Brain Training

[ShotokanKid]

Okay, here's an odd question.

from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/sniper10.htm, an article about snipers and sniper school:

"The KIMS game that Army Ranger Sniper describes is played repeatedly throughout the two-month course. As time goes by, students are given more objects to look at and less time to look at them. To add to the challenge, the time between seeing the objects and reporting what they saw gets longer as the course goes on. By the end, they may see 25 objects in the morning, train all day, and then at night be asked to write down descriptions of all the things they saw."

If you've seen The Bourne Identity, you will remember how Bourne says he can tell Marie "the license plate numbers of all six cars outside."

So today, in one of my classes, the teacher (a former pilot... not sure if that has anything to do with his observations) had a student who sat in the back turn around and face the wall, then asked him what color shirt a few people were wearing. As he tried to answer, I realized that I would have failed as well. My question is how would one learn and get good at these types of observation and memory skills? I've tried to memorize license plate numbers, but it's kind of awkward to be pausing in front of every car for 5-10 seconds. How can someone become good at quickly seeing and memorizing information?

Thanks in advance.

[bushido_man96]

This is a drill to improve observation and memory recall skills. Just try to do it when out in public. Glance at someone, and then try to recall something about them afterward. Which hand did they hold their cell phone with? What color was their hair? Things like this. It will help to improve your awareness.

[lordtariel]

To an extent, I'd consider this more an awareness test than a memory test.

If you had told that student he had 30 seconds to memorize what color shirts people are wearing, that would be testing his memory. His mind is focused on the task at hand and it's a matter of recalling what he saw.

Awareness is more of a peripheral thing. You're focused on something but need to be aware of what else is going on around you. Someone confronts you, but are you aware of your surroundings and his friend sneaking up behind you or completely focused on the person in front of you.

[DWx]

I used to do something like this when walking home after school (it was a long walk and I used to get bored). Just walking along trying to remember license plates and stuff. Got pretty good.

Another thing I used to do was try and work out how far behind someone was from my by their footsteps. Just general environmental awareness

[ShotokanKid]

Those are some good ideas I have to try out... any other ideas?

[Rateh]

Apparently theres a new game on nentendo (ds?) that is called "brain training". It might be what you are looking for.