Alex Mullen | Medical Student, Memory Athlete

Summary

In this engaging script, Alex Mullen, a second-year medical student at the University of Mississippi, reveals his extraordinary memory skills, akin to the 'memory palace' technique used by Sherlock Holmes. Alex explains how he transforms information into vivid mental images, placing them in a 'journey' to recall them effortlessly. He shares his method of associating cards with unique images, likening clubs to Michael Jordan or a mushroom to a particle accelerator, to enhance memorization. Alex also discusses how this technique aids his medical studies, from remembering drug details to understanding complex biological pathways. His demonstration of recalling a shuffled deck of cards showcases his prowess, attributing his success to a combination of practice and a phonetic-based system.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Alex Mullen is a second-year medical student at the University of Mississippi with a special skill in memorization, which he refers to as a memory palace technique.
• 🔢 He competes in memory competitions where he memorizes decks of cards, numbers, and names and faces, identifying himself as a memory athlete.
• 📚 Alex discovered his ability not through innate talent but through practice and learning techniques from a book, which he then honed through consistent practice.
• 🖼️ The gist of memorization for him involves turning information into mental images and associating them with specific locations on a mental journey for recall.
• 🔄 To maintain long-term memory, Alex suggests reviewing the memorized information at intervals, such as the same day, next morning, and after a week.
• 🃏 He uses creative associations for cards, like associating clubs with Michael Jordan or spades with Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, placing these images along his journey.
• 👨‍🔬 Alex applies his memorization techniques to medical school, turning complex information into images to aid in recall, which he finds helpful for studying medicine.
• 🎴 He has a system of 1,352 pre-prepared images for card pairs and 1,000 images for numbers, which he uses to quickly memorize and recall shuffled decks in competitions.
• 🕊️ The process includes creating new images when card orders change, using a phonetic-based system to associate card suits and ranks with sounds and images.
• 🗣️ Recalling information out loud can be challenging due to the need to decipher phonetic codes in his head, making silent rearrangement of mental images easier.
• 🏠 In medical school, Alex uses his memory palace technique for learning sequential information like anatomy or biochemical pathways by placing images along a route in his childhood home.

Q & A

What is Alex Mullen's special skill?

Alex Mullen's special skill is memorizing information, such as cards, numbers, and other items, using techniques like the memory palace or journey method.

What is a memory palace or memory athlete?

A memory palace is a technique used to memorize large amounts of information by associating it with specific locations in a familiar environment. A memory athlete are individuals who compete in memory sports, using these techniques to memorize information quickly.

How did Alex Mullen discover his ability to memorize?

Alex Mullen discovered his ability to memorize through reading a book about memory techniques. He then practiced these techniques until he reached a level where he could compete in memory competitions.

Can you describe the process of memorizing a deck of cards using the journey method?

The journey method involves turning information into mental images and placing them at specific spots along a familiar route or journey. When mentally retracing the journey, the images help recall the information.

How does Alex review and retain information for long-term memory?

Alex reviews the memorized information periodically, such as the night of memorization or the next morning, and then again after a week. This helps to consolidate the information into long-term memory.

What is the significance of turning cards into images for memorization?

Turning cards into images helps to create a more vivid and memorable representation of the information, making it easier to recall later on.

How does Alex create a system for memorizing pairs of cards?

Alex has a set of 1,352 pre-prepared images for each possible pair of cards. When a pair comes up in a shuffled deck, he uses the corresponding image to help remember the order.

How does Alex's memorization technique help him in medical school?

The memorization technique helps Alex to remember details about drugs, types of bacteria, and other medical information by turning them into images, which aids in better retention.

What is the time commitment required to reach Alex's level of memorization skill?

Alex has been practicing for about two years to reach his current skill level, but he believes that with dedication, someone could set up a system and start using these techniques within a month.

How does Alex handle the challenge of recalling information out loud?

Recalling information out loud can be more difficult due to the need to quickly decipher the phonetic coding in his head. However, with practice, it becomes more manageable.

How does Alex apply the memory palace technique in medical school for learning complex information?

Alex uses the memory palace technique to memorize information with a sequential order, such as anatomy or biochemical pathways, by placing images along a route in his house.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Memory Mastery: Alex Mullen's Journey as a Memory Athlete

Alex Mullen, a second-year medical student at the University of Mississippi, introduces himself and his unique ability to memorize vast amounts of information quickly. He explains the concept of a 'memory palace' or 'method of loci', a technique used by memory athletes in competitions to recall decks of cards, numbers, and names and faces. Alex's skill is not innate but developed through practice and learning from a book. He describes the process of turning information into mental images and placing them in a journey to recall them later. He also discusses the importance of reviewing the information to transfer it into long-term memory and shares examples of how he creates images for cards and numbers.

