Memocamp: Binary Digits now available
Posted on 03. Jul, 2009 by Flauwy in Memory Techniques, News
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A couple of weeks ago I introduced the fascinating training website by Michael Gloschewski. He was talking with me about his vision to create the perfect environment for each mental athlete. Back then only Decimal Numbers have been available. Now the curtain falls for the second discipline available: Binary Digits.
Zeros and Ones
It is one of the most fascinating discipline in a memory championship. Although in the end is nothing else than just memorizing decimal numbers it feels like something more special. Maybe it is because that the binaries are translated into decimals first. Maybe it is because of the massive amount of numbers one is able to memorize in a small mental image. Or maybe it is just because of the strange nature of the binary system. Whatever it is – memorizing binary numbers feels great.
Replace your personal computer
Michael Gloschewski
Binary Digits on Memocamp
Memorizing
At first it looks just like the normal numbers: A table with grey rounded rows and a beige background. When hovering over a cell it colours blue. And on the right side you have the timer and – if selected – your journey points as a help. The first three digits are preselected with the blue hover effext. If you have put in your number system you will have six numbers selcted instead of three (or even 9 if you use a 3rd-level). That makes it very easy to translate the digit as quick as possible. Maybe even too quick. In a real competition you still have to mark the border between the right columns or just use your fingers. But for training the pure speed of memorizing it is fabulous.
Recall
After your five (or even 30) minutes of memorizing you have a ten seconds break. Then the recall starts. The typing is much better now: You can easily jump between the cells by using the “left” and “right” keys even if you aren’t finished with the actual cell. If you recognize a mistake you can jump back to that specific cell. The whole content is selected automatically. Now you can reenter the digits and overwrite the previous ones. That feels very intuite and is pretty quick.
Analysis
This is the actual candy of Memocamp. Since the interview with Michael much has changed in that area. Your mistakes are marked with a nice “handdrawn” strike and the correct number in red under the cell. You see your championship points for that attempt and the statistics for your system and your journey. They are now nicely tabbed and look gorgeos. When hovering over a cell in your statistics a popup gives you further informations and an option for a single reset of that cell. Friends, this is a great way to improve each of your systems. I am thrilled about it. That is the reason why I will stop for now and go back to training. The German championship is coming closer. 
A post by Florian "Flauwy" Dellé
Florian Dellé is the founder of Memory-Sports.com. He lives in Berlin, Germany and works as a Project Manager and Editor. Florian is a memory athlete since 2003 and participated in many different championships. He is currently ranked under the top 100 in the world.
17 Responses to “Memocamp: Binary Digits now available”
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Dai Griffiths
04. Jul, 2009
Would you describe the system that you use Flauwy ? How you translate each binary digit and how you then code them into groups ?
Flauwy
04. Jul, 2009
Sure thing. It might be a good subject for the next episode of “How to become a Memory Champion”. :wink:
Dai Griffiths
04. Jul, 2009
I use The System Dominic O’Brien described in his two-year course Super Memory Power. I haven’t used it in open competition as yet due to zero practise. I will use it at The UK Open Memory Championships this year though.
As the course is no longer available you can’t go and buy it so here’s how Dominic does it (or at least, used to do it if he hasn’t changed it) :
000 = 0
001 = 1
011 = 2
111 = 3
110 = 4
100 = 5
010 = 6
101 = 7
These need to be memorized. Use The Method of Loci so that you have a reference point until you get used to the translation. Some will be faster than others as you can probably see (0-3).
Now use The Dominic or Person/Action System.
Using the easy numbers you will see that once you can translate them into the system (albeit by reference to this memorized list at first) it becomes a simple process.
Example:
1232 Would be the Person you use as number twelve with the action of person number thirty two. This is just one image but gives us twelve Binary Digits.
1 = 001
2 = 011
3 = 111
2 = 011
1232 = 001011 111011
Therefore if you make just ten images using ten locations you will have memorized 120 Binary Digits. It follows that memorizing 1,200 would pose no problem as all mnemonists have more than 100 Locations.
Of course, if you make a mistake then you will lose the entire line in an actual competition unless, by luck you write in the correct digit even though you made a mistake.
I make a lot of mistakes during practise and I am often shocked to see that I have made a mistake thinking it was a perfect recall. This is due to lack of persistence of practise. A lot of practise is not needed but, it does need to be regular as, it is very simple to lose your place among all those zero’s and one’s.
There are ways around this. It is common for competitors to take a ruler or straight edge and draw a line down the page so that all numbers are grouped in perhaps three groups of ten. In the case of twelve you could do 12 digits then draw a line. Then another twelve and then six.
Having tried this without drawing lines I found it confusing because I was in effect using two different systems at the same time, which causes some confusion. I prefer to stick with twelve digits now. A pen can be used to mark the paper in any case and it doesn’t have to be neat and tidy.
I haven’t practised it for a month or two (except once) but find that the rate of increase, as you become used to the translations, results in a massive percentage increase in your memorization.
I only practise with one minute Binaries because I find it enables me to become aware of errors and make any needed changes.
Obviously I will need to practise for a longer time if I wish to perform at competitions but I expect reasonable results anyway (Unless I make one mistake on each line).
I think I have had a zero score for this before in competition but, if you score zero in any competition discipline it appears in the results as if you have not entered that discipline. This I feel is a bonus for newcomers to competition who, for some reason, feel they have to put in an astonishing performance of the kind generally expected by people like Ben and Boris, even though there is never pressure to do so (except from themselves).
