The speaker discusses the importance of memorization in today's digital age. They begin by giving the audience a 30-second memory test, then ask them to reflect on their memorization process. The speaker shares their personal story of struggling in school, but eventually discovering their passion for psychology and developing effective learning techniques. They then lead the audience through a creative visualization exercise to memorize the past 10 U.S. presidents in order. The speaker argues that by improving one's memorization skills, individuals can also develop the skill of experimentation, which enables them to learn and adapt more effectively. They introduce a three-step process for experimentation: becoming aware of one's current methods, trying new approaches, and applying new techniques in real-life situations. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the value of learning and experimentation, urging individuals to take responsibility for their own learning and to apply these principles in their personal and professional lives.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker gave the audience a test to memorize 10 words in the right order within 30 seconds.
2. The audience had 30 seconds to write down what they remembered and then 30 seconds to check their answers.
3. The speaker then asked the audience to imagine a scenario where they memorized the past 10 presidents of the United States in the right order.
4. The scenario involved associating each president with a specific body part.
5. The speaker revealed that the audience had successfully memorized the presidents in the correct order.
6. The speaker discussed how they struggled in school and had to develop their own learning methods.
7. The speaker spent nine months in California working as a bagger and learned various skills during that time.
8. The speaker decided to study psychology and developed new learning methods that worked for them.
9. The speaker now works for a company called Remind, which teaches people the science and art of learning.
10. Remind has organized the Dutch National Memory Championships for high schoolers for the past three years.
11. The speaker believes that everyone can improve their memory and learning skills through experimentation.
12. The speaker outlined a three-step process for experimentation: checking what you're doing, experiencing new possibilities, and experimenting with new methods.
13. The speaker encouraged the audience to take a moment to write down an experiment they want to try and to continually follow the steps of experimentation.