summary, 46–47
talking with others for help, 40, 92, 260
toggling between thinking modes, 29–32, 31, 33–35, 36–39, 38, 46, 48
See also diffuse mode of thinking; math and science, learning; memory
Crick, Francis, xv–xvi
criticism, 50, 232
Crotchety, Mr., 3, 70
cue (trigger) part of zombies (habits), 88, 94, 95, 96, 107, 109, 129, 153
Dalí, Salvador, 31, 31, 32
Daniel, David B., 261–63
Darwin, Charles, 66, 208, 213
Day, Thomas, 63
day before a test, 246–47
daydreaming, 101, 187, 190
Dechant, Jason, 73, 177, 210–11
decimal system mnemonic, 176
deep-breathing and test taking, 245, 248, 249
deep chunking, 196–99, 198
default settings of brain, 256
Defense Language Institute, 53
“deliberate practice,” chunking, 114, 188
Dell, Michael, 216
density example, 173
depression, 45
Derman, Emanual, 199
developing the mind’s eye through equation poems. See mind’s eye, developing through equation poems
“Devil’s Advocate,” 228
See also right hemisphere of brain
Dickens, Charles, 30
different location and recall, 90, 182
different problems and techniques, interleaving, 75
diffuse mode of thinking, 11, 12
activators for, 35
“aha!” insights, 30, 227
background, working on a problem, 44
big-picture perspective, 12, 18, 19, 20, 30, 226, 227, 228, 247, 248
brick wall metaphor, 38, 38, 39, 43, 85, 254
chunk library and, 117
coins and triangle exercise, 23, 23
creativity and, 32–33, 40
flashlight metaphor, 18–19, 26
frustration signal, 39
hard-start–jump-to-easy technique, 241–44, 245–46, 248, 249
intuition problem solving, 67, 67, 236–37, 247
magical math marination, 142–43
pinball metaphor, 13, 13, 14, 15, 15
resting state network, 11
right hemisphere of brain, 20, 225–27, 227, 228
sentence errors exercise, 33
spirituality and, 189
triangles and squares exercise, 21, 21
See also creativity and learning; focused mode of thinking; toggling between thinking modes
disadvantages, turning into advantages, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 200
“disagreeableness” and creativity, 50
discomfort and procrastination, 85–86, 90, 101, 102, 107
distractions
memory and, 156, 260
procrastination and, 84, 105, 107, 150–51, 151, 154
double-checking your work, 228, 233, 236, 247, 248, 249
Dragone, Debra Gassner, 60
Drozd, Trevor, 38
Duhigg, Charles, 93
Earl (lamb), 3
easy does it, 9–28, 253
See also diffuse mode of thinking; focused mode of thinking
eBay, 124
Edison, Thomas, 29, 30–31, 31, 32, 33, 111
Einstein, Albert, 189, 206, 206, 230, 230
Einstellung effect (getting stuck), 17, 25, 26, 27–28, 36–39, 38, 52, 146, 170, 186, 243
electricity, 168
electromagnetic waves, 202
Ellison, Larry, 216
Emmett, Rita, 85
emotional tone-deafness, 226
empathy, 220
encryptedness and complexity, 16–17
energy savings from habits, 93–94
engines, invention, 112
enhancing your memory. See memory
epidermis layers, 162
equation poems, 201–5
See also mind’s eye, developing through equation poems
“equation sheet bingo,” 229
“Equation Whisperer.” See chunking
Evernote, 138
evolution, 213
exercise and memory, 108, 178–79, 182
experimental notebook, 107
expertise from memory tricks, 179–81
expertise (increasing your) and reducing anxiety. See chunking
explanatory questioning (simplifying study material), 79, 207–8, 255, 258
failure and learning, 33, 41, 110–11, 219
