Memorization
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Memorization
There's one argument related to learning and processing information that says, in essence, all the info is out there somewhere—and in fact we can plug calculations or questions into search engines or smartphone-based calculators whenever we need to figure something out—so filling our brains with memorized formulas and names and dates is inessential.
There's another argument, though, that argues—while yes, we do have "extended minds" that allow us to make use of these data archives and processing tools that exist beyond our literal grey matter—it's still important to know things because in doing so, in learning names and dates and information about random stuff, we're in a better position to know what to learn, to slam seemingly disparate information together and come up with new realizations and understandings, and we're not left listless and ignorant should the internet go down or our smartphone battery give up the ghost.
This piece provides some good support for the latter, pro-memorization argument: http://www.pearlleff.com/in-praise-of-memorization
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