Vort Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 A while back I told a good friend (a Ph.D. in math) that I was between jobs and needed something to occupy my time. His answer, and I quote: "You could use your time to master unusual skills in computation, such as memorizing the square roots of very large numbers." So I'm happy to pass along the suggestion to you...Though this was offered in jest, I have often found myself wishing I had memorized more things that I now find important. A few General Conferences ago, one of the apostles (Brother Scott, I believe, though I may be misremembering -- possibly Brother Perry) suggested memorizing valuable scriptures. I can think of a lot of things I wish I had committed to memory, and that maybe I'm trying to memorize now. Memorization is an important skill, and generally speaking, it seems a skill our recent ancestors had mastered a lot better than we have. Things I'd Like to Have Memorized:The Periodic Table of the Elements -- I can't tell you how many times this would have been useful in various and sundry situations and discussionsImportant scriptures that are meaningful to meScripture mastery scripturesQuotations from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets -- just for fun. Everything the guy wrote was gold, and it sure makes you sound like you know what you're talking about when you quote Shakespeare.My cousins' birthdays. I have my own parents, siblings, wife, and children down, but outside of that, things get a little hazy.My ancestry, at least names and approximate birth/marriage/death years, for more than just four generations back.A whole lot more history than I know, though that's much more "learning" than just "memorization".Foreign language vocabulary! It's hard to speak in a foreign language when you don't know very many words!Some miscellaneous Church-related stuff would be occasionally useful, like First Presidencies, the original Twelve Apostles of the Restoration, and the names of the Nephite Twelve.Local flora and fauna. Again, this may be more "learning" than just "memorization", but it seems like there is a good amount of memorizing which trees have which needles and cones, and stuff like that.What kinds of things would you like to have memorized? SpiritDragon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I wish I could remember the names of my ward members. Right now I think I have about a quarter to a third of them down, and it's quite embarrassing. Palerider, Jane_Doe, Vort and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarVortex Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Hmm... I read your post quickly and for a moment thought that you needed to know the periodic table of the elements for something related to church, such as home teaching or EQ. (And I thought my ward was full of geeks.) I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm not the dullest. And yet I cannot remember version numbers of software products for some reason. Android, iOS, Java, Excel, Skype, Safari, Firefox... I couldn't tell you the current version if my life depended on it. It would be great if I could memorize these once and for all. I'd also memorize all U.S. and Canadian area codes, and all North American and European airport codes. I once flew to Corpus Christi, TX to visit my mom and stepfather, and my baggage almost went to Casper, WY because the agent picked the wrong luggage tag (CRP vs. CPR) and I didn't catch it. This was back when luggage tags were not printed on the spot but instead selected from a colorful pre-printed set. Oh, and the genders and plurals of all German nouns would be nice, too. I can never remember plurals and am sick of saying things like, "Please give me a piece of paper... on second thought, make it two." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Oh, and the genders and plurals of all German nouns would be nice, too. I can never remember plurals and am sick of saying things like, "Please give me a piece of paper... on second thought, make it two."When Sister Vort was a young woman, she and her younger sister spent time in France, where their mother is from. Her younger sister could not make the nasal sound necessary to correctly pronounce "un" ("one"). So if my future sister-in-law ever ordered croissants, she always ordered two, even though she could eat only one. That way, she could say "deux croissants" and thus avoid having to say "un croissant". PolarVortex 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 But... Google. Who needs memorization anymore? Jane_Doe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelMarvel Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I never gave this any thought until I was in a car accident last July and had a brain injury that has affected my rememberer. Now I can't remember tons of things that I think I memorized before. How do I know if I memorized them when I can't remember now? I don't know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 When my wife and I first got married I would have said I needed to memorize her first name. About a week after we were married I turned around to call her by name while we were shopping and as I did I pointed at her and said ...hey...uh....ummmmm...uh...as I am doing this she is now watching me and waiting for me to say her name which I have totally forgotten. Then she said....try...and stated her name. I looked at her and smiled and said that's it. Needless to say after 33yrs of marriage we still laugh about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarVortex Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 When my wife and I first got married I would have said I needed to memorize her first name. About a week after we were married I turned around to call her by name while we were shopping and as I did I pointed at her and said ...hey...uh....ummmmm...uh...as I am doing this she is now watching me and waiting for me to say her name which I have totally forgotten. Then she said....try...and stated her name. I looked at her and smiled and said that's it. Needless to say after 33yrs of marriage we still laugh about that. While we're waving the memory wand, let me zap everyone else on the planet. My first name is very common (#16 in popularity in the decade of my birth), but it's sort of similar to #3. Both are common Biblical names. And yet all through high school and college I was addressed as #3, even after I would correct people to #16. In one college class I met someone who started #3-ing me and I didn't have the energy to correct him, so I simply started responding as #3. To my horror, we became good friends as the semester progressed. (The professor called us all by our last names, so my friend was never corrected by external forces.) Finally this deception boiled over one day when my new friend heard me called by my correct first name by other friends. He was very offended. Never saw him again. Later someone suggested this as a way to break up cleanly with a girlfriend. When you're ready to pull the plug, just say, "Sweetheart, you've been calling me Herbert, but my name is really Roger." Palerider 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 On a serious note....would love to be able to recall scripture verses better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritDragon Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) For me personally the following things would be useful to have memorized: 1. All of the muscles in the human body with corresponding insertions and origins, innervations and functions. I do quite well with the major ones, but there are times that I need to look things up. This isn't usually a problem, but sometimes a client is curious and asks a more detailed than usual question and I would love to always have this information on hand, instead of explaining in general terms and saying that to be more precise I'd need to look it up. 2. Trigger points and referral patterns, along with which ones set up satellites in which and so forth. 