Aprende a recordarlo todo: el método del palacio de la memoria

Cortesía de Shanidar

Puedes leer la versión inglesa de este post aquí: Learn to remember everything: the memory palace method

En este post os voy a enseñar cómo recordar a la perfección una lista. No importa la longitud de la lista: puede ser tu lista de la compra de 10 artículos, o una lista con 50, 100 o incluso 1000 cosas. Y en un próximo post, cómo aplicar este método para aprender idiomas. Suena bien, verdad?

La técnica que vamos a aprender se llama el palacio de la memoria, también conocido en inglés como "method of loci" (por la palabra latina locus, que quiere decir lugar,) aunque en ingles lo más habitual es memory palace o mind palace. Este método es una herramienta fantástica de la que disponer!

El palacio de la memoria

El método del palacio de la memoria tiene sus origines en el siglo 5º A.C., cuando Simonides de Ceos, poeta, atendía un (poco afortunado) banquete en Tesalia. Mientras iba a la puerta a atender a un correo que preguntaba por él, el techo del comedor se derrumbó, matando a todos los comensales. No había manera de reconocer los cadáveres (aplastados por un techo...,) las técnicas de CSI no estaban tan avanzadas como en la tele. Pero Simonides se dio cuenta que no tenía ningún problema en recordar quien estaba dónde, sin prácticamente ningún esfuerzo.

Piénsalo por un momento: es fácil recordar quien se sienta al lado del anfitrión, dónde estaban tus amigos, quien estaba a su lado. Y así, llenas una cena. A Simonides "se le encendió la bombilla," y gracias a esto está considerado como el inventor del método del palacio de la memoria. Aunque usado ampliamente en la antigüedad, no hay prácticamente registros escritos del método: aparece en la obra anónima Rhetorica ad Herrenium y en la obra de Cicerón De Oratore. Pero no es extraño que no haya registro escrito, para ellos sería tan normal escribir un libro sobre el palacio de la memoria como para nosotros escribir un libro sobre cómo ponerse unos pantalones. Todo el mundo saber hacerlo.

El palacio de la memoria es un método cercano a cómo nuestro cerebro funciona. En nuestros días de nómadas cazadores-recolectores necesitábamos saber cómo llegar a algún sitio (lago, llanura) y recordar qué había ahí (agua fresca, fruta, caza). Aprovechando este hecho podemos construir una gran cantidad de métodos de memorización, para listas ordenadas o desordenadas.

Recordar listas puede sonar estúpido, quien quiere memorizar una lista? Pero en el fondo, una lista es un conjunto de conocimientos ordenados! Lo que estudias para un examen de historia es una lista de fechas (ordenada) conectada con hechos (que son sub-listas de la lista principal). Cuando aprendes una nueva receta, es una lista. Un número de teléfono es una lista de números. Un poema es una lista de frases.

Tu primer palacio de la memoria: construcción y llenado

De Will Sculin@Flickr

Empecemos a crear nuestro primer palacio de la memoria. El hecho que se le llame palacio no tiene que hacernos pensar en Sissy o películas de Walt Disney, no tiene porqué ser un palacio. De hecho, para empezar, podrías usar tu casa, y como ejemplo imaginaremos una casa muy pequeña. Entrando por la puerta llegamos a un pequeño recibidor, que nos lleva a un comedor con 3 puertas. Del comedor podemos llegar a la cocina, al WC y a la habitación, que tiene un balcón. Este es un ejemplo de casa que vamos a utilizar, para usar el método correctamente deberíamos usar nuestras casas, o otros sitios reales que conozcamos bien.

Ahora memoricemos algo. Una lista de la compra: lechuga, bacon, aros de cebolla, una tarjeta SD y naranjas. He usado una lista corta para hacer el post más corto y para que quepa bien en la casa imaginaria que hemos construido un poco más arriba: prueba con una lista más larga después de esta si no crees que el método funciona!

Para recordar la lista, tenemos que colocar cada elemento en algún sitio de nuestro palacio de la memoria. Esto quiere decir un elemento por habitación o varios elementos por habitación, cada uno en un sitio especial que podamos recordar fácilmente. La manera más simple es poner cada objeto en una habitación diferente. Así, nuestra pequeña casa de 5 habitaciones podría contener una lista de 5, 10 o 15 elementos.

