qwertyuiop

Who knew that I would have another memory post from Slate so soon? But I do. In this very short video, Slate tells us that most people cannot fill in the typing keyboard when given blank keys. Apparently, typing is something of its own phenomenon, as people learn how to type without really memorizing the layout of the keyboard in the first place. I wonder if this makes it like the piano, where I suppose most people pick out tunes before they can play by touch. Just as most people probably hunt and peck on a keyboard before they can touch type. I was a very late learner at touch typing and find that even as I type this, I really have no idea exactly how I'm doing it. Although I do know that I often type wrong.  

Memory and photography

I thought this brief piece over on Slate would be a good one to mention on this blog. As I've long suspected, taking pictures doesn't aid memory and often impairs it.  I'm no expert on this, but I wonder if this doesn't have something to do with the transactive memory effect I linked to here awhile ago.

The best way to travel I've long thought is for someone else to be in charge of the camera...as long as they'll make you copies of their shots.