Has anyone else noticed this fruit machine phenomena or is it just my weird mind/ observational ability?
I don’t usually remember things by visualizing a slot machine display, the graphic from the movie Matrix, scanning through alphabetical lists, self-completing combo boxes, etc. You’re the first person I’ve heard describe this mnemonic technique.
I tend to remember things like the names of movie directors through a variety of serial and gestalt associations. For example, if I have seen a director discuss a movie, I’ll remember his or her face, clothing, or something in the context of the interview, which will bring to mind an interviewer speaking his or her name. Or, a more conventional mnemonic device will come to my aid – for instance, as John Carpenter directs fairly graphic horror movies, when I think of one of his movies, a “toolbox murder” kind of brutality comes to mind, from which I think of carpentry tools, from which I think Carpenter, John. Proximity associations – words used close together – also commonly help me, especially with the convention of titling movies such things as “John Carpenter’s Vampires”, “Wes Craven’s Nighmares”, etc.
Some mnemonic chains are more elaborate. For example, in 1980 when Rubic’s cube first came to my and seemingly everybody’s attention, I remembered the unfamiliar name by recalling how my initial session with puzzling out how to solve the puzzle felt like a great achievement, introducing a new and irreversible phase of my life, which could be called “crossing the Rubicon”, from which the name springs easily.
What I find particularly interesting about memory is that my experience with it is, IMHO, compelling evidence that we humans do processes significant cognitive tasks unconsciously. I commonly attempt and fail to recall an associated data, such as the author or name of a book containing some scene that comes to mind, then consciously “set aside” the question, typically by imagining writing the question in a notebook, closing the book, and placing it on a shelf near my head. Often, a few minutes to a few days later, while in the middle of doing something completely unrelated, the answer will “pop up” to my attention, interrupting whatever I’m doing.
Often, particularly with more complicated questions, I get straight-forward answers and suggestions in the form of dreams. A substantial number of designs I’ve conceived and implemented (mostly computer software) literally came to me in dreams.
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Roulette? Gambling problems?? LOL
Aside from the analogies (and the whole left/right thing); Yes, we can watch our brains perform.
*_*
I like to watch how our brain recovers from faults in our brain function.
In a recent phone conversation, neither of us could remember the name of that inventor/designer of the overly complicated, redundant mechanisms for performing mundane tasks.
First I had it narrowed down to a period in history and (vaguely) the kind of names one might categorize as immigrant scientists. I even recall a strong feeling that it was an Eastern European name.
Ten minutes later, when I finally remembered the name, I realized it was the "Rubik's Cube" that had made me feel so strongly that there was an E. European component/connection to the name (sound) I was trying to recall.
Sorry, I've left this somewhat vague (so you might re-live my experience); but if you didn't already know the answer (and Rubik's Cube history/origin), then this above would be totally obscure. Feel free to demand more, but....
I'll assume everyone did know the answer; and just ask if this scenario above does provide an insight into how some of the brain's "word" retrieval mechanisms operate.
It's similar to the dumb blonde JayWalker (NBC Tonight Show) who replied "Mecca," when asked for the name of the ship on which the Pilgrims came to America. "Mecca?" She explained that she had heard about a pilgrimage to Mecca. ....That was the only association her brain could find then, it seems.
...just one part of one of many mechanisms our brains employ....
We call them fruit or slot machines in the UK - it's the symbols on the turning chambers or wheels, that lead to the former name in Britain at least.
__________________ 'Are you pondering what I'm pondering?' (Pinky & The Brain)
I don’t usually remember things by visualizing a slot machine display, the graphic from the movie Matrix, scanning through alphabetical lists, self-completing combo boxes, etc. You’re the first person I’ve heard describe this mnemonic technique.
I tend to remember things like the names of movie directors through a variety of serial and gestalt associations. For example, if I have seen a director discuss a movie, I’ll remember his or her face, clothing, or something in the context of the interview, which will bring to mind an interviewer speaking his or her name. Or, a more conventional mnemonic device will come to my aid – for instance, as John Carpenter directs fairly graphic horror movies, when I think of one of his movies, a “toolbox murder” kind of brutality comes to mind, from which I think of carpentry tools, from which I think Carpenter, John. Proximity associations – words used close together – also commonly help me, especially with the convention of titling movies such things as “John Carpenter’s Vampires”, “Wes Craven’s Nighmares”, etc.
Some mnemonic chains are more elaborate. For example, in 1980 when Rubic’s cube first came to my and seemingly everybody’s attention, I remembered the unfamiliar name by recalling how my initial session with puzzling out how to solve the puzzle felt like a great achievement, introducing a new and irreversible phase of my life, which could be called “crossing the Rubicon”, from which the name springs easily.
What I find particularly interesting about memory is that my experience with it is, IMHO, compelling evidence that we humans do processes significant cognitive tasks unconsciously. I commonly attempt and fail to recall an associated data, such as the author or name of a book containing some scene that comes to mind, then consciously “set aside” the question, typically by imagining writing the question in a notebook, closing the book, and placing it on a shelf near my head. Often, a few minutes to a few days later, while in the middle of doing something completely unrelated, the answer will “pop up” to my attention, interrupting whatever I’m doing.
Often, particularly with more complicated questions, I get straight-forward answers and suggestions in the form of dreams. A substantial number of designs I’ve conceived and implemented (mostly computer software) literally came to me in dreams.
Funny you should mention dreams as I was going to bring in symbolism - like in the middle of the night (it being colder and me being older) I may need to go to the toilet and I'll dream of the 'me' in the dream desperately needing to go too. Alternatively I'll have a slightly more obscure dream of drowning or being caught in a flood of rising water (I'm sure you all wanted to know that but it could have been worse!). Having said that I moved to Scotland because when I was living in Cambridge, I kept having these warning dreams of a giant tidal wave approaching me (90ft high and moving at a crawl pace - at the time I felt under great pressure to move but I couldn't understand why and now I can - it was slow because this was social change for the worse, which wasn't observable to the naked eye but was clawing at my unconscious as a hint).
I found the mnemonics you cited interesting. I personally use The Roman Room memory trick, when I deliberately want to remember something (giant versions stacked in the hall of all I can't write down at that particular time) but recall, that is different.
__________________ 'Are you pondering what I'm pondering?' (Pinky & The Brain)
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Guess what name pachinkoed into my head on reading that? 
WC Fields. 
A plethora of mnemonic techniques 