05:03

🃏 Card Recall Demonstration and Memory Techniques

In this paragraph, Alex demonstrates his card memorization skill by recalling the order of a shuffled deck of cards. He explains that the time it takes to recall the cards can vary, with some images coming to mind quickly and others requiring a moment of thought. Alex emphasizes the importance of the vividness of the images used in the memory technique, as this affects the speed and accuracy of recall. He also touches on the phonetic-based system he uses for coding card suits and ranks into memorable sounds and images, such as associating a heart and diamond with the sound 'JA' and creating an image of Captain James Kirk from Star Trek.

10:07

🎓 Applying Memory Techniques in Medical School

Alex discusses how he applies his memory techniques to his medical studies. He mentions using the memory palace method for learning sequences, such as anatomy or biochemical pathways, and creating images for facts and details without a specific order. While he does not always use the journey method as frequently, the process of turning information into images aids his retention of medical knowledge. The paragraph also hints at the potential showmanship of his skills, suggesting that while he might not often demonstrate his memory techniques at parties, he is capable of doing so.

Keywords

💡Memory Palace

A memory palace, also known as the 'method of loci,' is a mnemonic device that involves associating information with specific locations in a familiar environment. In the video, Alex Mullen describes using this technique to memorize decks of cards, numbers, and other information quickly. It is central to the theme of the video as it illustrates the process of enhancing memory through visualization and spatial memory.

💡Memory Athlete

A memory athlete is an individual who competes in memory sports, using various techniques to memorize large amounts of information rapidly. The term is used in the script to describe those who participate in memory competitions, like the one Alex Mullen is discussing. It relates to the video's theme by highlighting the skill and training involved in exceptional memory performance.

💡Mnemonic Device

A mnemonic device is any learning technique that aids in memory retention, such as acronyms or visualizations. In the context of the video, Alex uses mnemonic devices like the memory palace to transform information into images, making it easier to remember. This concept is integral to understanding the methods Alex employs to excel in memory competitions.

💡Journey Method

The journey method is a specific mnemonic technique where one imagines a familiar route or journey and places items or information to be remembered at various points along that route. Alex Mullen mentions using this method to memorize a deck of cards by associating each card with an image and placing these images along a mental journey. It exemplifies the practical application of memory techniques discussed in the video.

💡Image Association

Image association involves linking abstract concepts or information with concrete images to facilitate memory retention. Alex explains that he assigns specific images to card pairs or numbers, which he then places along a journey in his memory palace. This process is a key element in his memory techniques and is repeatedly referenced throughout the script.

💡Sequential Order

Sequential order refers to the arrangement of items in a specific, logical sequence. In the video, Alex discusses using the memory palace technique for information that has a sequential nature, such as anatomy or biochemical pathways. This concept is important for understanding how memory techniques can be applied to complex, ordered information in fields like medicine.

💡Card Shuffling

Card shuffling is the act of mixing the order of cards in a deck, which is a common element in memory challenges. Alex demonstrates his memory skills by recalling the order of a shuffled deck of cards. This act is a practical example of applying the memory techniques discussed in the video to a real-world challenge.

💡Phonetic Coding

Phonetic coding is a method of converting written or spoken information into sounds, which can then be associated with images for easier memorization. Alex uses a phonetic-based system to create images for card pairs, such as associating 'hearts and diamond' with a 'J' sound and 'three of clubs' with an 'M' sound, leading to the image of Captain James Kirk. This technique is a specific example of how Alex encodes information for memorization.

💡Medical School

Medical school refers to the educational institution where future physicians receive their professional education. In the script, Alex discusses how the memory techniques he learned have been beneficial for his studies in medical school, particularly for memorizing complex medical information. This highlights the practical application of memory techniques beyond competitions and into academic and professional settings.

💡Practice

Practice is the act of repeatedly performing an activity to improve or master a skill. Alex emphasizes the importance of practice in developing his memory techniques, stating that it took him two years to refine his system. The concept of practice is a key message in the video, illustrating that exceptional memory abilities can be developed through consistent effort and training.

💡Competition

Competition in this context refers to the contests or events where individuals compete to demonstrate their memory skills. Alex talks about participating in memory competitions and the techniques used to excel in them. The concept of competition is central to the video's narrative, showcasing the competitive aspect of memory sports and the skills required to succeed in them.