Para colocar un elemento de la lista, tenemos que visualizarlo en la habitación, para asegurar que lo memorizamos, tiene que ser una imagen extremadamente rara. Tiene que dejar una impresión clara, para hacerlo tiene que ser sorprendente, surrealista o sexual, entre otras opciones. Si la imagen es insulsa, recordarla será prácticamente imposible.

Empecemos con la lista. Cuando entramos por la puerta principal, nos saluda la Rana Gustavo, pero un Gustavo especial, hecho de lechuga, como una lechuga parlante. Puedes imaginarlo? Notar el frescor de las hojas de la rana Lechugo? En el comedor hay una estampida de cerdos... perseguidos por Kevin Bacon armado con un tenedor y cara de hambre. Lo bastante raro como para recordarlo? En la cocina, Scarlett Johansson juega con un hoola-hop que es en realidad un aro de cebolla gigante. Entras en la habitación, y te sorprende darte cuenta que la cama es una tarjeta SD gigante, que puedes esconder contra la pared como cuando pones una tarjeta en una cámara. Para acabar, abres el balcón y te encuentras una naranja gigante y brillante haciendo de sol, goteando zumo de naranja sobre el desierto que se abre bajo tu ventana.

Las imágenes debes ponerlas en un sitio que conozcas como la palma de tu mano: tu casa, la casa donde creciste, tu oficina. Esto es muy importante. En este ejemplo he usado una casa imaginaria porque es más fácil, pero en las listas que quieras memorizar, usa sitios conocidos.

Quizá creas que el método no funciona, pero te sorprendería. Escribí la primera parte de este post al empezar la tarde, y ahora, más de 3 horas más tarde al ponerme con la segunda parte aún veo claramente las imágenes. Evidentemente esta es una lista muy corta... Pero no importa: te sería igual de fácil recordar una lista 5 veces más larga.

Encontrar un conjunto de palacios de la memoria

Para recordar una gran cantidad de cosas necesitas una gran cantidad de sitios para poner todos esos recuerdos. Necesitarás encontrar tu propio conjunto de palacios de la memoria. La primera vez que me encontré con este problema, pensé en crear sitios imaginarios (como el pequeño piso que hemos usado más arriba,) conectados de alguna manera con pasillos. El problema? Los palacios artificiales se desdibujan con mucha facilidad, y tiendes a olvidarte de ellos. Es mucho, mucho mejor usar sitios habituales, o que al menos puedes comprobar de nuevo en la vida real, como fotos de un libro, niveles de un juego de ordenador o algún edificio al que puedes volver.

Una vez me di cuenta de esto, empecé a pensar en casas y sitios que pudiera usar... Y me di cuenta que tenía una gran cantidad. Aún recuerdo (y seguro que tu también!) las casas de compañeros de clase de hace 15 años, hoteles en los que he estado, edificios que he visitado. Estoy seguro que podrás encontrar una gran cantidad de sitios que te sirvan de palacios de la memoria. Para empezar, usa sitios muy habituales, como tu casa o oficina, y a medida que cojas práctica podrás usar otros sitios más antiguos.

Puedes leer más sobre encontrar sitios que usar en este post en inglés: Building Your Memory Palace Collection

Palabras finales

Tienes que encontrarle el truco al método. Consigue experiencia convirtiendo objetos habituales (como una lechuga) en imágenes que puedas recordar durante mucho tiempo (como Gustavo el cabeza-lechuga). Cogerle el ritmo es solo cuestión de práctica, igual que pasear por tus palacios en tu cabeza. Práctica, práctica, práctica.

Por cierto, puedes recordar todavía la lista de la compra?

Te ha parecido interesante este post? Si lo ha sido, cuélgalo en Facebook o Twitter!

The Mind Palace Memory Technique (or: what I'm watching on TV lately)

Caveat: some of the links appearing in this post are affiliate links to Amazon.com If you buy anything from them, I get a small commission. As always, I only link to stuff I like. If you want to support (ever so slightly) this blog, buy something. If you don't want, don't do it ;)

Lately I've been watching an interesting TV series. Sherlock, the modern version of Conan Doyle's stories and novels. It is written by Steven Moffat, one of the writers of the new incarnations of Doctor Who, another series I enjoy a lot. Two seasons have come and go (they only have 3 chapters each,) so far both excellent. But I'm not writing this post to (just) praise a TV series, after all I'm not a TV fan whatsoever. What I want to highlight is the appearance of the "mind palace" (as Sherlock named it) in some chapters, another way to put the more widely used memory palace. I have already written a post about how to use the memory palace technique, working as quite an introduction to the subject. But I want to retake it again, since some popular occurrences of the memory palace are pretty... odd.

