Comments on SemCubed

1. ## 7 Comments. ### SemCube? is neither effective nor simple. And creating peg words for numbers above 100 seems to me another step in the wrong direction.

This is what I've done: After 99, no more peg words for individual numbers. Instead, I've simplified it by creating one image for the 100 group (100-199), then one image for the 200 group (200-299) and so on. Then I created one image for the 1000 group (1000-1999) and for the 2000 (2000-2999) group and so on.

So, for all numbers in the one hundreds (100-199) I'll have 2 images: one for the hundred group itself and one for the last 2 numbers (the standard peg image).

For all numbers in the thousands, I'll have 3 images (thousand group, hundred group, standard peg).

For example: for the 100 group I use Danny Devito as the Penguin from the Batman movie. So that any number from 100-199 will have the Penguin. The image of the Penguin will tell me that the number I'm trying to recall will have the digit 1 in the hundreds column. For the last 2 digits I use a standard peg image. Therefore, 122 = Penguin + Mother Teresa (22 = nun) (which is then associated with whatever you want to remember). 162 = Penguin + chain (62 = ch,n). 152 = Penguin + lion.

Same thing for the thousands. Each thousand group gets ONE image. For the 4000 group, I use Superman (there are at least 4 actors to choose from). So for 4162 = Superman + Penguin + chain. 4122 = Superman + Penguin + Mother Teresa.

The beauty of this system is that it makes no difference what story or general image you create, you can NEVER mix up the numbers they represent, since each image stands for ONLY ONE place (hundreds, thousands, tens/ones column). This means that the images don't have to be linear--they can be all mixed up since they each represent ONLY ONE PLACE (thousands column, hundreds column, last 2 columns).

This is especially effective when you want to remember phone numbers (or any kind of number). When you recall the images and want to translate them back into the number, each image can represent ONLY ONE place in the line. When you see King Kong (or whoever else you use for the 300 group) you AUTOMATICALLY KNOW that the 3 belongs in the hundreds column of the number you're trying to recall. And anytime you see your standard peg images, you KNOW that they belong in the last two places (ones and tens columns).

For phone numbers, I associate only one standard, perpetual image (Green Lantern) to remember the area code and another image to remember the exchange. Example: for the area code 312, I make up the standard combination that I would use for 312 = King Kong (my image for the 300 group) + Tin man (12 = t,n). Then I combine these two with Green Lantern, so that when I recall the imagery and see Green Lantern with King Kong and the Tin Man, I know this number MUST BE THE AREA CODE because the only time I use Green Lantern is to remind me that the number is an area code. For the exchange (the 3 numbers following the area code) I use another image.

To repeat: the little story or general image you create doesn't have to be linear. You can put the Tin Man first, King Kong second, and Green Lantern third. When you "translate" or "reconstitute" the imagery back into a number, you ALWAYS put Tin Man at the end (the last 2 digits) because the Tin Man is ALWAYS your standard peg image for the last 2 digits of ANY number. You MUST put a 3 in front of the 12 because King Kong is ALWAYS your standard image for the three hundred group (any number from 300-399). In other words, you MUST end up with 312 all the time, no matter where in the story you place your images. And when you see King Kong and the Tin Man associated with Green Lantern, you KNOW that 312 MUST BE the area code.

Using images in this way means that you NEVER have to remember a word for each number. You don't have to translate the number into the phonetic alphabet, and then try to remember which word you used. Each place in the number (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands) will automatically conjure up the standard image you use for that place.

In this way, ALL NEW NUMBERS TRANSLATE AS INSTANTLY INTO IMAGES AS YOUR STANDARD PEG IMAGES. WHEN YOU SEE 4132, YOU IMMEDIATELY THINK SUPERMAN + PENGUIN + MOON, WHICH YOU THEN TIE INTO THE THING YOU'RE COMMITTING TO MEMORY.

-- afoolintherain 2009-07-28 20:36 UTC

mem champions are only interested in short term recall. They use many journeys and then forget the random numbers after the tournament. It is hard to reuse journeys because items take up 'space' Journeys can also change over time. You might move things around your house, stores on your route may close and you may end up moving yourself. Not a big problem if you are using a journey for next week's tournament or tomorrow's speech but it could be a problem if you want to remember things for keeps.

With a more database like approach, you can link elements to atomic number (use pegs 1-112) and then link elements to letters from your alphabet system (for example, silver is Ape with a Goat so imagine a silver ape on a silver goat). Another sentence or image could link each element to its atomic weight. I don't think it is a good idea to dump everything you know into one large database. Instead, create several smaller databases and link them.

-- ari-free 2010-04-14 05:30 UTC

What are other themes?

-- ozaru 2013-01-31 14:33 UTC