Notes on memory and learning
Essays on the science of remembering what you read — what works, what doesn't, and why.
How spaced repetition actually works
Most of what you read this month will be gone by next month. Spaced repetition is the small, evidence-based habit that flips that pattern, turning a few minutes a day into durable knowledge over a year.
How to remember what you read
Most of what you read fades within weeks, but the cause is mechanical and so is the fix. Seven techniques drawn from cognitive science, each with a clear method you can use on the next book you open.
The illusion of competence
You highlight, you re-read, you feel ready. Then the test arrives and the words evaporate. The illusion of competence is the gap between recognizing material and being able to retrieve it. Here's how to close it.
The Feynman Technique
You read the chapter. You nodded along. But could you explain it without the book open? The Feynman Technique is a four-step method that turns the comfortable feeling of "I get it" into something you can actually defend.