Setting aside classical titles on memory or memory techniques, and the (somewhat) known book The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci, the first best-seller book I know giving some hints about the method is Harris' Hannibal, the prequel to Silence of the Lamb. In it, Hannibal Lecter explains how he stores all his memories and knowledge in an intricate memory palace. Anything from poems to maps. In Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes is also depicted as using this method to remember a London map, before chasing a cab using his knowledge of one-way routes and construction sites. In another chapter, he is also shown deep in search of data in his mental library. But is it really like this how it works?

First, for newcomers who don't want to read my lengthy article about the memory palace method, let's make a thought experiment to realise how powerful the method is. Close your eyes. Can you picture your parents (or grandparents) house? Mentally walk from room to room? I bet you can, even if your parents have moved since then. Can you walk mentally the route from your parents' home to your school, or high school? I'm sure you can do it without any problem. Your brain is hardwired for this: finding routes. After all, a hunter-gatherer unable to remember where the plants or the water lay was doomed to die.

The memory palace method aims to take advantage of this ability, paired with our visual memory and linking memory to remember... lists. In fact, you don't need to remember lists, but the method is best suited to listed knowledge, since you can remember it ordered. The simplest example would be a shopping list. If you want to go shopping and need milk, onions and some tasty dressing (making some onion rings, maybe?) you can place each item in... your grandparents home. Or along the route to your high school. Problem is, done plainly forgetting it's too easy. You are likely to walk over the 3 onions you placed in the middle of your parents living room. To remember, you have to make everything bigger, noisier and bizarre. Cleopatra (the Egyptian pharaoh of old) bathing in milk in the bathroom (in case you didn't know, Cleopatra is said to bathe in donkey milk). A giant onion-man eating sliced humans in the living room. A bride (well dressed with her wedding dress) covered in ketchup. Far easier to remember, don't you think?

On the other hand, the fictional cases of memory palaces showin in Hannibal and Sherlock are far more abstract. How are you supposed to remember poems or a map? Well, all you need is a code. To memorise a poem you need to remember its verse and rhythm. For Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn, you'd start (again) with a bride, dressed in white with a finger to his lips, ordering silence. Then a boy appears out of nowhere, carrying a huge golden pocket clock in his neck, also gesturing for silence. And so on and so forth. One (or two) images for each verse are almost all you need. Pair it with some repetitions of the poem to get the hang of the rythhm and you'll never be able to forget it.

And how are you supposed to remember a full map? Well, this one is trickier and I still don't know how to remember a plain map. Remembering directions is somehow easy: just store a direction in each room of your palace: turn left, go straight and right on the 3rd is just "1 left" "straight 3 right", which are easier to encode in rooms in a palace. For a map, I don't know and I don't think Sherlock or Hannibal could help us.

Of course if you have a good enough visual memory (or even eidetic memory like Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory) you could remember the full map. But this is just being born with the right genes, and I'd rather know how to do it myself.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Learning to use vim in my iPad (even if I'm an emacs geek)

Just in case you don't know, vi is an advanced text editor, drting back from the same era as emacs was developed (emacs started slightly earlier). Sort of the Jekyll to emacs' Dr Hyde. Emacs users despise vi users, and vi users mock emacs users. This is what the editor wars are all about: "Eight Megabytes And Constantly Swapping" versus "vi has two modes: writing and beeping". If you have been long enough in this blog, you know I'm in the emacs side, but you also know I'm curious enough to delve into the other side.

My first contact with vi was in our first programming class at the University, Informatica (Computer Science). Vi was the editor of choice for the course, so much that you did not have any other option given. Along with a Linux cheatsheet and a short C manual came a vi cheatsheet. A lot of people came to hate vi, a lot of people came to love it. I was more in the hating side, but it wasn't that bad. After a while I just started using a "normal" Linux editor (it was Kate, maybe?) and kept using it (or UltraEdit when I was in Windows) until the end of my degree.

When I finished my degree I had to be a teacher of Calcul Numeric (Numerical Analysis), the third (and last) programming class in the degree. At home I was still using Windows, because the wifi card in my notebook had no Linux drivers and in my office we were using Ubuntu. I needed a cross-platform editor that was quick, versatile and could last for a lifetime. I tried vi (again) and emacs, emacs won the war for two reasons. First was the fact that it was extensible programming in Lisp, and I had already a decent knowledge of Lisp. The second was AucTeX and its "preview" option for LaTeX editing. Nothing can beat pressing C-p C-p C-d and seeing your formulae come to life in your editor. I became an emacs advocate for this reason, then after 5 or 6 years I've found many more reasons why this is the editor. Or, the operating system, if you prefer.

