Master of Memory: Accelerated learning, education, memorization - MMem 0374: Emergency number memorization

Episode Date: August 13, 2015

Dana is getting ready to take a 911 dispatch test, and she has to be able to memorize a 7-digit phone number quickly and then type it 5 seconds later. What is the most effective and reliable way to store these numbers short-term? BONUS: Here’s a quizzing set you can use to memorize the key words […]

Master of Memory 374. Welcome to Master of Memory. I'm Timothy, and I'm here to answer your accelerated learning questions every day and to inspire and empower you to learn anything you want to learn faster than ever. Dana submitted a written question at masterofmemory.com slash question. Dana says, I'm getting ready to take a 911 dispatch test in Woodbridge, Virginia for Prince William County. I need to be able to listen to a recorded caller give me a seven-digit phone number and then wait five seconds and then type the phone number in the PC. So, Dana, this is an amazingly practical situation in which memorization of numbers is necessary.

Most people would argue that we don't really have to memorize numbers that often anymore, since we can always just look them up. But as I've mentioned way back in episode 12, there are many situations where memory is still something that you want to have. We don't want to forget everything. There are certain things that we can't or don't want to have to look up, such as people's names when we meet them. If you don't remember your friend's name, that's a problem. Memory is an important thing. And in this particular situation, this is where number memorization is actually something very practical and not just a sporting type of thing. Now, the basic principle that I'd apply to this situation, Dana, is this is what I

always do and works best for me in short-term situations. Instead of trying to create mnemonics for all the numbers, I would break the number that you're trying to remember down, and I would use a variety of techniques to remember it. I always do that. I don't create images for each digit or a series of images. If I have to remember a number really quickly before writing it down, I instead of trying to memorize everything that way, I use a variety of memory techniques at once. So without training, the easiest way to do this,

and anyone can try this right away, simply remember the first four numbers by listening and then picture the last three digits. So you're remembering the first four numbers using your auditory memory, and then you're picturing the last three digits as what they would look like. Do those two at the same time and you can actually store more information in your immediate short-term memory. So just try this yourself right now. I'm going to give you a seven-digit number and see if you can remember the first four by what they sound like and then the last three by what they look like. So we have 2082104. So if you can imagine what 104 looks like while saying to yourself 2082,

you're applying both visual memory and auditory memory at the same time, but you're doing them for different objects so you'll remember more. This actually works amazingly well, so forget about mnemonics. Just go ahead and apply this right away. Next, I'm going to present an alternative idea that does take a bit of training, but it'll actually help you to do it more reliably, even though what I described will work. If you take the 80-20 out of this particular episode, the 80% is that. Just apply both your auditory and your visual memory, and you'll go a long way.

But here's a slightly more advanced technique. Combine those techniques with one mnemonic object or character. If you have all the numbers from 0 to 99 associated with memorable objects or memorable characters, you'll have two less digits to memorize. So you can just remember five digits and then just remember the character and you're using a variety of techniques at the same time once again, but it's slightly more memorable. So for example 2082104, we could instead do this 20821sorry. So sorry is 04 in the major system, and you could actually

either think of the word sorry as in I'm sorry, or you could think of a sorry, the blanket-like thing. But that's what I always do. I repeat to myself, 20821 sorry. I pretty much always do that now when I'm trying to remember numbers short term. It's very reliable. It's combining numbers with objects and with real words. And so instead of remembering a seven digit number, I'm remembering a five digit number and an object, which is really easy. Again, anyone can go out and apply this right away. And you'll be surprised at how many situations it may help you in just being able to remember numbers really quickly short term without having to write them

down. So thanks so much for the great question Dana and for anyone listening what do you want to learn? The world's knowledge can be yours. Leave your learning request at masterofmemory.com slash question and I'll talk to you again soon.