For these, I will be using eugenics as an example. (Eugenics involves people trying to “improve” human traits through direct, as opposed to natural, action; such as paying people with favourable traits to mate, or forcing people with less favourable traits to stop reproducing.)
1) Teach / talk about the new information in the week after hearing it.
Talk to anyone that will listen, even to people who won’t listen. Saying what we learned out load forces us to form another neural pathway to the learned information. This strengthens the connection to the information in our minds.
2) Read more about the new topic.
In the “Further reading” section of the podcasts, I frequently put in opinion pieces, where appropriate, regarding the topic. Read those and form an opinion of your own. Regarding something like eugenics, many people dislike the idea of screwing around with mother nature. How about you? In this way you can form more connections to the idea of eugenics. In my mind eugenics seems like a form of human directed evolution, so now I associate evolution and eugenics pretty strongly.
This leads to…
3) Play Devil’s Advocate with your opinion.
Arguing with yourself or with someone else, again forces you to make a whole new set of connections in your brain. These connections will be quite different though because of the differing viewpoint associated with it.
With eugenics, for example, although there is something to be said about mother nature taking its course, if we have ways of improving humans, and preventing disease, do we not have a duty to carry it through?
From here I create strong associations with eugenics and current diseases and conditions such as Down’s Syndrome.
After using all these tips, you will have a connection through listening (1) and/or reading (2) about the new topic. You will have a connection through your original point of view (3), and a connection through the opposite point of view (4). That’s a lot more connections than you had originally, which means the new topic will want to flow out easily the next time you need to remember it.
If you would like someone to discuss / argue with I am always willing through the contact form.
Have a good time getting cultured!
(image by pfv.)
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