But advocacy is nice, but knowing all the players in the field is better. My department pals used vi (at least most of them), and it was impossible to convince them to switch. I decided learning vi (or vim, vi iMproved) was something I had to do some day, to learn what was there. After all, if I liked it so much I could set viper-mode in emacs and use vi keys in emacs. The best of two worlds, if that world is so nice.

Then the guys at Applidium released a Vim port for iOS devices. Whoah! Even if I'm an emacs guy to the bone, a modal editor is way better than anything else available in the app store, at least for raw editing power. And I say with knowledge, because I've tried most writing apps for iOS devices (see this post).

As an additional reason, Matt Might posted a New Year's post detailing several resolutions for programmers. Among them was breaking your comfort zone to keep your mind sharp. The first example? Switching to vi from emacs or vice-versa. He used to be an emacs user before getting to use Vi. I don't think I could go that far, but these were enough reasons: advocacy (from me, not against me), iPad+bluetooth keyboard and breaking my comfort zone.

How is the experience so far?

Well, I'm writing this post in my sofa, with my iPad and my bluetooth keyboard sitting in my lap. I'm still getting used to having to exit editing mode to move around: I'm very used to pressing C-a or C-e to go to the beginning of end of line. An additional problem is that even with the bluetooth keyboard, Esc can't be mapped to the Esc event, and I needed something to do it. I have jk (pressed together) for it. It was a suggestiond I saw in Hacker News' comment thread for the release of the app, and it's quite handy. Not so much with the on-screen keyboard, but for now it's okay. To remap this, press backslash (the current mapping for Esc) and then :imap jk . Of course if your usual writting language involves writing the jk combination frequently (I think I could come up with one or two examples in Icelandic), this is not the best combination. The other suggested option is :imap al . Easy to tap in a virtual keyboard, not so straightforward in a normal keyboard.

I found out also how to change the font size, at least for now this works (maybe there will be more fonts available in the future), type :set guifont=Courier:h24 (for 24 pixels)

To round everything, I just installed the famous solarized color theme, dark in vim for iPad. Until now I had just thought it was an overhyped color scheme: I had tried in my emacs and didn't enjoy it that much. But in my iPad it shines with a distinct colour, it's so much easier on my eyes that it hurts to get out and write an email! To install it in your vim for iOS, first download solarized.vim from the git repository, then plug your iDevice and use iTunes File Sharing to copy this file to the vim app. Then open vim, :e solarized.vim and :call mkdir(.vim/colors/) (to create the directory needed for it) :w .vim/colors/solarized.vim This is just because I didn't seem to get iTunes File Sharing to work with hidden files (a file starting with a dot is hidden). Then you have to add the following to your .vimrc:

syntax enable
set background=dark
colorscheme solarized

I recommend using this app for any emacs lover out there with an iPad. Of course, it is not emacs, but vim is a pretty awesome text editor, and it's always handy to learn to use it.

To have a useful list of vim commands at hand I installed the Vimmy app, a universal app with the most common vi commands. I can switch to it via the multitasking gestures in my iPad, or use it in my iPod Touch while I'm using it in the iPad.

Conclusion

I don't think I'll ever switch from emacs to vim any time in the future, as I said AucTeX is definitely too good. Of course since then I've found many more things I love: having a REPL for Python, Clojure or Lisp inside my editor. There's even a REPL for PostScript! Also local remote editing with tramp... There are too many things I use on a daily basis and I can't barely remember, they are so entrenched in my .emacs file I can't even realise what they are. But for my iPad it is an awesome addition to write text on the go.

Again, if you have never used vim before and are interested, give it a try. Of course the first time you open it it will be... a jump into the unknown. Tap the screen, press :e filename and start editing happily. Esc (well, jk or backslash, as the initial mapping) :w to save. And you can even :q to exit to springboard!

Good Books I've Read in 2011: Perfect Gifts for Geeks!

Taken from Flickr

The links to books in this post are affiliate links! Beware :)

In case you have not realised it yet, I'm a pretty prolific reader. Online reading (and having an iPad) have slowed down the number of books I read in a given year, and I don't go to the lengths of my girlfriend (who is about to reach her goal of reading 102 books in this year,) I'm nevertheless a frequent reader.

