Charan Ranganath

Oh, yeah. Okay, we can come back to this. But yeah, go on.

So I feel like we've got a lot in common because when people introduce themselves to me, it's almost like I have this just blank blackout for a moment. And then I'm just looking at them like, what happened? I look away or something. What's wrong with me? So, I mean, I'm totally with you on this. The reason why it's hard is that there's no reason we should be able to remember names.

So I feel like we've got a lot in common because when people introduce themselves to me, it's almost like I have this just blank blackout for a moment. And then I'm just looking at them like, what happened? I look away or something. What's wrong with me? So, I mean, I'm totally with you on this. The reason why it's hard is that there's no reason we should be able to remember names.

So I feel like we've got a lot in common because when people introduce themselves to me, it's almost like I have this just blank blackout for a moment. And then I'm just looking at them like, what happened? I look away or something. What's wrong with me? So, I mean, I'm totally with you on this. The reason why it's hard is that there's no reason we should be able to remember names.

But for the most part, it's like these names are just utterly arbitrary. So you have no thing to latch onto. And so it's not really a thing that our brain does very well to learn meaningless, arbitrary stuff. So what you need to do is build connections somehow, visualize a connection. And sometimes it's obvious or sometimes it's not. I'm trying to think of a good one for you now, but

But for the most part, it's like these names are just utterly arbitrary. So you have no thing to latch onto. And so it's not really a thing that our brain does very well to learn meaningless, arbitrary stuff. So what you need to do is build connections somehow, visualize a connection. And sometimes it's obvious or sometimes it's not. I'm trying to think of a good one for you now, but

But for the most part, it's like these names are just utterly arbitrary. So you have no thing to latch onto. And so it's not really a thing that our brain does very well to learn meaningless, arbitrary stuff. So what you need to do is build connections somehow, visualize a connection. And sometimes it's obvious or sometimes it's not. I'm trying to think of a good one for you now, but

But the first thing I think of is Lex Luthor. That's great.

But the first thing I think of is Lex Luthor. That's great.

But the first thing I think of is Lex Luthor. That's great.

I know he has a shaved head, though, or he's bald, which you're not. You've got a great head. I'd trade hair with you any day. But something like that. But if I can come up with something. Like I could say, okay, so Lex Luthor is this criminal mastermind.

I know he has a shaved head, though, or he's bald, which you're not. You've got a great head. I'd trade hair with you any day. But something like that. But if I can come up with something. Like I could say, okay, so Lex Luthor is this criminal mastermind.

I know he has a shaved head, though, or he's bald, which you're not. You've got a great head. I'd trade hair with you any day. But something like that. But if I can come up with something. Like I could say, okay, so Lex Luthor is this criminal mastermind.

Yeah. Yeah. And I, but I'm serious though, that these kinds of weird associations now I'm building a richer network. I mean, one of the things that I find is if I've like, you can have somebody's name, that's just totally generic, like John Smith or something. Not that no offense to people that, that name, but you know, if I, if I see a generic name like that,

Yeah. Yeah. And I, but I'm serious though, that these kinds of weird associations now I'm building a richer network. I mean, one of the things that I find is if I've like, you can have somebody's name, that's just totally generic, like John Smith or something. Not that no offense to people that, that name, but you know, if I, if I see a generic name like that,

Yeah. Yeah. And I, but I'm serious though, that these kinds of weird associations now I'm building a richer network. I mean, one of the things that I find is if I've like, you can have somebody's name, that's just totally generic, like John Smith or something. Not that no offense to people that, that name, but you know, if I, if I see a generic name like that,

but I've read John Smith's papers academically and then I meet John Smith at a conference, I can immediately associate that name with that face because I have this pre-existing network to lock everything into, right? And so you can build that network and that's what the method of loci or the memory palace technique is all about.

but I've read John Smith's papers academically and then I meet John Smith at a conference, I can immediately associate that name with that face because I have this pre-existing network to lock everything into, right? And so you can build that network and that's what the method of loci or the memory palace technique is all about.

but I've read John Smith's papers academically and then I meet John Smith at a conference, I can immediately associate that name with that face because I have this pre-existing network to lock everything into, right? And so you can build that network and that's what the method of loci or the memory palace technique is all about.

is you have a preexisting structure in your head of like your childhood home or this mental palace that you've created for yourself. And so now you can put arbitrary pieces of information in different locations in that mental structure of yours. And then you could walk through the different path and find all the pieces of information you're looking for.