Beaten by the chimps

[beagle]

http://tinyurl.com/24687h

[Aggie]

Not only are we behind in evolution, we've also got short-term memories at the same level as rhesus monkeys...

http://tinyurl.com/2vw6f

hmph...  so here's the longhand:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/04/13/monkeymemory_ani.html?category=human&guid=20070413111500

[beagle]

That link seems to have an even shorter memory...

[Griffin NoName]

Am I a freak? Re. the "four" short term memory limit. I was tested by a psychiatrist on remembering five random items at the end of a 45 minute interview having been told them once at the start. I remembered all five correctly and was told no one else had ever done that before which did slightly alarm me at the time but I assumed the psychiatrist's own memory was faulty! (he diagnosed me as mentally ill so I suppose that I wasn't supposed to be able to remember them all if I was a healthy individual). (Nowadays, I can't remember my own name for more than half a second. I assume that means I am mentally well.)

[beagle]

Clearly you were clinging on to the past and refusing to let go.

When I was young there was a kids' party game called Kim's game based on memorising stuff (this was before Nintendo or crack cocaine had been invented).

Modesty won't prevent me from saying I was rather good at it.

[Griffin NoName]

Ah memories of Kim's Game. I can remember the items even now - a piece of string, a pair of scissors, a rubber band, an egg cup, a paper clip, an eye-spy book, a jelly mould, three clothes pegs.

Nothing wrong with my long term memory

[beagle]

You forgot the severed head and Bolivian unicyclist's jockstrap.

All this memory training for the defunct (or at least different players) Great Game has turned out useful for PIN numbers and computer passwords. Good old Rudyard.

[Griffin NoName]

I didn't forget them. I didn't know what they were so I never remembered them. (you have to remember first in order to be able to forget).

Is the Great Game defunct? We seem to be back in Afghanistan again. But maybe they don't have PINs and passwords there.

[beagle]

The Russians are our friends these days. Though best to avoid the sushi at lunch.