This year I've read several good books that I'd like to share with you, after all, if you are reading this probably our tastes overlap. And then these books will be perfect for you (or for some geek in your life). The books I've selected range from programming, sports and non-fiction. Oddly enough, I don't remember any fiction book I've read this year (not counting some book by Raymond Chandler, which I can recommend each year). Let's go!

Born to Run A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen: I reviewed this book in a previous post here. I found it very good, and urged me to get running. My running frequency is (to put it softly) awful, but I'm trying to improve. If you want to start running or recover some lost motivation, give it a shot, it's a very good read. You can read my review of Born to Run.

Visualize this The FlowingData Guide to Design, Visualization, and Statistics I wanted a book to help me graphing things in my future work as a freelancer, and after looking around a little I found this *great* book by Nathan Yau, the blogger behind Flowing Data. It's an awesome book, which will help you start kicking around the graphs and tables.

Confessions of an advertising man: An almost autobiographical book by famed ad-man David Ogilvy, if you are anything into copywriting, advertising or marketing, you have to read this book. Not only will it help sharpen your ideas, but it is also a very good and entertaining read.

Moonwalking with Einstein The Art and Science of Remembering Everything: A New York Times best-seller by Joshua Foer. After reading his interview-article there, I decided to buy it (pre-ordered it!), and it was very worth the money. An entertaining read of how motivation can get you a long way, and how some memory techniques work. I have not written a review of it, but you can read my own explanation of the memory palace technique.

Even a geek can speak Low-Tech Presentation Skills for High-Tech People: The best book for anyone in need to give a presentation. Clear, concise and to the point, this should be a forced reading for all technically minded people. You can read my review of Even a geek can speak.

Mining the social web Analyzing Data from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Other Social Media Sites: If I had to try the book I enjoyed the most reading this year, it is this book. Seriously. Even awesome comes short of what I think about this book. I plan on reviewing it, but I've got not enough time yet... With it you'll learn how to mine twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and whatnot. And then process all this data. Easily. Yes!

The AdWeek copywriting handbook The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters: Your deep entry into copywriting, from a master copywriter. You'll learn how to shape your online copy, from headline to action. It's very well written in an understandable fashion. Keep in mind that if you buy the Kindle edition, the provided checklists are not that useful.

Thinking Forth: I've had this book for a long, long time and I finally got to read it. I used a simple method for getting me to read it: I left it in the bathroom. When I had to spend some time there (for example, shaving with an electric machine!) I read a few pages. And in no time, I had finished. You don't need to have a computer close to read it, but a little knowledge of Forth is quite useful. It is a clean book, introducing some concepts like orthogonality and testing without even trying.

Power Sleep The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance: A best-seller book focused on mental abilities and how sleep affects it. Packed with research results and advice, it was a very interesting book, although a little too long. After all, the best suggestion is to go to sleep each day at the same time and keep adding 15 minutes (weekly) to your sleep until you stop feeling sleepy. Now that you have the spoiler, buy it.

Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion: One of these self-help books that will get you pumping ideas and rocking you off the sofa. According to Gary, now it is time to crush it. And probably it is. If you are a little low on motivation, read this book. Don't expect it to teach you how to do things, just read it as experiences to think about.

What I talk about when I talk about running: Another running book, this time an autobiographical piece by one of my favourite writers, Haruki Murakami. I was expecting a little better from him... But of course, not every book can be Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world. An interesting read about Murakami's running experiences, and how he got to run a 50 miler and the "original" marathon in Greece (under a scorching sun).


This month I've started several books that I'm sure would have make this list, and will probably be delayed until next year:

Steve Jobs: I will remember how and when I found out Steve died, and will still be inspired by his commencement speech for a long while. I've gone through almost one fifth of the book (a very thick one,) and it is one of the best biographies I've read (the other is John Nash's). Brilliantly written, it reads like a novel with a fast pace.

1Q84: the recent best-seller by Murakami was the gift from my girlfriend for this year's St. George day, and I've only been able to read a few pages. From the raving reviews, I assume I'll like it (I was deceived by Kafka in the shore).

The memory palace of Matteo Ricci: A classic book for memory techniques lovers, I've only got to read the first 20 pages or so. So far, very interesting and well edited.

Guns, Germs and Steel The fates of human societies: A book recommended by my thesis advisor, dealing with why Europe invaded America and why it was not the other way around. Of course, all is theoretical, but it is amazing nevertheless.

If you find some broken link, please let me know!