When I was in ninth grade, I spent some time in an activity where the teacher in charge briefly flashed long strings of numbers on a screen and our job was to write as many digits as we could recall in the moments after the screen went dark. To be honest, I have no idea what the objective was, or even why I was there. It wasn't connected to any academic class, and I don't remember getting any kind of feedback or results. Were they trying to improve our short-term memory? If so, why? The kids that were selected to participate were already pretty high-achieving, and in my experience as a teacher, weak working memory often negatively impacts academic success. Maybe we were there to show that link?
Speaking of memory, I don't really remember how often we went or how long it lasted, probably because it didn't count toward anything. I do remember sitting at tables with my friends, cutting up before and after the test sessions, or whatever they were, and I also recall being pretty good at the task. I think I could go up to 12 or 14 digits without any problem.
I haven't thought about that experience in over forty years, but the recent rise of two-part verification has brought it all back to me. As much of a pain as the extra step for security is, I get a tiny thrill every time I get that text with the six digit code. Just like I used to do when I was 13, I repeat the numbers to myself once, and then type them in before I forget. It's like a little push-up for my aging brain, and just like before? I'm not sure why I have to do it, but I like being good at it.
Speaking of memory, I don't really remember how often we went or how long it lasted, probably because it didn't count toward anything. I do remember sitting at tables with my friends, cutting up before and after the test sessions, or whatever they were, and I also recall being pretty good at the task. I think I could go up to 12 or 14 digits without any problem.
I haven't thought about that experience in over forty years, but the recent rise of two-part verification has brought it all back to me. As much of a pain as the extra step for security is, I get a tiny thrill every time I get that text with the six digit code. Just like I used to do when I was 13, I repeat the numbers to myself once, and then type them in before I forget. It's like a little push-up for my aging brain, and just like before? I'm not sure why I have to do it, but I like being good at it.
No comments:
Post a Comment