Page 154 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

is actually a good thing. Much of what goes on around you is basically trivial—
if you remembered it all, you’d end up like a hoarder, trapped in an immense
collection of useless memories.

If you don’t make a point of repeating what you want to remember, your “metabolic vampires” can
suck away the neural pattern related to that memory before it can strengthen and solidify.

Repetition is important; even when you make something memorable, repetition
helps get that memorable item firmly lodged in long-term memory. But how

many times should you repeat? How long should you wait between repetitions? 6
And is there anything you can do to make the repetition process more effective?
Research has given us helpful insight. Let’s take a practical example. Say
you want to remember information related to the concept of density—namely
that it is symbolized by a funny-looking symbol, ρ, which is pronounced “row,”
and that it is measured in standard units of “kilograms per cubic meter.”