Video of the Blindfolded WR

[joey]

I wonder if he still uses that method or if he has moved to visual.

 

[Mike Hughey]

I think i should also give 20 bld solves a day a try .

I've been doing 10 (successful) BLD solves a day for quite a while. (I started a couple of weeks before the US Open.) It really helps, but sometimes it gets to be rather overwhelming. I'm probably going to stop that now. But first I'm going to do 100 BLD solves on my flight to the Philippines.

 

[hait2]

Yeah, I believe Matyas has mentioned somewhere that he uses a story/image method, and has a somewhat ridiculous number of images for his pieces (i, for instance, only have 3 per piece, whereas I believe matyas has somewhere in the realm of 500?

Surely that must make it easy and hard at the same time, whatever pops first in your head, you can use, but with that many objects, there might be some overlap? i don't know..

when i memorize, i used to do this: look at the piece, determine its location, from the location determine the letter, from the letter determine the image associated with it, and then repeat 3 times. then visualize the scene.

now, with a tiny bit of practice (like i said, i only solve maybe 3-4 BLD per week), i can look at a piece, and instantly tell its image, then repeat x3, and visualize

i guess the next step would be, looking at a piece and instantly visualizing it in the scene=/ if matyas still uses the image system, then i guess there is no reason for me to switch after seeing its potential

 

[pjk]

If you did 20 successful solves a day consistantly you would be sub-2 pretty quickly, of course you'd need to work on things daily like memo/recall, etc.

 

[AlexandertheGreat]

20 successful solves a day? wow that takes practice
I'm still a noob at BLD, hopefully I be able to do 5 or maybe 10 successful solves in a day soon

that video was insane....thnx for uploading

 

[AvGalen]

I can do 20 (unsuccesfull) solves within an hour

Seriously, I am not going to tell anyone to stop enjoying cubing, but there really ARE other things in live!

 

[gillesvdp]

I can do 20 (unsuccesfull) solves within an hour

Seriously, I am not going to tell anyone to stop enjoying cubing, but there really ARE other things in live!

I hope that was not meant for me.
(By the way, there is no way I am going to ractice 20 BLD solves a day )

 

[Stefan]

Not sure... but from what I understand, some people can visualize things very well with no practice at all. They can look at something and then recall it all very easily. Those are the people referred to with a "photographic memory".

- Name one.
- Explain why they never participate in memory competitions.
- People are sometimes amazed that I solve without looking. When I'm actually just scrambling or looking away during an algorithm execution. In other words, people often get things wrong. Often on purpose, in order to have something to say. Especially the media.
- Suggesting that someone has photographic memory is an insult. Because it suggests that the person got his/her skill for free instead of having earned it by working for it.

Matyas:
Do you use a mental route to store the data or do you just connect the data pieces as a story? I've always used routes, but at least for a single 3x3 I'm now thinking it's not necessary and slows me down. What's your opinion/experience?

 

[AvGalen]

Not sure... but from what I understand

That is the problem with "photograpic memory" everyone keeps telling that they heard of someone that has it, but nobody knows of someone that has it. Hearsay is not the same as prove, otherwise there would be definitive prove that god/heaven/hell exists just because a lot of people say so. (I am not saying it doesn't exist, I just don't know for sure. I guess that's why it is called believe/faith)

 

[Johannes91]

That is the problem with "photograpic memory" everyone keeps telling that they heard of someone that has it, but nobody knows of someone that has it.

That's quite a common problem in cubing community. One good example is that people keep saying that you should never lube any puzzles with oil, even though it's an excellent lubricant (I've been using it for 2 years). I don't remember anyone saying that it has done any actual damage to chinese DIY's or other new cubes. They just say that it will damage them.

 

[pjk]

- Name one.

I personally don't know anyone.

- Explain why they never participate in memory competitions.

That is easy... why would they want to?

- Suggesting that someone has photographic memory is an insult. Because it suggests that the person got his/her skill for free instead of having earned it by working for it.

How is that insulting? That would be a compliment in my mind. Look at people who are considered "genius". They don't have to try very hard to understand things that most people really do. Is calling them a genius insulting?

That is the problem with "photograpic memory" everyone keeps telling that they heard of someone that has it, but nobody knows of someone that has it.

Okay, well before I answer that, please define "photographic memory".

 

[Karthik]

I would call photographic memory as the ability to remember abstract(photograph like?) without actually connecting it to something you can easily remember.
In the case of cubing,"photographic memory" would be like having a look at each face and remembering the colours of the cubies as different positions in the same image(not like a story/numbers/etc)
I dont know how cycles can fit into photographic memory.(If at all they do)

PS:These are all my understandings of photographic memory.I am no expert
Interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_memory

 

[AvGalen]

Suggesting that someone has photographic memory is an insult. Because it suggests that the person got his/her skill for free instead of having earned it by working for it.

How is that insulting? That would be a compliment in my mind. Look at people who are considered "genius". They don't have to try very hard to understand things that most people really do. Is calling them a genius insulting?

Calling a genius a genius is not an insult, neither is it a compliment.
Saying that someone (Mátyás) that does not have a photographic memory is so fast because he has a photgraphic memory (and not because he practised a lot) is definately not a compliment.

By the way, a born genius without training (schooling) might be capable of a lot, but will probably not achieve a lot.

