Paradise Recalled

Speaking as a guy who has trouble remembering the beginning of this sentence, which I only started typing a few seconds ago, I tremble in awe of Mr. John Basinger. When he was 58 years old he decided he wanted to test his memory, so he took a shot at memorizing the poem, "Paradise Lost," by John Milton. I'll tell you in case you've never bothered to count them: "Paradise Lost" is over 10,500 lines long.

He did it. And it only took him nine years.

Now he's 74 and he recites the poem from time to time for jollies. Reciting the whole thing takes three days.

Researchers at Wesleyan University did a study to try to determine how he did it. (They skipped right over the more thorny question of "why.") Turns out he did it by working at it pretty steadily for nine years. I guess there should be no surprise there. After all, a guy could probably eat a pick-up truck if he worked at it steadily for nine years.

The key phrase in the researchers' abstract, however, is this: "Our findings suggest that exceptional memorisers such as JB are made, not born, and that cognitive expertise can be demonstrated even in later adulthood." I like the sound of that. I had personally pretty much given up on any hope of cognitive competence, much less expertise. So I am going to launch my own project with full confidence, thanks to the shining example of Mr. Basinger. But I think I'll start out a little more conservatively.

"There once was a man from Nantucket..."