FAQs, procrastination, 148–52
fear and creativity, 49–50
fears, facing your, 244–46, 248, 250–51
Felder, Richard, 239, 239–41
Feynman, Richard, 202, 207, 229–30, 232, 252–53, 255, 256
Fields Medal, 70
Fiore, Neil, 129
fishing techniques, 211
flash cards, 64, 138, 174, 257
flashlight metaphor, 18–19, 26
focused attention, 52–54, 53, 54, 57, 78, 254, 255
focused mode of thinking, 11–12, 12
attentional octopus, 14–15, 16, 52, 53, 53, 57
brick wall metaphor, 38, 38, 39, 43, 85, 254
chunk library and, 117
coins and triangle exercise, 23, 23
flashlight metaphor, 18–19, 26
highly attentive state network, 11
left hemisphere of brain and, 20, 226, 228, 233
overconfidence and, 20, 226, 228, 233
pinball metaphor, 13, 13–14, 15, 15
prefrontal cortex, 12, 12, 14–15, 187
procrastination and, 24
sentence errors exercise, 33
sequential problem solving, 67, 67
triangles and squares exercise, 21, 21
willpower and, 34
See also diffuse mode of thinking; toggling between thinking modes
Foer, Joshua, 155–57, 156, 163
fooling yourself, ease of, 148, 229, 234
Fortenberry, Norman, 92, 92
43 Things, 139
Freedom, 138
“frogs,” eating first, 131, 140, 153, 258
frustration, diffuse mode of thinking, 39
furosemide memory trick, 181
Gabora, Liane, 32
Galois, Évariste, 224
Gamache, Robert R., 72
Gashaj, Michael, 137
Gates, Bill, 66, 216
Gazzaniga, Michael, 228
generation (recalling) effect, chunking, 115
genetic transposition (“jumping genes”), 206
genius envy, 185–89, 190
GI Bill, 5
goals, setting, 136, 137, 141, 152
Golden Apple Award, 208
Goldman Sachs, 199
Google, 27, 127, 138
Gordon, Cassandra, 41
Granovetter, Mark, 231
Gray-Grant, Daphne, 131
group work, 120, 130, 231–33, 234, 235, 239, 240, 241, 255, 259
Gruber, Howard, 30
habits. See zombies
hand bones mnemonic, 176
hand writing. See writing by hand
hard-start–jump-to-easy technique, 241–44, 245–46, 248, 249
hard tasks, 114, 116, 122, 148–49
Hardy, G. H., 223
harnessing, extending abilities, 32–33
harnessing your zombies (habits), 84, 95–101, 97
Hasan, Yusra, 96
Hebert, Susan Sajna, 246
hidden meanings in equations, 203–5, 211, 212
highli
ghting text, 62, 125, 178, 259
highly attentive state network, 11
hitting the wall (knowledge collapse), chunking, 118, 123
homework and test preparation, 240
hostage negotiation, 147
illusions of competence, 61–68, 64, 67, 77, 79, 117, 125
“impostor phenomenon,” 188
index cards example, 75–76
Inspire! program, 124
intellectual snipers caution, 219–21, 222
intention to learn and learning, 62
interleaving vs. overlearning, 74, 74–78, 113, 173
Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology (Roth), 236
internalizing concepts and solutions, 6, 73
introverts and teamwork, 233
intuition problem solving, 67, 67, 236–37, 247
intuitive understanding, 183–85, 185, 190
inventions, enhancing, 112, 113
Iraq, 80
isolation, 126, 130, 139, 153
James, William, 119
Jeshurun, Weston, 150
jingles, 163
Jobs, Steve, 216
Johansson, Frans, 144–45
Johnson, Steven, 66
Jordan, 168
“jumping genes” (genetic transposition), 206
“just this one time” phenomenon, 135–36
juvenile delinquents, 193–94, 199
Kamkwamba, William, 215
Kanigel, Robert, 223
Karpicke, Jeffrey, xvii–xviii, 61–62
Kasparov, Garry, 9–10, 10, 37
keeping up with the intellectual Joneses, 36
