Ask HN: How do you memorize?

[quizbiz]

I am not asking about learning stories with context or systems or routines. It came up in discussion today and I am wondering how the doers and thinkers of HN memorize facts? Do you use tricks to remember names?

[brg]

I associate names with peculiar features or habits. It is best not to ever vocalize these mnemonics to others.

For the memorization of facts and figures, I find that alliteration or a short rhyme works best.

If something does not readily avail itself in that direction, then a "connections" type story will stay with me longer than a statement of fact.

[icey]

I am a big fan of visualizing weird pictures to remember names and numbers. You have to have a system though, so your first sentence confuses me.

If you want to learn how to have a good memory, try these:

http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Book-Classic-Improving-School/d...

http://www.ludism.org/mentat/

[tetha]

I usually just think about things, adding lots and lots of associations, specializations and generalizations between the new things and my existing knowledge. Once this is done, I just know it once someone asks me for it.

(And yes, I hate learning useless streams of numbers or words to know them exactly number by number or word by word)

[bayareaguy]

Incorporate your facts into a song.

"We the people..."