Highlights

Alex Mullen is a second-year medical student at the University of Mississippi with a special skill in memorizing information using the memory palace technique.

The memory palace, or method of loci, involves turning information to be memorized into mental images placed along a familiar journey or route.

Memory athletes compete in events like memorizing decks of cards, numbers, and names and faces.

Alex discovered his memorization ability not as an innate talent, but through learning and practicing techniques from a book.

To memorize a deck of cards, Alex assigns each card or pair of cards a unique image that he places along a mental journey.

Alex has a system of 1,352 pre-prepared images to represent the different card pairs in a shuffled deck.

For numbers, Alex uses a phonetic-based system to assign each three-digit number a unique image.

The memory palace technique helps Alex in medical school, especially for memorizing details about drugs, bacteria, and other information.

Alex finds that creating mental images of information helps him remember it better than just reading or hearing it.

For complex or sequentially ordered information in medical school, Alex uses the memory palace method with his childhood home as the journey.

Alex believes that anyone can learn and use the memory palace technique with practice, even if they don't have a natural talent for memorization.

The key to effective memorization is having strong, vivid images associated with the information to be remembered.

Alex demonstrates his memorization skills by recalling a shuffled deck of cards in order.

It took Alex around two years of consistent practice to develop his memorization system and reach his current level of skill.

Alex uses the memory palace method not just for competitions, but also as a study tool in medical school.

The memory palace technique can be adapted for different types of information, from card memorization to complex medical concepts.

Alex emphasizes the importance of reviewing and reinforcing the memorized information to transfer it to long-term memory.

The memory palace method is a powerful tool for anyone looking to improve their memorization skills, whether for school, work, or personal development.