keys to becoming an “Equation Whisperer.” See chunking
“keystone” bad habit, procrastination, 86
knowledge collapse (hitting the wall), chunking, 118, 123
knowledge vs. memory trick, 176
Koehler, William, 180–81
Kruchko, Paul, 80, 80–82
labels and confidence, 192
language-learning skills, 1, 4, 5, 6, 14, 16, 53, 63, 70, 118, 145, 198, 209, 210
Law of Serendipity, ix, 66, 116, 122, 137, 256
learned industriousness, 99
learning more effectively, 6–7
See also math and science, learning
learning on your own, 213–16, 214, 218, 221, 222
learning to appreciate your talent. See appreciating your talent
LeechBlock, 139
left hemisphere of brain, 20, 226, 228, 233
Leopold, Kenneth R., 22
library of chunks, 66–68, 67, 113, 115, 117, 120, 121, 122, 147, 186
Limited Time Study, 81–82
limiting cases and understanding an equation, 237
Lisa, Allen, 93
Lisi, Garret, 104, 104
lists, enlisting, 130–31, 131, 132, 133, 134, 137, 140, 141, 149, 152
little goes a long way, 89
long-term memory, 41, 43, 47, 64, 65, 69, 74–75, 157, 179
magical math marination, 142–43
See also diffuse mode of thinking
“magic of creativity,” 32
Magrann, Tracey, 162, 164, 244
Mandelbrot, Benoit, 203
“Mandelbrot Set” (Coulton), 203
Manhattan Project, 229, 252
Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan (Kanigel), 223
Manzi, Mr., 201–2
marking the objective, 102
marking up text, 62, 125, 178, 259
Marx, Chico, 136
math and science, learning
appreciating your talent, 183–92, 221
challenges of math and science, 16–18
easy does it, 9–28, 253
mind’s eye, developing through equation poems, 201–12
overconfidence, avoiding, 20, 225–37, 247, 248, 254
paradoxes of learning, 41, 255
renaissance learning, 213–24
sculpting your brain, 193–200
test taking, 238–51
unlocking your potential, 252–60
See also chunking; creativity and learning; diffuse mode of thinking; focused mode of thinking; memory; procrastination
maturity of brain, 195, 199
McClintock, Barbara, 206–7, 207
McCormick, Jonathon, 136
meaningful groups, memory, 175–76, 181
meditation, 126–27
MeeTimer, 139
memory, 155–82
creativity and, 179–80
distractions, greatest enemy, 156, 260
exercise and, 108, 178–79, 182
expertise from memory tricks, 179–81
jingles, 163
long-term memory, 41, 43, 47, 64, 65, 69, 74–75, 157, 179
meaningful groups, 175–76, 181
memory palace technique, 160–63, 161, 164, 165
metaphors, 168–71, 171, 175, 181, 182, 255, 258
mnemonics, 160, 175–76
muscle memory, 173, 177, 178–79, 181, 182
names of people, 174
neural structures, building, 159, 161, 162, 170, 173, 179, 182
senses, invoking, 159, 163, 164
short-term memory, 43
songs, 162, 181, 257
spaced repetition, 43, 47, 69, 172, 172–74, 257
spatial memory, 157–58, 161, 166–67
stories and, 177, 181
summary, 164, 181
talking to yourself, 178, 181
visualization, 156, 171, 171
visual memory, 157–58, 158, 158–59, 159, 161, 164, 165
visual metaphors, 168–71, 171, 175, 181, 182, 255, 258
working memory, 15, 41, 42, 42–43, 47, 64, 64, 65, 119, 121, 122, 157, 179, 186, 187
writing by hand, 173, 177, 178, 181
See also chunking; creativity and learning; math and science, learning
memory palace technique, 160–63, 161, 164, 165
memory traces, 53–54, 54, 58, 68, 69, 79, 185
Men of Mathematics (Bell), 223–24
