SuperMemo

Gary Wolf has written a fascinating article in Wired about a software application called SuperMemo that uses algorithms to plan ideal times to learn and retain material. The approach suggested in this piece may seem counterintuitive. And some of the implications of this piece, most notably that computers may end of programming us, are pretty wild. But it's thought-provoking stuff nonetheless. Here are a couple of snips:

SuperMemo is based on the insight that there is an ideal moment to practice what you've learned. Practice too soon and you waste your time. Practice too late and you've forgotten the material and have to relearn it. The right time to practice is just at the moment you're about to forget.

SuperMemo . . . predicts the future state of a person's memory and schedules information reviews at the optimal time.

Read the entire piece: Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm