine : like several digits of pi or SQRT(2) or the logarithms of 2, 3, 5 and 7. I also remember several bits of obscure trivia (like the guy who played Darth Vader in Star Wars was the physical trainer for Christopher Reeve when he was playing Superman).

Same guy was the muscleman bodyguard of the old, crippled man in Clockwork Orange. I know this from when I first saw Clockwork orange 15 years ago, and this Star Wars geek whom I didn't even know, sitting in the row in front of me, just had to let someone know that he knew this bit of trivia. I still remember his voice, saying "DO you know who that is?"

I can't remember names though.

The only way I remember the names of my students is if I can picture them in their seats. I might see one of my students in the hall, I'll know it's one of my students, but until I can "see" them sitting in their proper spot, I won't know who they are.

One advanced memory talent: permanent maps in my head! I can remember geographical routes nearly perfectly as long as I was the one driving (or walking, hiking, biking etc). When I first moved to Portland OR twelve years ago, I would be able to give directions around the city after a week, often to people who had lived there for years.

Too bad I can't remember the names of the streets.

 

[motai]

Hmm... I can't remember peoples names... and I can't remember long strings of numbers. I guess there is something borked with my memory. If I am given two sets of random six or seven digit numbers ill be lucky if I can remember the first set without forgetting the second set. It puts me at an extreme disadvantage to some of my classmates who can do super-fast mental arithmetic, and also slows me down on standardized tests.

Unusually I can remember historical facts and scientific concepts easily, at least a lot easier than numbers.

 

[Moonbear]

One advanced memory talent: permanent maps in my head! I can remember geographical routes nearly perfectly as long as I was the one driving (or walking, hiking, biking etc). When I first moved to Portland OR twelve years ago, I would be able to give directions around the city after a week, often to people who had lived there for years.

Too bad I can't remember the names of the streets.

Heh heh. I'm like that too with streets. I was out in the middle of a part of the state I had NEVER visited, and the detour signs I was following suddenly disappeared...AND I didn't have a map with me. When those in the car with me lost all faith in my sense of direction (we kept passing farm houses and cemetaries, and that was making us all nervous we had just entered a Stephen King novel), I stopped at a gas station to get to the highway we were heading for...I was only about 3 blocks from the entrance! Part of that was just a sense of knowing to keep heading south and west and as long as I didn't cross state lines, I'd be in the right place, but also this vague recollection that I saw another road on a map that went the same way and intersected with the road we were on...when I got home, I checked the map, and sure enough, had I not found the one road, the other one wasn't far.

Same for local roads. I can picture all the turns I need to take, but don't ask me the names of the roads (I do okay with numbered roads, which was how I found my way around in the example above...they were all numbered roads in that part of the state). People think I'm crazy that I'll drive 1000 miles to someplace and not bring a map. Though, I do get a local street map when I arrive, spend my first night looking it over, get my bearings, and I'm set. I figure as long as I don't cross state lines, drive into a body of water, or encounter customs agents, I can find my way back.

But, yeah, I have to be the one driving or I have no idea how to get someplace, even if I make a point to pay careful attention to the route.

 

[Sweet & Intellectual]

I forget names sometimes, or big things that happened a long time ago.

But hey, for those pot smokers in the other thread, i'd be interested to see how your memory is? :-D

 

[Chrono]

I forget names sometimes

You remember my name?

 

[timejim]

My memory like funny things.

 

[gazzo]

google = extension to brain



i can't recall anything.

bah.