mental contrasting technique, 99–100, 108, 258
mentors, value of, 216–18, 221
“metabolic vampires,” 172, 172, 174
metaphors
memory, 168–71, 171, 175, 181, 182, 255, 258
sculpting your brain, 198–99, 258
See also specific metaphors
Microsoft, 144–45
microtasks, 148
mimicking solutions, avoiding, 77–78
mindfulness and test taking, 245
mind’s eye, developing through equation poems, 201–12
“Mind Well” initiative, UCLA, 49
mineral hardness scale, 160
mini-testing, chunking, 119–20
MIT, 134
Miyoshi, Dina, 178
mnemonics, 160, 175–76
“mobile” phone invention, 112
monkeys in a benzene ring, 171, 171
months (thirty-one days), 159, 159
mornings and recall, 165, 182
motivating technique (mental contrasting), 99–100, 108, 258
multiple-choice tests, 246
multitasking caution, 106, 108, 211, 212
muscle memory, 173, 177, 178–79, 181, 182
musicians, 116
myelin sheaths, 195
names of people, memory, 174
negative feelings, dealing with, 127, 139, 140
negative self-talk, 250
neural structures, building
chunking, 52–53, 53, 54, 54–55, 67, 67, 68, 69, 71, 78, 93, 113, 121
creativity and learning, 32, 38, 38, 45, 46
easy does it, 11, 14–15, 16, 18, 24
memory, 159, 161, 162, 170, 173, 179, 182
sculpting your brain, 195–96, 197, 198
See also brain
neurological cravings, 93, 98
New Habit, The (Fiore), 129
Newman, Forrest, 102, 157
Newport, Cal, 134
Newton’s second law, 158, 158, 159, 172, 204
New York Times, 223
nightly, creating to-do list, 130, 131, 152
Nobel Prize winners, 194, 202, 206, 207, 219, 252
Noble Savages (Chagnon), 223
Noesner, Gary, 147
Nolta, Kathleen, 208
“not my fault,” 151–52, 153, 154
Noui-Mehidi, Nadia, 27, 27–28
“Now You Try!” challenges, 11, 23, 23, 24–25, 33, 39, 41, 44, 65, 68, 101, 107, 121, 135, 141, 152, 162, 175, 181, 209, 221
numbers, associating with events, 175
Oakley, Barbara, xix–xx, 1–8, 3
See also math and science, learning
“obvious,” struggling with, 219–20, 221–22
occipital lobe, 52
“Oh, Them Golden Slippers,” 163
opiate receptors, 216
organization and chunking, 73, 118–19
Orrell, Mike, 100, 117
overconfidence, avoiding, 20, 225–37, 247, 248, 254
overlearning vs. interleaving, 74, 74–78, 113, 173
panic, 103–4, 244–46, 248, 250–51
paradoxes of learning, 41, 255
Pariseau, Michael, 130
passion, following your, 147–48, 154
passive repetition, 119
pause and recall, 26, 79, 90, 108, 122, 140, 153, 165, 182, 190, 199, 212, 222, 234, 249, 257, 260
pause and reflect (wise waiting), 146–48, 154
Pavri, Vera, 177
persistence vs. intelligence, 101, 213–14, 221, 255
personalizing study material, 205–7, 206, 207, 208, 211, 212, 214–15
Pert, Candace, 215–16
photon, 206, 206
“picture walking,” 11, 61, 61, 81, 113, 260
Pietro, William, 176
pinball metaphor, 13, 13–16, 15, 16–17, 18
planner-journal, 130–37, 131, 140, 149, 152
Plath, Sylvia, 201, 202
“playtime” planning, 132, 134, 140
Ploughman, Elizabeth, 128
poetry and mathematics, 202–5, 211
Pomodoro technique, 24–25, 97, 99, 103, 103–7, 104, 108, 132, 138, 149, 151, 151, 253, 258
Porter, Mark, 189
Power of Habit, The (Duhigg), 93
power of teamwork (avoiding overconfidence), 20, 225–37, 247, 248, 254
practice makes permanent, 68–72, 69, 74, 74, 78, 82, 120, 188, 257–58, 259
practice tests, 246, 250
prefrontal cortex, 12, 12, 14–15, 187
A Mind For Numbers Page 28
