Building Long-Term Mnemonics: Strategy & Techniques (a Beau Journal)

Memory Training Journals
4

Types of Data Packages and Considerations

(aka, the various types of things to memorize, and considerations on storing them)

In preparation for the Memory Study Groups I’m hosting online tomorrow, I’ve generalized a few things:

  • Giordano Bruno’s “Types” of Mnemonic Devices
  • Information Sciences “Types” of Data to catalogue

I’ll give a brief layout here:

TL;DR

TLDR Summary

What’s the recipe for a Global Mnemonic Palace or Global Index?

Maybe these 4 things:

  • Immutable Containers (relatively immutable)
  • Mutable Containers like Imagery, Furniture, Props, etc
  • A catalogue (or multiple) for Discrete data with clear beginnings and endings
  • Conventions (one or more) for cataloguing Continuous Data (with no known ending).

Bruno

Bruno has one main “Type” of Object (or Mnemonic Device):

  • The Container
    • (He calls them subjects, but their purpose is to be a receptacle for imagery, symbolism, and information/data)

Their are 2 primary “Types” of Containers:

  1. Immutable
    • (Containers that don’t change much.. so, mostly immutable is more accurate)
    • Examples: A specific Room. A specific Deity. A conceptually sound convention
      • (eg, numbers have an implicit order: 2 never comes before 1.)
  2. Mutable
    • (He calls these “adjects” or “adjective subjects”)
    • These are “images” or symbols used to reference specific information.
    • These can be modified, altered, affected, moved.
    • They’re still containers in their own right.

Information Scientists and Architects

(eg, Librarians and Archivists)

These folks grapple with categorizing two main types of Data:

  1. Discrete or Finite Data

    • Also referred to as “Static” or “Monographs”.
    • The information has a clear-cut beginning and end.
      • Examples: The Great Gatsby (novel), Your childhood pet’s life, Today’s lunch, a Date (like September 11 2001), a finished series like Philip Marlowe detective novels written by Raymond Chandler (there will be no more, Chandler’s long since passed).

  2. Continuing Data

    • Such as an unfinished series (like The Simpsons, or your food preferences)

    • Two types exist:

      A. Diachronic: Where there is one main entry, but periodically updated [a Dicitonary Definition is a good example. Merriam Webster refers you to the most recent, updated definition, even though it’s changed over time].
      (also known as an “Integrating Resource”)
      (the latest version is always shown first)

      B. Continuing Serial: Where the earliest instance is what you’re shown first when you ask for it, and updates are indicated in the notes.
      (Major changes, as opposed to minor updates, will cause an updated description in the main entry)
      –Examples: [Your favorite ongoing Netflix series (you want to see the “earlier” episodes first), or topics of indiscriminate length (like the topic: Programming, if the knowledge will continue to grow indefinitely)]

How to tell?

Discrete / Finite Data:

  • You can count it all up.

Continuous Data

  • You can’t count it all up, however you probably can measure what exists

Finite Data is handy, and can be grouped up pretty easily.

However, Continuous Data is challenging.

  • This is where an information architect must devise appropriate conventions

Quick Summary

What is the recipe for a Global Mnemonic Palace or Global Index?

It might require:

  • Immutable Containers (relatively immutable)
  • Mutable Containers like Imagery, Furniture, Props, etc
  • A catalogue (or multiple) for Discrete data with clear beginnings and endings
  • Conventions (one or more) for cataloguing Continuous Data (with no known ending).

The Dewey Decimal System is a good example of a convention.

As a fan of network engineering (ie, how systems communicate with each other), I also view “Conventions” as “Protocols”.

Example: IPv4 and IPv6 are two distinct Protocols (or Conventions).

So?

See any similarities to stuff you’ve memorized (or would like to)?

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