Spaced repetition can allow for infinite recall
I was anti-memorization until I went back to graduate school for mathematics. I had forgotten (or never learned) a lot of things needed to pass qualifying exams. At some point I ran across the spaced repetition idea (maybe from the Wired SuperMemo article [0]) and I gave it a try. I ended up using it to memorize large portions of baby Rudin and Munkres' Topology, as well as some algebra and a bunch of qualifying exam questions.<p>The qualifying exams were difficult until I reached some "critical mass" of knowledge. Then I could regurgitate proofs and even attack novel problems easily.<p>There's an analogy here somewhere to the "leetcode" style of software engineer interview. On one hand qualifying exams and leetcode questions are a stupid gatekeeping mechanism, but on the other hand the best researchers/engineers I know have a huge number of facts and examples memorized and ready at their fingertips. I didn't think I needed to do so, but perhaps there is something to suffering through the rote memorization phase to make what comes next that much easier.<p>[0] <a href="https://www.wired.com/2008/04/ff-wozniak/" rel="nofollow">https://www.wired.com/2008/04/ff-wozniak/</a>