Memory, maps and humour
202-04-14 10:39:00 +01:00 by Mark Smith
Memory is such a strange thing. It's very bizare being back in a place where the last time I was here there were no digital maps in these magic rectangular computers we all carry around in our pockets. I guess back in those days we used to construct our mental models of the space around us in a relative way. Each location was relative to all other locations and you learnt over time how to get between those places.
The very weird thing that I am finding is that now that I have a basically live map in my pocket, that my mental models often were incorrect from a north-south-east-west perspective, but ultimately thaat didn't really matter, because you still knew how to get between places.
Also it's really quite difficult to re-learn over the top of some of these reflex memories. I'm finding all the time that the map is completley upside down compared to my mental model. It's so disorientating sometimes that I just end up closing the map, and figuring out where I'm going the old school way. Trial and error basically. It's often quicker than trying to integrate the maps back together.
Anyhow, maybe memory manifests in layers or something. When you monkey around with the base layer, obviously things will temporarily get bizare. Funny old world isn't it? You need a bit of humour to get through some of this stuff, which is a lot easier said than done. #