Thanks for the link, I heard about this experiment before:

Support for the belief that eidetic memory could be a myth was supplied by the psychologist Adriaan de Groot, who conducted an experiment into the ability of chess Grandmasters to memorize complex positions of chess pieces on a chess board. Initially it was found that these experts could recall surprising amounts of information, far more than non-experts, suggesting eidetic skills. However, when the experts were presented with arrangements of chess pieces that could never occur in a game, their recall was no better than the non-experts, implying that they had developed an ability to organise certain types of information, rather than possessing innate eidetic ability.

I would even go one step further to explain what I would call a photograpic memory: "A memory that works like a photo-camera. After a short amount of time (shuttertime) it would take a picture and capture the original in great detail. Recalling from that memory would be like looking at the picture as if looking at the original."

Memory can and should be trained and exercised. Nobody is born with the ability to memorize a cube in 12 seconds, a deck of cards in 30 seconds or 100.000 decimals of pi. Just like noone is born with the ability to run 100 meters in sub 10 seconds. Talent will only get you so far, training can get you much further!

 

[AlexandertheGreat]

Yeah, I agree. If you look at any successful person in the cubing commmunity, or in any field for that matter, they always got there with a lot of practice, even if they did have considerable talent. The amount of practice required to achieve a certain level, however is unique to each person.

 

[pjk]

Calling a genius a genius is not an insult, neither is it a compliment.

Well, depends on who it is, how it is expressed, etc. The person being called a genius could take it as a compliment and at the same time the person telling them they are a genius meant to have it as a compliment. Your statement was too broad to be considered correct.

Saying that someone (Mátyás) that does not have a photographic memory is so fast because he has a photgraphic memory (and not because he practised a lot) is definately not a compliment.

Hmmm.... where did this come from? Who are you directing it to? If it was to be, all I simply said was he didn't have a photographic memoy and it came from practice, which was info I got from Matyas himself. On a side note, if I tell him that he is a genius, I'd bet he would take it as a compliment.

By the way, a born genius without training (schooling) might be capable of a lot, but will probably not achieve a lot.

That is so broad. There is no way you can say that truthfully. There would have to be a fine line on who is really considered genius and what each of them accomplished, which is nearly impossible.

anyway, lets get a set definition of "photographic memory" down that we can all agree in, and then I will tell you why or why not I think it is exists. In the meantime, I do think it exists, based off my understanding.

 

[AvGalen]

Nobody in this thread has claimed that Mátyás has a photographic memory (someone asked him though, just to be sure). It is just something that I have heard to many times and it is not often meant in a positive way. It is said more like a jealous statement, implying that "if I would also have a photgraphic memory, I would also be really fast". Apparently some people some to think that if you are really good at something it is because of a natural ability (talent) and not because of all the work someone put in to it (training).

It also worked the other way around for me. In my childhood a lot of people called me a genius and because of that I got lazy and thought that I didn't have to study to get good results. That turned out to be semi-true. Without studying I still got sufficient results and I graduated in 10 courses instead of the required 7 at the highest level of schooling (VWO). But if I would have actually studied I might have graduated top of my class or 1 or 2 years earlier. And some other students got better marks than me because they actually studied hard, not because they had a "natural understanding" of the courses.

Looking back I respect them more than myself!

 

[pjk]

Ah, I see, and yes, I totally agree what you're saying. The general public (particuarly in America) does make many asumptions about things, like the cubing sport.

anyway, back on subject. Congrats Matyas!

 

[KJiptner]

That's quite a common problem in cubing community. One good example is that people keep saying that you should never lube any puzzles with oil, even though it's an excellent lubricant (I've been using it for 2 years). I don't remember anyone saying that it has done any actual damage to chinese DIY's or other new cubes. They just say that it will damage them.

You are right, I've used the evil, evil, evil WD-40 on the cube I've build this week. The puzzle did not melt away at all.

 

[gillesvdp]

I think oil works vero good.
But now I am used to a silicone spray.

Just a thought: when you use one type of lubricant in your cube, don't use another unless you have cleaned every piece of your cube. A chemical reaction is always dangerous (and even more dangerous, your mix of lubricant might make your cube a lot less smooth to turn).
I speak by experience .

 

[Stefan]

How is that insulting?

Same as suggesting someone had a lucky solve when it wasn't.

That is easy... why would they want to?

For all the reasons you and I go to competitions, and more. To meet and talk with similar people. To learn from others and share your knowledge. To get a measure for how good you are. To enjoy competition. To win prizes.

To get publicity to help sell their books and paintings (which they do!). Beating the world's best known memory athletes by far and collecting some world records would be good advertisement for that. Why don't they want that? First they write a book and sell it and then they don't want free great attention?

And the TV guys who make documentaries about them... why don't they ever make them participate in real competitions? You think the TV guys don't want serious attention? Right...

And look at this: http://youcantbeatme.com/gm/index-gm33.php
The guy sells a "How To Develop A Photographic Memory" course. Why doesn't he participate in the competitions? Why doesn't he want to be officially acknowledged? Why doesn't he want the free great advertisement?

I'll go with Occam and say the simple explanation is that it/they just don't exist.

You said you believe in it. My question: Why? Surely there's some reason why you believe in it. What is that reason?