3. Sources and references: I pick up a lot of information along the way about all sorts of things, but when called on to defend what I have learned I don't always remember where I picked it up to help verify it. 4&5. I agree with scriptures and family birthdays being quite useful. 6. I also wish I could remember all the great gift ideas for family members and friends that come up in conversation through-out the year so that I could get them when it actually is time to give gifts. 7. On a nerdy note I think it would be kind of fun to have the Ferangi rules of acquisition memorized :) although it serves no actual useful purpose that I can see beyond a laugh now and again. 8. I'd also love to have all the toxicity and deficiency symptoms memorized for the major vitamins and minerals. But as TFP mentioned... google to the rescue on this one for me. Edited January 4, 2015 by SpiritDragon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notquiteperfect Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 HymnsThe Declaration of Independencesome quotes by Abe. Lincoln Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classylady Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I am a little envious of people who can quote poetry. lonetree 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonetree Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 In my first year of university, I was floored by my Classics professor reciting a verse from the book of Acts - in the King James version. It wasn't part of the lesson, and not expected. I thought, if he could do that that, why couldn't I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I used to be able to say the Preamble to the Philippine Constitution backwards... I now think that was a waste of brain activity... But, I have memorized the Activity Series of Metals and that I have to say, I still know now and has been useful. But, I do wish that I memorized gospel verses (I tried a few years back but I find I'm too old to memorize anything). Also, it would be great to memorize pi... dunno why... just thought it would be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarVortex Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 But, I do wish that I memorized gospel verses (I tried a few years back but I find I'm too old to memorize anything). Also, it would be great to memorize pi... dunno why... just thought it would be cool. It would be cool. I've heard of people who memorize pi to the 100th or 1000th digit or whatever. Seems like overkill. In high school I was taught that using pi to the 40th digit would measure the circumference of the entire universe with an error that even an electron microscope could not detect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 It would be cool. I've heard of people who memorize pi to the 100th or 1000th digit or whatever. Seems like overkill. In high school I was taught that using pi to the 40th digit would measure the circumference of the entire universe with an error that even an electron microscope could not detect.My older three memorized pi to the first hundred places or some such. Hasn't done them any real benefit, but it's great at parties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 HymnsThe Declaration of Independencesome quotes by Abe. LincolnI have been fortunate in that I do remember verses to the hymns. Can't sing worth a darn but I have lots of them memorized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordorbund Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I have been fortunate in that I do remember verses to the hymns. Can't sing worth a darn but I have lots of them memorized. I know. I'm sitting there in the pew thinking "oh thank heaven! Palerider won't be singing this one. He hasn't picked up the hymnal." And then out comes THAT NOISE! I'll send you the standard "ribbing Palerider" fee in the mail. Palerider 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I know. I'm sitting there in the pew thinking "oh thank heaven! Palerider won't be singing this one. He hasn't picked up the hymnal." And then out comes THAT NOISE! I'll send you the standard "ribbing Palerider" fee in the mail.Thank goodness my wife sounds me out. Lol!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 This is a strange one but I wish I recalled the addresses of my past residences. If I dug through enough crap, I could probably pull them all up, but I just don't have the time. Still, it would be fun to Google Earth all the places I'd lived over the years, namely Southeast Asia and Europe, and see what the neighbourhoods look like in more recent years. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I still remember phone numbers from my childhood, including such gems as "WAverly 2-4397". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bini Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I don't even remember my current mobile number half the time! It's embarrassing when I'm asked for it. Another, I wish I knew birthdays better. I know some people are sensitive about celebrating birthdays and making it a big deal, but I think most people like a "Happy birthday" at minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I don't know my wife's cell number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) I don't know my wife's cell number. I keep on forgetting my kids' cell and ss numbers. But, I have memorized my husband's cell and ss numbers because I have to fill out a gazillion forms for school and doctor's offices in the last 13 years. Edited January 6, 2015 by anatess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarVortex Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Goodness, at this rate we'll soon need our phones to retrieve our names and genders. Or I guess we could look somewhere else for the 2nd item... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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