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Researchers at the University of Oregon have demonstrated that one’s capacity for remembering things isn’t derived so much from actual storage capacity, but rather from an individual’s ability to separate the relevant from the irrelevant. This essentially means that people with highly efficient information filters can remember more because less “noise” gets in to pollute the memory area, not necessarily because they have any more memory capacity.
From the ABC news article:
The findings, reported in the journal Nature, overturn the accepted concept of memory capacity, which has suggested that how much a person can remember depends on the amount of information crammed into the brain at one time.
The research team believes the results could lead to better ways to enhance memory and improve the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive problems such as attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia.
Judging from this new evidence, I have determined that my brain’s relevancy filter must have all the filtering power of a hula hoop.
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That makes total sense; I find that at times, I’m a wealth of useless knowledge. Using chicken wire as a furnace filter is more effective that the one in my brain. I wonder if I can just, Select – Shift – Select – Delete and all the crap will be gone.
Ummn, okay I’ll bite. Why is there a colander on that man’s head? The only ideas I have so far are:
1. A colander in such a position is unusual, and therefore would be highly relevant to any memory you might have of the picture.
2. The colander is representative of a “brain filter” since it filters out the irrelevant water from the relevant noodles.
3. Colander + head = funny.
#4… All of the above.
Robert Waugh said: “Ummn, okay I’ll bite. Why is there a colander on that man’s head?
Err… I think it’s a woman.
I have a filter in my brain, but it’s a perverse one. I remember an article I read 17 years ago in National Geographic World, but I can’t remember to bring the toothpaste home from work. Sigh.
Bryan Lowder said: “Err… I think it’s a woman.”
It’s actually a man, but I won’t tell him you said that.
Here’s a link with a little more info: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/uoo-dds111805.php
If that’s true, then how come I can remember the most irrelevant information known to humankind (eg, when i was on a swing in hagley park when i was four, i was doing twisties and thought of ‘cricket.” and the capital of azerbajan is Baku.) but i can still speak three languages (japanese, french, english) and top the country in english and Japanese standardised testing? Either my filter doesn’t work, or everything is relevant
Alan Bellows said: “It’s actually a man, but I won’t tell him you said that.”
It’s obviously a man. His Adam’s apple is quite prestigious.
Another prime example of quality vs. quantity.
True.
Look at your last sentence in the previous Monte Python article:
“The human brain is a great pattern recognition engine, but sometimes that causes it to overlook the subtleties of numbers.”
Interesting correlation. I’d like to see a study to show if such a correlation actually exists. Do people with a high dose of common sense and effective relevancy filters have a more difficult time thinking outside the box? Or conversely, do those with strong analytical skills have poorer memories and lack of intuition for the obvious?
You should’t ignore my dick!!!
*Azerbaijan