Transcripts

I'm Alex Mullen and I'm a second year

medical student at the University of

Mississippi and you have a special skill

I do yeah what's your skill

it's just memorizing stuff memorizing

cards numbers same thing so if you're

Sherlock fan that's known as mine palace

or memory palace yet what is a memory a

fleet well we go to these competitions

and we just memorize different things in

events basically G idea is just memorize

as much stuff as fast as possible so

there are cards events remember as a

deck of cards there are numbers events

memorizing names and faces that kind of

thing so anyone who discussed these

competitions and competes is a visit

memory athlete did you discover this

ability what it's not really a kind of

an innate talent that I have I practiced

it a lot I learned about it originally

from a book that I read and so I just

learned about the techniques it started

practicing them and then eventually got

to a point where I was competing in

describe the process how do you do the

gist of it is that you you try to turn

what you want to memorize into images or

like mental pictures you can see in your

head and then what I do for instance

memorize deck of cards you remember is a

string of numbers is I'll pick a place a

location and I use that as like a

journey that I kind of walk through and

then place these images that I've

created on spots in the journey and then

when I walk kind of mentally walk back

through the journey I see those images

and I can recall the information that I

wanted to memorize in this holiday it's

called a yep some people call it a

memory palace and people call it a

journey method yeah

so you have to kind of review it if you

want to keep it long for long term

memory I'd say like for instance for a

deck of cards memorize a deck of cards

like during a competition I'd probably

remember that for probably till the end

of the day maybe um and then if I wanted

to keep it I just have to review it

maybe that night or the next morning or

whenever and then maybe once again like

the next week or something like that and

then then it's usually kind of in

long-term memory what a lot of people do

is they they turn each card into an

image so for instance I know clubs could

be like Michael Jordan or something like

that and then they they said I'll take

like Michael Jordan and put him on you

know that door

or maybe this is like Gandalf from Lord

of the Rings or you take him and you put

him on that table and then kind of do

that thing so what I do and what a lot

of like I guess more hardcore

competitors do is I put I make make each

pair of cards an image so like for

instance this is a mushroom for me this

is like a particle accelerator like I'm

the one in Switzerland this is this this

guy I know from home Sparky this is the

actor Rob Lowe this is Amy Santiago a

character from Brooklyn nine-nine the TV

show so I just do that kind of thing and

were you just making those up just in

are those standard when you see those

Sanders to get right that's what so I'd

like I put time in at the beginning to

create a system for this so right every

time I see this I see the mushroom every

time I see this it's a say it's the same

thing for me every time so what happens

when you when they're shuffled and the

particle accelerator and Gandalf come up

in different orders I mean right well

create a new image using those same

right so it mean if I so if I shuffle it

right and then I look again so I'll get

this now so this is a cave for me so

I'll just use you know put a cave there

and this is a coffee shop like a

Starbucks so you know every time it

comes up I have you know a new image

that I so basically I have just I mean

this might get a little complicated but

I have a thousand three hundred and

fifty two images so every time you know

a pair comes up I have something

pre-prepared for it and that's just for

the deck of cards that's just like oh

sorry for all the other things you write

so what I do is I have a thousand images

for numbers so each each three-digit

thing of numbers I have a special image

for that so this is like I said 1,300

that one's a thousand so I kind of

overlapped those two so how does this

help but in medical school um I think it

helps a lot I mean I you know I learned

it originally too just because I thought

it would help me in school not to do any

of this kind of competing stuff and I

think it it helps a lot I mean I I don't

use the the kind of journey thing that I

talked about quite as often but I do

when I study and I

I look for things that I want to

memorize I do try to turn those into

pictures and help remember it that way

you just kind of remember little details

about drugs or particular types of

bacteria or the names of different

things or whatever I try to turn those

into images and that helps me remember

them better okay so let me see a chance

to graduate I head make sure

okay I'll try to recall it okay okay

sometimes we call me like out loud can

be a little difficult I go with it like

using the pair of cards like I said but

I'll we help you know okay okay um

alright let's see okay so Jack of Hearts

there right okay ace of diamonds okay

two of spades two of clubs I want to say

ninety-nine this nine of spades

five of Hearts seven of spades um ten

diamonds three of Hearts six of clubs

queen of clubs seven of hearts six of

hearts

eight of Spades and then King of

Diamonds Ace of Spades three of diamonds

a five of clubs nine of Hearts 3 of

clubs four of spades

um okay four of clubs six of spades

okay a queen of diamonds there were a

king of hearts

um okay okay this one might stump me um

is it king of spades

okay Jack of Diamonds four of Hearts ace

of clubs ten of Spades four of diamonds

okay

um five of spades Queen of Spades okay a

ten of Hearts eight of clubs okay

Jack of Clubs two of Hearts Ace of

Hearts eight of diamonds two of diamonds

ten of spades

eight of Hearts king of clubs

Queen of Hearts two of diamonds oops

seven of diamonds five of diamonds

seven of clubs six of diamonds and then

nine of clubs Jack spades

all right wow that is impressive

thank you so how long does it take it

how long did take you long lab um I mean

to get to this point to say coming up

practicing for like two years but I

think just two I mean just to kind of

set up a system and get your part you

can do this kind of thing um I think you

could do it in a month I don't think

anybody watching this would believe you

yeah I mean I didn't I didn't believe it

when I first started out I thought it

was like just too good to be true you

know something kind of that you know

people just kind of sell to make money

it's not real but it but it works so

some of them you just need I mean they

just flew Bob and some of them you had

to think a second or two about what

makes the difference it's just the image

you've attached to it is oh um well so

some I guess the reason that is so I

kind of have this without trying a 2d

child it's uh it's like phonetic based

system so for instance starting off the

front um let's let's go with this one so

this let me find a good example

Cesar so for instance this one um so

this this so I first kind of read the

suit pair so this is a heart and diamond

and so that for me that just makes a je

sound like a like a Josh sound and then

so the three for me represents an M

sound and the ten represents an S sound

so I get this collection of sounds which

is JA MA and an S sound and so for me

that's that kind of spells out James

that makes sense and so for me this is a

Captain James Kirk from Star Trek so so

that's kind of how I like turn this into

an image

but obviously like you know you practice

that and it becomes sort of second

nature but that's how I first set the

system up so I guess the reason some

imagers are slower is partly because I

either didn't memorize them very well or

because the phonetic coding is a little

more tricky to kind of decipher in my

head and so that's why like I said

recalling it out loud is sometimes

difficult versus just like kind of

rearranging a deck of cards on the table

is a little bit easier so it's this so

in medical school when you're learning

complex things when you got to do a lot

of memorization when you gotta you use

this - yeah I mean I so like I said I

you know the dis kind of sort to

memorize this I used a journey like a

memory palace I use my home when I grew

up where I grew up in Oxford and so I

just would place the images along you

know a route in my house for medical

school I do that sometimes I do it when

I'm trying to learn something that has

some sort of sequential order you know

like a I could be anatomy or like some

sort of tract and like a like a nerve

tract or something like that or a

biochemical pathway so I do use it when

it's you need that kind of sequential

order like I said but a lot of times if

it's just sort of these you know facts

of information I just kind of create

images and don't actually put them any

particular place are you pulled out at

the parties and just a really he'll not

yet know you will