# List memorization for the Complete Nerd
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [February 28, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513 "2006-02-28T20:33:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/1 "2006-02-28T20:33:40Z")
A while ago, I got insomnia and instead of counting sheep, I tried mentally listing the 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order. When I had the list down, I switched to the capital city. After that, I did the countries of Africa. By associating each with a state, the list was easier to learn. Next I did U.S. presidents.
I want to use what I have done so far to memorize more stuff. What does the SDMB think are cool lists?
I’m currently on the elements. I am considering these things next:
* * *
Top 50 Home Run hitters
Best picture Oscars
More Geography
Counties of England? Perhaps capitals of the African countries.
[bones](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bones_of_the_human_skeleton)
Largest Corporations
* * *
suggestions? (other than “get a life”. No, when I am falling asleep, I don’t have anything better to do! )
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/2 "2006-02-28T20:41:59Z")
Okay. I hope these give you some options:
The 88 constellations
Breeds of dogs
Super bowl teams (and winners)
NCAA teams by conference
Major battles of the Civil War
Major battles of WWII
Major battles of Viet Nam
British monarchs
Brands of toothpaste
These should give you a leg up in Trivial Pursuit. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/3 "2006-02-28T20:51:49Z")
[Mitch Hedberg]
If you can’t sleep, count sheep. Don’t count endangered animals. You’ll run out.
[/Mitch Hedberg]
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/4 "2006-02-28T20:58:31Z")
How about the names of the presidents? You can sing them to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Yes, I know this from experience.
(My seventh grade history teacher made us do this. Fifteen years later, I still remember it. Good party trick at particularly nerdy parties.)
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### Author:  [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/5 "2006-02-28T21:00:23Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> How about the names of the presidents? You can sing them to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Yes, I know this from experience.
>
> (My seventh grade history teacher made us do this. Fifteen years later, I still remember it. Good party trick at particularly nerdy parties.)
Got those already. What I may do next is use that to learn the opponents in the elections (Who did FDR beat in '32, '36, '40, '44?) or the Vice-Presidents.
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### Author:  [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/6 "2006-02-28T21:26:52Z")
For those looking for help in the memory department, allow me to direct you to The Mentat Wiki: [http://www.ludism.org/mentat/](http://www.ludism.org/mentat/)
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### Author:  [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/7 "2006-02-28T22:20:51Z")
Counties by U.S. state. Start with [Delaware](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware#Politics) and work your way up to the 254 [Texas](http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/cntydis.htm) has to offer.
States/provinces/equivalent administrative divisions of other countries. Australia (six states and two territories) is easy, as is Canada (ten provinces, three territories). India, Mexico, Germany and Brazil (all of which have states) are tougher, as are Japan (prefectures), Spain (provinces), and Russia (a melange of [regions, administrative districts, republics, territories, and more](http://map.rin.ru/index_e.html)).
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/8 "2006-02-28T22:27:50Z")
Countries and capitals of the world! Big one.
Next up? Leaders of world nations.
Next? Currency of each nation.
If you can rattle off any quartet of country, capital, chief, and currency, you’ll woo the hotties like nobody’s business!
Daniel
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### Author:  [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/9 "2006-03-01T00:41:18Z")
There was a nerd at my high school who worked in the front office and memorized the birthdays of every student at the school, whether he knew them or not. It was pretty cool when you’d run into him randomly in a hallway and ask him your birthday and he’d tell you. Of course, nowadays they keep that kind of personal information out of the hands of students, I hope.
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### Author:  [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/10 "2006-03-01T17:40:36Z")
> [@ronincyberpunk](#):
>
> For those looking for help in the memory department, allow me to direct you to The Mentat Wiki: [http://www.ludism.org/mentat/](http://www.ludism.org/mentat/)
**ronincyberpunk** , I just bought [Mind Performance Hacks](http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mindperfhks/) on Amazon. I found it at this site you provided, read a couple of the linked PDF “Hacks” and was intrigued/hooked. Thank you.
~Winston
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### Author:  [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/11 "2006-03-01T18:46:08Z")
> [@bluethree](#):
>
> There was a nerd at my high school who worked in the front office and memorized the birthdays of every student at the school,
I knew a guy in high school who had memorized the numper pi out to 300 decimal places 3.1415…etc,etc… He could write it down for you, and then repeat it all from memory.
Weird…
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### Author:  [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/12 "2006-03-01T18:51:07Z")
Try some of these:
[ul]
[li]66 books of the Holy Bible[/li][li]Periodic table of elements, including abbreviations.[/li][li]Discographies of various rock bands. Bonus points if you know the track names in order on each one.[/li][li]Area codes[/li][li]Zip codes of major cities for your home state[/li][li]County names for your home state (easy if you’re in Delaware, difficult if you’re in Texas).[/li][/ul]
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/13 "2006-03-01T19:50:41Z")
Some already mentioned
Vice Presidents
The states of Mexico
Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees for the two big parties
The big six Oscars (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress)
The Roman Emperors
Disney animated feature films in order of release
The Popes (bonus points for memorizing their real names)
NFL number one draft picks
British monarchs
All 100 serving Senators
All 435 serving Representatives
Playboy playmates of the year
Bonus nerd points
All members of the Avengers/Justice League of America/X-Men
Hugo and Nebula Award winners
D&D character classes
Monty Python/Star Trek/X-Files episodes
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### Author:  [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2006, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/14 "2006-03-02T06:53:01Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> How about the names of the presidents? You can sing them to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Yes, I know this from experience.
>
> (My seventh grade history teacher made us do this. Fifteen years later, I still remember it. Good party trick at particularly nerdy parties.)
Ooh, ooh! Teach me!
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### Author:  [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2006, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/15 "2006-03-02T08:12:15Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> How about the names of the presidents? You can sing them to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Yes, I know this from experience.
>
> (My seventh grade history teacher made us do this. Fifteen years later, I still remember it. Good party trick at particularly nerdy parties.)
There’s also the elements song (though there are some missing, and they’re not in periodic-table order) and I believe the Animaniacs have some songs of countries and capitals.
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### Author:  [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2006, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/16 "2006-03-02T08:45:05Z")
I would tend to avoid lists that change easily, like political leaders. Stick to the immutable. 🆒
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### Author:  [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/17 "2006-03-02T13:00:30Z")
I like really, really long poems. They’re much more interesting than lists of random stuff and they sound good muttered under your breath.
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/18 "2006-03-02T13:43:15Z")
Me too.
'In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a Stately Pleasure Dome Decree …"
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### Author:  [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/19 "2006-03-03T02:36:53Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> How about the names of the presidents? You can sing them to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Not… really. Except in the sense that you can sing _anything_ to that tune if you really want to force it. The meter doesn’t work at all.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-memorization-for-the-complete-nerd/346513/20 "2006-03-03T03:04:42Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#):
>
> Disney animated feature films in order of release
Or, along these lines, any sort of series of books, movies, etc., such as
All the James Bond movies, with the year of release & who played Bond
All the plays/novels of Shakespeare, or Dickens, or Stephen King, or any other particular writer
All the albums released by the Beatles (or any other artist), with complete track listings if you want a real challenge.
> [@Paul in Saudi](#):
>
> 'In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a Stately Pleasure Dome Decree …"
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
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