Announcements: Live Q&A Today, $10,000 Memory Challenge, Etc.

Hi All,

This post is simply a few time-sensitive announcements. More juicy content (really fun stuff) coming in the next post.

LIVE AND FREE Q&A TODAY! – 2 HOURS LONG, ASK ME ANYTHING

I’m doing a live two-hour Q&A session today — please join me!

Just go to this Facebook page, click “Like”, and ask me whatever you like. Here are the details:

Date: Today, April 22, Monday

Time: 4:30-6:30 PM EST (1:30-3:30 PM PST)

Where: This Facebook page

$10,000 MEMORY CHALLENGE RESULTS

The biggest memory competition ever held now has a winner. Co-created by me and Grand Master of Memory Ed Cooke, then announced on this blog, it challenged “ordinary” people to learn to memorize a pack of cards in less than a minute.

Irina Zayats, a 24 year-old Ukrainian woman, showed just how quickly a brain can be trained. Miss Zayats had no previous experience using memory techniques, but she learned to perform the gold standard of memory skills (memorizing a shuffled deck of cards) in just five days. In doing so, she won $10,000 and, to her surprise, a job offer from Memrise, the learning platform that ran the competition.

How did she do it? Here’s the full blog post.

 

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.

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Yael Grauer
Yael Grauer
10 years ago

I’m excited that the winner is female. So many memory champions are men. When I interviewed Josh Foer, he told me it was because the women would go and do something sensible with their lives and the men would keep coming back year after year…

Raymond
Raymond
10 years ago
Reply to  Yael Grauer

Haha, that sounds about right

David Levit
David Levit
10 years ago

Very impressive.

JP
JP
10 years ago

Cool. Looking forward to Tim time tomorrow!

Hunter
Hunter
10 years ago

Hey Tim. I really hope my question gets picked tomorrow, but to increase my odds, I figured I would ask it here as well, since you seem to respond to comments a lot. I really hope you could take a few seconds and help me complete the challenge of asking you a question that I set after reading 4HWW. What do you think would be the best way to get a celebrity, especially you, to sit down with a beer and have a conversation with them?

Thank you so much for the 4HWW, it changed my life and I cant wait to read your other 2. Hope to hear from you! – Hunter

Brian
Brian
10 years ago

That’s a crazy case study right there. I can’t even remember what day it is.

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
10 years ago

I LOVE this kind of competition and how we can do so amazing things given the right training. Like Tim says, there’s a trick, shortcut for everything and a way to get there faster instead of the “known convention” of “working hard until you randomly make it, if you’re lucky”.

Tim, when do we start analyzing how Einstein was thinking so we can emulate his development? Apparently, he was a kind of synesthetic and he fully used his brain by using a lot of visual comparisons, visual references, colors, odors, shapes, etc. I’m absolutely sure that in a near future we’ll be able to teach people to think and solve problems the Einstein. All we need is Tim to start the ball rolling 😉

Irina Zayats
Irina Zayats
10 years ago

Tim, this has been an incredible competition, I was impressed at how well everything was handled, as well as how friendly everyone at Memrise is. Thanks so much for the awesome opportunity! Indeed the most unusual skill I have mastered in a long while.

Can’t wait for the Q&A tonight 🙂

Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss
10 years ago
Reply to  Irina Zayats

Huge congratulations to you! Well earned 🙂

Kris
Kris
10 years ago

Awesome!

Did she explain what technique she used?

Benny
Benny
10 years ago

I can’t wait for this! This will help me more with any exam I need to study for. You are amazing at Q&A’s. Full of information and it’s rarely anything cliche or repeated.

Thanks for doing this!

Q1: Do you still use that wooden toothbrush you got from CreativeLive?

Q2: What advice do you have for students in terms of setting objectives early so they don’t waste time when they get out of school? Is there a difference in characteristics/goals/etc. that you’ve seen of those that get a fulfilling career after graduation versus those that do not?

