Monthly Archives: May 2014
Art: from orality to literacy
Art has a vastly different purpose in non-literate cultures than it does in literate ones. Art in oral cultures is primarily a memory aid to the knowledge system while art in literate cultures is primarily aesthetic. A rash statement? I hope it’s … Continue reading
Socrates on the risks of writing
Every new invention has its critics. Socrates warned against the spread of writing and the subsequent loss of the ability to memorise. Plato’s Phaedrus, written in about 370 BC, takes the form of a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus, an Athenian … Continue reading
Memorising and understanding history
I have been asked so many fascinating questions since I started this blog. One is about the way memorising can help understanding. I can best explain with an example from one of my experiments. This about a general understanding of history starting … Continue reading
Memorising the periodic table
I have been asked how you would use the memory arts to memorise the periodic table. I would use what is known as the Method of Loci or the Art of Memory. This method is attributed to the ancient Greek and … Continue reading
Memorising birds
I have now memorised the 408 birds of my state, Victoria, in taxonomic order. That means I can name each of the 82 scientific family names and all the birds in that family – all from memory. I am using … Continue reading