Slashdot Mirror
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
PerlJedi writes "Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have conducted a very simple study, with some surprising (or at least amusing) results about how our short term memory works. Quoting: 'Sometimes, to get to the next object the participant simply walked across the room. Other times, they had to walk the same distance, but through a door into a new room. From time to time, the researchers gave them a pop quiz, asking which object was currently in their backpack. The quiz was timed so that when they walked through a doorway, they were tested right afterwards. As the title said, walking through doorways caused forgetting: Their responses were both slower and less accurate when they'd walked through a doorway into a new room than when they'd walked the same distance within the same room.'"
Alex Trebek: Good evening and welcome to another edition of "Open the Door Jeopardy" where contestants must step through a door after ringing in and answer because answering a 'clue' in the form of a question just isn't confusing enough. Ken Jennings, as our returning champion you start. ... 'His death and subsequent disagreement of heir resulted in the Battle of Hastings.' ... uh ... um ... I knew it a second ago.
Ken Jennings: I'll start with the category 'I Confess!' for $400, Alex.
Alex Trebek: Very good
*Ken Jennings rings in, opens the door and steps through it*
Ken Jennings: Um
Alex Trebek: Ooooh, I'm sorry, time is up. Anyone else?
*the heavy treads of IBM's Watson machine crush the door as it rolls in*
Watson: Who was Edward the Confessor?
My work here is dung.
Obviously the subjects' brainwaves diffracted when they walked through the door...
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
This is why I hate going to meetings and feeling stupid. Come to my cube and I'll know the answers.
Subject: I think that door just sighed.
Experimenter: Ghastly, isn't it? All the doors on this experiment have been programmed to have a cheery and sunny disposition. Now, how many objects in your backpack?
Subject: Uh, really? That's, uh ... I'm sorry, what? Ah, I forget... what?
Experimenter: *scribbles on clibpoard*
I did not know this and will try this technique the next time I have to give a speech. Are you supposed to start in the basement or the attic? Probably doesn't matter. I just hope I don't fall down the stairs.
So those WERE the droids I was looking for?
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
He would but he just walked through the door from the bathroom and has forgotten them.
...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
Dammit, now I forgot what I came to this website for.
Our ancestors had about the same memory - they would open the door, get on the floor, and everybody walked the dinosaur.
Buckle your ROFL belt, we're in for some LOLs.