Robnonstop
Robnonstop
10 years ago

Hey Tim, I was wondering about you mentioning Daniel Tammet as inspiration to learn languages fast with special techniques. He claims he did it by having a special brain, not a technique anyone could use. Now it seems like he already knew the language from studying abroad. Did you read Joshua Foer’s report on meeting him in Moonwalking With Einstein?

Natalie
Natalie
10 years ago

Hey Tim,

I came here looking for a way to ask you a question and it seems like I picked the right day to do it!

I’m a professional pole dancer and aerialist and also teach these skills but, unusually in my profession, I’m about as bendy as a steel girder. I really need to find a way to get good results from stretching, specifically to get me into a flat split. Have you seen anything other than the standard PNF/PNR that gets results? Want a test subject with *really* high motivation, a strong scientific background and crazy-high pain threshold for this one (and lots of students to pass it on to if it works)?

Thank you!

Natalie

Brad
Brad
10 years ago

Counting cards… yeah… underwear from Kmart. Awesome job Irina!

A sneak peak for Tim on today’s Q&A: Would you still use Google AdWords and magazine ad rates / readership to create products, or are there more effective methods in 2013?

Thanks for all you do.

Dirk Haupt
Dirk Haupt
10 years ago
Reply to  Brad

Brad,

I am trying to find it but what was the answer to this question? “Would you still use Google AdWords and magazine ad rates / readership to create products, or are there more effective methods in 2013?” thanks

eric jones
eric jones
10 years ago

How can I get your books bulk whole sale so I can sell them? at flea markets?

Patrick Kelly
Patrick Kelly
10 years ago

I know this comment is not about the above post but, I had a question and thought this is the best place to pose it.

Hi Tim,

In reading your book 4HWW, Chapter 14 talks about how it can be illegal to take payment for a product that has not been manufactured. Is there an instance it is not illegal to charge a customer and use this money as financing to build the product??

If there is, how do I do this legally?

Thank you in advance for your time and feedback.

Ash Hoober
Ash Hoober
10 years ago

Amazing! Wow, I always thought the mind was powerful but that’s insane! I wonder what she does for a living.

Irina Zayats
Irina Zayats
10 years ago
Reply to  Ash Hoober

Thank you, Ash! I develop software for a living 🙂

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
10 years ago

I just noticed that the website background is now dark gray instead of green. Was the green background lowering your customers interest? Although I rarely see green background website, I thought it was interesting and made you stand out.

Stefano
Stefano
10 years ago

Wow, that was cool! Hey Tim, are you coming to Europe to promote your book? Uk and Italy (my country)?? If you do, you have a bottle of very fine red wine waiting for you as a present! hehe

Sam Davies
Sam Davies
10 years ago

Damn, I missed the Q&A. Where can I find it?

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
10 years ago
Reply to  Sam Davies
Shelly Miller
Shelly Miller
10 years ago
Reply to  Joel Alain

I missed the Q & A also. Thanks for sharing the link Joel!

Joel Alain
Joel Alain
10 years ago
Reply to  Sam Davies

…but don’t forget to “LIKE” the Merrel facebook page 😉 the more likes, the more likely such events will take place and I thought it was a fantastic idea, too bad I missed the chance to ask questions…

Like this page: https://www.facebook.com/merrell/app_114763992053874

…then go to the link above or click the “Thanks for watching” image

Raymond
Raymond
10 years ago

Having just listened to the chat, I’m now hearing all of my thoughts in Tim’s voice. Which is unnerving

Aaron Bell
Aaron Bell
10 years ago

Memrise is amazing! Thanks for sharing this!

Joseph
Joseph
10 years ago

Amazing

Miroslav Ölvecký
Miroslav Ölvecký
9 years ago

In books of Tony Buzan are a lot of tips for memory-training.

bushcraftmesser
bushcraftmesser
8 years ago

Memory tricks always amaze me to the fullest. Very impressive, indee. Would like to know how she did it.