Thunderdome 2015 » Printable Version of Topic » If you learned it, then forgot it

Forum: General Stuff
Topic: If you learned it, then forgot it
started by: thibodeaux

Posted by thibodeaux on Jul. 21 2010,12:14

Discuss.

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 21 2010,12:37

There's a lot of stuff I used to know well, but through lack of use, I've forgotten.

Like the citric acid cycle. Used to be able to diagram every molecule, but then the kid came and I lost the IQ points.

I don't consider that "then I never learned it."

Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 21 2010,13:48

There's loads of mathematical formula & processes I used to have memorized that I'd have to look up nowadays. I don't exactly remember how to integrate cosine squared over tangent cubed, but I bet I could once I looked up the appropriate substitutions.

So what's learning? It is straight up memorization of arbitrary facts or is it familiarity with the patterns in the facts & their correct usage?

Posted by GORDON on Jul. 21 2010,13:51

I've forgotten the names of women I dated, but that doesn't mean I never knew their names.

Just means they were forgettable. :-)

Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 21 2010,18:10

I've always had a very very poor memory. I'm not the guy from Memento, but I'm as close as you can get without having actual brain damage. I can never remember how to do things or what things are or anything. But I can remember the basic understandings behind how things work.

I've always been that way. Because of it I've gotten very good at relearning things at breakneck speed. For example when I was a briefly a physics major I rederived the formulas of force and motion every time I needed one on a test. I think I've reinvented most of calculus from scratch at least twice by now. Every time I write a program I may have to look up most of the syntax yet again, but the algorithms are always perfect and built fast and tight.

I also learn new things at super speed, too. But I have to relearn them again the next time I need them.

I think it's from all the pot I smoked when I was six.

EDIT: I missed the "well then you never really learned it" part. Hmmm ... I guess I'll vote FALSE, then, but I wouldn't argue too strongly against TRUE if you'll also give me "but you can always learn it again"