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What useless information is taking up space in your brain?

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Wouldn't call it useless although I can't use it for anything, but I also remember my maternal grandfather. He passed on when I was 4 and I couldn't for the life of me tell you what his voice sounded like, but I do have bits and pieces if time with him as a little kid stuck in there. Told my mom once that in my memory he was this really big guy, and she noted he had been somewhat overweight. I said no, I meant big and tall because my memory was from someone only about 3ft tall so his 5'9' or so was huge to me at the time. I'm always grateful that those childhood memories haven't completely faded away.
 
I've a few of those vestigial memory remnants, too. Mostly when something 'out of the ordinary' happened for the first time.
 
Super quick story. when I was in my early teens I have a very distinct memory of my parents going out to play bridge - once.

Once I got married, I learned that people do not just go out to play bridge - either you play it or you don't. (MY inlaws were big bridge players, my parents not)

20 years later I asked my dad - did you go play bridge that night? Yes he says. But do you play bridge I asked?

Turns out he and three others were stuck in a cave in Spain for 6 months during the war (He was 16 in Holland in 1938 and had to flee Holland not because he was in the Resistance but because his brother was) So, stuck in the cave with nothing but a deck of cards they played bridge non stop. After 6 months they were good enough at it to win money but so sick of it they never wanted to play again. So, fascinating insight - from useless info in my brain (not useless at all)
 
I remember the names of kids I went to grade school with, not even close friends, haven't seen them since. People I talked to for 20 minutes yesterday, no clue what they said their name was. I can remember the prices of most everything I buy at the grocery store, can even on a big trip and can check against the scanner as I check out (note: there is a lot of stuff mismarked, but the local hardware store is much worse). I can't remember directions past about a couple turns and accompanying street or highway names, the mind works in funny ways.
 
Square roots
 
I can also remember names from junior high school . One night, I counted about 90, only a few of whom I knew. Today? I can't remember the 10-12 guys in my Florida poker game when I'm up here.
 
That's the bucket effect on memory. When you are young the bucket is empty, the information poured in stays there. When you get older the bucket is full, the hose of information is still dumping stuff in, the recent memories at the top just get washed out. The bucket is full.
 
I think Yoda is on to something! My theory as well though I'm sure it's not original.
 
I remember my first day of Kindergarten. They had tables to sit at with wooden jigsaw type puzzles...mine was the cow jumping over the moon, that was when we lived at 169-30 26th Ave., Bayside, NY. After we moved out to Long Island (3812 Windsor Dr.) in 1954, phone number was PErshing 5-0638.

From my fraternity days at Northeastern, I still can recite the Greek alphabet in about eight seconds. Of course, I still remember my Army service number.
 
Pi to six decimal places, the 'phone numbers of our house growing up and the one of my cousins' home. Lots more inconsequential stuff...

Rather than a bucket, heard it as a hard drive. Capacity limit reached, new data is only held in RAM. A night's sleep is akin to a reboot, volatile memory is lost. :smirk:
 
I've compared memory tocomputer RAM before, with some having more and other less. My favorite was a couple years ago poking fun at a celebrity photographed out running around with no undies on. I figured it meant a small memory where, paris Hilton new best friend comes in and put on underwear before going out swaps out. OOPs....
 
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