Thanks for the tips, Jordan *. I've tried this method, but it's always been
easier for me to remember Linnaean taxonomic ranks, the Mohs mineral
hardness scale, or whatever by themselves, rather than remember them AND a
mnemonic. But I've taught courses and it really does work for a lot of
people.

In the Renaissance, people were instructed how to construct a mental 'memory
house' in which you could place imaginary objects in various rooms. The
trick is to imagine the house the same way each time, and to have some kind
of 'hook' or connection between the objects in it and the things you want to
remember. For instance, a pun, abbreviation, or other association. You can
construct a 'memory house' for a particular purpose such as course notes, or
for general purposes like scheduling ahead. This strikes me as being similar
to the menus and icons used in today's computers. Neither of them work well
for me.

When using computers, I use only a few of the icons, preferring the words on
the menu or the codes that abbreviate them, like Control-S for 'Save file'.
My thought patterns are more verbal than visual, perhaps. If I write
something down, the process of writing often fixes it in my memory. Somehow
I manage to remember species names, authors, dates, etc., as long as I use
them occasionally, without using mnemonics and without trying very hard. I
think my trick is just to be interested and to spend time on the subject
matter.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama