Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have better memory recall? Wouldn’t it be great to avoid the awkwardness of forgetting someone’s name at an event? In this compelling TED Talk, behavioural scientist Ricardo Lieuw On offers a clever trick that can help.
There is good news. Better memory is not down to genetics or repetition. Rather, the key lies in our imagination. By using vivid visualisation, emotion and “absurdity”, we can encode information more effectively – improving our ability to study, learn and socialise.
Ricardo starts with his own story of struggling with memory. He was a poor student growing up, facing academic difficulties and falling grades. But he discovered a clever trick that would help him memorise hundreds of data points quickly.
This is now called the “memory palace” technique, and it involves taking dull information and turning it into visual, engaging and emotional stories. For instance, rather than simply remembering the “facts” in a textbook, Ricardo would turn them into images and mentally place them within familiar locations (e.g. his home).
Here is another potential application in the mundane: rather than rote-learning a shopping list, Ricardo suggests creating an absurd visual story involving each item and placing them in specific spots in your house. A banana becomes a sword in your hallway; milk floods your living room floor.
This works because the human brain is naturally associated with the vivid, emotional and spatial. Consider, also, how ancient peoples used to retain information over the generations. With limited options to write things down, the Greeks (and others) used similar memory methods. The ancient Hebrews used parables to pass along moral lessons to their descendants. And so on.
The talk demystifies the notion that memory is an inborn gift – instead, reframing it as a learnable craft that just needs the right “trick.” Deeper nuances (such as handling abstract concepts or long-term memory retention strategies) are not covered in depth. However, the talk succeeds in sparking curiosity and motivation to learn more.
This talk is fascinating and raises as many questions as it does answers. We commend this TED Talk to you and would love to hear your thoughts!
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