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-
A piece
of paper and a pencil
-
Optional:
A timer or a clock with a second hand and someone to tell
you when two minutes are up.
On the next
web page, there are pictures of 20 different things.
To Play:
Set your timer for two minutes then click the GO button below
to see the pictures. Look at the pictures for two minutes. After
two minutes the browser will automatically return you to this
page. If it doesn't
,
press the BACK button to return when your friend tells you two
minutes is up.
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Ready,
set,
|
|
Now
write down as many of the things as you can remember on your piece
of paper.
After You've
written down as many things as you can remember, press the Check
button below and check your list. How many of the 20 things did
you remember?
Maybe you
think you'll get better at memorizing things if you practice a
lot. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way.
Back in 1927,
a scientist tested 187 university students on their ability to
memorize poetry, the meaning of Turkish words, dates of historical
events, and other things.
Then some
students practiced memorizing things. Others learned techniques
for remembering things. And the rest did nothing at all related
to memory.
When the scientist
tested the students again, the group that had learned techniques
for memorizing things did much better on the test than the others.
The students who had practiced memorizing things and the students
who had done nothing at all did about the same on the test as
they did before.
Scientists
have discovered that you don't get better at memorizing things
just by doing it more. But you
can
get better by learning
some clever tricks that help you out.
On the
following pages, we'll give you a few tricks you can try.
They'll
help you remember -- they'll also tell you something about how
your memory works.
Memory
Games
Top
of Page
©1998
Exploratorium
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