It would be interesting to see how others do it especially with different number groupings. I suspect that groups of six are popular because it is a nice balanced number that fits into the 30 digits per line (5 images = 1 line or 30 digits). Five would be good and ten is obviously better.
Flauwy
04. Jul, 2009
Excellent description! That doesn’t leave much for me to talk about.
Dai Griffiths
04. Jul, 2009
Sorry Flauwy. Dominic’s description is easier to understand but I have assumed that people know the basic priniples of The Memory Systems. Notice that 1, 2 and 3 in Dominics Binary description seems to match well with the downstrokes fo the letters t, n and m in The Major System which also correspond to 1, 2 and 3.
You could write your system and copy and pste it if you wanted anyway. I’m dying to see a german system. I’ve been meaning to buy a German memory book for years (translated :blink: ).
Flauwy
04. Jul, 2009
Now that you mention it I recognize that the Dominic System has a different style to translate the binaries.
I know the math-system (which seems to make more sense for me):
0 = 000
1 = 001
2 = 010
3 = 011
4 = 100
5 = 101
6 = 110
7 = 111
That correlates with the actual worth of each binary number. Since I learned that system in school I can identify much more with it.
Also it is easier to translate because you can use math:
The first digit is worth 4
The second digit is worth 2
The third digit is worth 1
Each time there is a one the actual worth applies. If there is a zero the worth is zero.
Examples:
100 is worth 4 because 4+0+0
010 is worth 2 because 0+2+0
It takes about 10 minutes to teach that system to children so it should be pretty intuitive.
Dai Griffiths
04. Jul, 2009
He he. I was witing for someone to spot it. I can’t even remember how to do binary from school but, I had also noticed it was not the same pattern. :dizzy:
Simon Reinhard
04. Jul, 2009
Do you really first see the decimal number and then the letter?
This seems svery inefficient to me since it takes longer.
For me the decimal translation was just an initial way to get the letter conversion.
Now I only see the letters, so:
000 = h
001 = t
010 = n
100 = m
011 = r
101 = s
110 = b
111 = l
Simon Reinhard
Dai Griffiths
04. Jul, 2009
Of course. You must see this in the beginning. It can only become automatic with practise Simon. You have obviously practised a lot. I can’t see how you say this is inefficient as, if it wasn’t this way you too would have an average memory.
Flauwy
04. Jul, 2009
Yes Simon I only see the numbers. But I don’t translate the numbers into letters. I never do that because the numbers and their related pegs are one. There is no further translation necessary after I know the decimals.
Actually I find it rather disturbing to translate it into letters. Since my Major System is not valid anymore because I changed so much randomly it wouldn’t make any sense at all.
Simon Reinhard
05. Jul, 2009
Hello Dai and Florian.
Dai:
I can’t seem to quite get your comment. It certainly is inefficient because you have a longer way: 001 – 1 – t instead of 001 – t.. It might be more precise to say “less efficient”.
In hindsight I think it generally is a mistake to teach the binary letters in relation to the numbers. People simply should learn a direct connection between binary and letter. After all, it are only 8 connections. This should not be too much to learn and, to a certain degree, to automatize, in one or two days.
Florian:
Seen from a different angle, you would have to make a direct translation between binary and letter if there was no number code. I think nobody would invent a number code only for getting a connection between binary and letter. People would simply memorize it.
Bye,
Simon Reinhard
Phexx
06. Jul, 2009
Dai:
2^0 0/1
2^1 0/2
2^2 0/4
2^3 0/8
thus:
101 => 1×2^2 + 0*2^1 + 1*2^0 = 4 + 0 + 1 = 5
there are some other interesting systems around though, that try to convert a whole tournament line of digits into a combined picture.
Dai Griffiths
06. Jul, 2009
You have a code though Simon. You must translate it as well. It just happens that you already know the code. The same is true of the system that all have us have put on here.
Dai Griffiths
06. Jul, 2009
001 = t to you because you use the Major System.
001 = A to me because I use the Dominic System.
It is the same level of efficiency.
Simon Reinhard
06. Jul, 2009
I use a modified letter-number-system, yes.
We both have a code, this is true. But why don’t we teach the newcomers to read the letters right away? It is not necessary to go to the number first.
As is the case so often: We probably mean exactly the same using different expressions.
Nice evening you two,
Simon
Dai Griffiths
06. Jul, 2009
It does makes more sense for newcomers to use the Mathematical System that you and Florian use.
That is why I asked Florian what his system was. If someone has no knowlegde of binary though it will be of little difference because they will still have to learn it. It would still make more sense for them to use the correct way though.
Good luck in German Memo 2009 Simon.
ps. After our conversation I sat down to try a one minute binary sprint on The Memoriad website and expected to get 40-60 digits correct. I failed miserably by putting some of the correct math answers. This is because it has been such a long time since I have done binary and you have both triggered an old memory.
The problem is likely to continue I think so, I sat down with a pen and changed my system. This time I will use the correct maths from the outset as I cannot do it another way without making it more difficult.
Dai Griffiths
07. Jul, 2009
Yes. I am familiar with those systems Phexx. As it happens I have just finished creating such a system with one image for thirty digits.
Thanks anyway though
Strangely I only just got the notification of your message but, it appears that it was already there ?
Who are you incidentally ?