Loading ...The Einstein Chimp: How You Can Be Just As Smart!
An article came out today on yahoo that reported of a chimp that beat humans hands down, mono-e-mono, in a test of memory. Heck, this chimp could probably do better than humans on my nephews’ Hasbro Disney Memory Game. In a nutshell, a group of researchers in Japan pitted the 5 year old chimp against college aged students. The chimp won by getting more correct answers in the memory game.
The researchers did note that the older, adult chimps did worse than the students and young chimps. So what are they saying here? That the older we get, the worse off our memory becomes? I think there might be some truth to that becuase I know at my age, I wouldn’t do as well if I went back to school. My memory is not as good as it was before. It must have something to do with the age. But guess what? There are experts out there that say that memory loss can be prevented. Before I forget what to write, get Alzheimer’s at 40, and start taking pills at 35, I am going to provide you with 3 tips that will help you to improve your memory. These are the basics that you need to know and I will detail different memory techniques in future writings.
1) The most important concept you need to know in memory right now is: PAY ATTENTION. This is what you need to do in order to learn and remember. Make a strong effort to maintain your concentration because when you daydream away (just like in class), you tend to miss out on what is said.
2. Enhance your auditory memory by listening more closely and carefully. Clean out your ear wax if you have to. Did you know that of all the five senses, this is the number one target of advertisers and marketers? Why else would there be so many little jingles out there in commercials these days. How about “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!” from Mazda? or “Be, all that you can be, in the Army”? or “Mmm, mmm, good!” from Campbell’s soup? See! It is all around us. You remember them because of the emotions they evoke in you such as Campbell’s soup taste great or it would be cool to zoom around in a Mazda. The frequent repetition of these jingles helps create auditory memory which is why I am pretty sick of that “zoom, zoom,zoom” commercial.
3. Be consciously aware of your emotions in relation to an event. Memories are registered best when the event has emotional meaning. Major events that strike an emotional response cause you to remember exactly what you were doing. How many of us remember what we were doing when we first heard of the 9/11 attacks? I sure do. How about when Magic Johnson of the Lakers announced that he was HIV postive? Ditto. Try to focus on the exact emotion you felt during the event and that will help you remember it better.
Please feel free to leave comments and feedback on any of my articles. In addition, tell me what other personal development topics you want to hear about. Thanks.
Tags: 9/11, chimp, commercials, HIV, jingle, Lakers, Magic Johnson, Memory Improvement
