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Spaced Repetition for Learning

Anki decks are clearly the best way to commit a new corpus of knowledge to memory.

I would certainly be using Anki more if I were in school and trying to stuff lots of facts into my head to pass tests. But I’m not looking to pass tests. So what are some bodies of knowledge so valuable that it’s worth having them actually in my head instead of just on my smartphone? Maybe a list of problem solving techniques for arguments? Or a lightweight rundown of human history? Anyone have other suggestions? What are the most valuable set of things that you know?

See on alexvermeer.com

Author Description

Louie Helm is a Machine Learning Engineer

18 Responses to “Spaced Repetition for Learning”

  1. December 26

    Scott Fowler

    There’s a rationality habits checklist as a shared anki deck that has served me well so far

  2. December 26

    James Cook

    Foreign language vocabulary is one of the most common uses, from what I understand. (This is what I’ve used it for.)

  3. December 26

    Taurus

    I’ve enjoyed excellent results with Mnemosyne after using it for over a year now…

    http://mnemosyne-proj.org/

    …although I can’t marshal any specific argument for its use over Anki (especially since both have LaTeX support).

    As far as recommendations: anyone who’s considering a career in biomedical engineering would do well to use spaced repetition software to get through (and ideally master) organic chemistry.

  4. December 26

    Maxim Khesin

    Some things that are either impossible or undesirable to carry in you cell phone:
    – decision making skills
    – data useful for interacting (IRL) with other humans. Knowing some history and science fits here.

  5. December 26

    Maxim Khesin

    BTW looking at the sample chapters Alex’s book seems way overpriced. it’s going to come out to something like $2 per page for information that’s available elsewhere without the nice packaging. I suspect this is a suboptimal pricing strategy.

  6. December 27

    Michael Vassar

    molecular pathways

  7. December 27

    Michael Keenan

    What to do in encounters with police. For example: are you required to tell your name if asked? If asked while detained? If asked when arrested? (The answer differs by state.) In what circumstances can you legally resist a false arrest? What arrests are false, and which subset of those can you successfully sue for afterward? What spurious offenses can police easily charge you with if they don’t like you? In what circumstances can you legally be searched without consent? Is it legal to record police without their consent?

  8. December 28

    Michael Curzi

    Michael Keenan do you have that deck?

  9. December 28

    Michael Keenan

    Not exactly – I have some notes on one that I’d was thinking of writing. I’ll email my notes to you.

  10. December 28

    Michael Keenan

    I haven’t checked though – maybe someone else has already created one.

  11. December 28

    Michael Curzi

    Thanks!

  12. December 29

    Ellis Reppo

    Divia Eden’s Anki Decks: http://becomingeden.com/updated-anki-decks/

    • December 29

      Louie Helm

      Wow! Thanks for finding me my own friend’s Anki decks. 🙂

      • December 29

        Ellis Reppo

        NP. Derek Sivers mentioned her site in a Mixergy interview.

  13. December 30

    Divia Caroline Eden

    I made one deck with stuff about talking to the police a while back…think it’s still online.

  14. December 30

    Divia Caroline Eden

    It didn’t answer every question Michael Keenan raised though, so someone could clearly make a better one.

  15. December 30

    Michael Curzi

    I’ve been using thoughtsaver.com which is great because I’m much better about processing email than I am about using Anki