# This guy could probably find "God's Algorithm"



## Raltenbach (Feb 29, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbASOcqc1Ss&eurl=http://oddee.com/item_91848.aspx

Reciting Pi to 22,500 places!
This guy could probably break the standard 5x5 record, but blindfolded!


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## Stefan (Feb 29, 2008)

Oh no please not *again*...


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## FU (Feb 29, 2008)

wtf does memorizing pi have to do with finding God's algorithm?


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## Johannes91 (Feb 29, 2008)

What does "God's Algorithm" mean in this context? Do people believe there's a simple trick (as in, a human could learn it) that lets you solve any position optimally, but nobody just knows what it is?


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## AvGalen (Feb 29, 2008)

No, I think that guy could really do it. I can recite pi up to 2 decimals and have actually found god's algorithm every week since we started doing FMC in the weekly competition (I always use http://kociemba.org/cube.htm just to check though)
So if someone could recite pi up to 10000 times more, he could probably find a 10000 times shorter solution.

And anyone that can recite a lot of Shakespeare can probably beat all grandmasters of chess, solve world hunger and leap over tall buildings.

Now can somebody hand me a towel so I can clean up all that sarcasm that dripped on the floor?


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## tim (Feb 29, 2008)

I think you need a photographic memory to be able to memorize so many digits of PI.


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## masterofthebass (Feb 29, 2008)

Hey, at least this guy could maybe use Richard Carr's memo method for a lot of cubes multi-bld


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## Lt-UnReaL (Feb 29, 2008)

Well he has an incredible memory due to his synethesia and savant syndrome, he would just use that for memo instead of Carr's method. :/


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## Mike Hughey (Feb 29, 2008)

Daniel Tammet is actually only 6th in the world at memorizing pi. Amateur! 
http://pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/memo/index.html

I was close to 1000 once; it really wasn't that hard. And I've beaten this guy's record (unofficially, at home) while juggling 5 balls, with 660 digits:
http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/details/lietzow.html
(The hard part here is the juggling; reciting digits of pi while juggling is actually quite easy. It's a stupid record. )


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## Lofty (Feb 29, 2008)

I only know 100 digits, I'll never be good at cubing... :-(


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## MiloD (Feb 29, 2008)

dude, they already found god's algorithm; it's a T-perm.


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## Dene (Feb 29, 2008)

I only know 3.14. Crap, I must REALLY suck at cubing  . But, you see, I have a trick, a sneaky, devious trick, that owns you all. I have a secret mechanism that can work out digits of Pi far beyond that of any human, it's called a COMPUTER. Who wins now!


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## alexc (Feb 29, 2008)

Let's see, I know: 3.141592654 (That's how many digits my calculator at school gives so that's how I know them.) Geez, who would memorize 67,000 digits, it's so pointless. At least memorizing cubing algs let you solve the cube, but just a streak of random numbers have no point at all!!!!


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## tim (Feb 29, 2008)

alexc said:


> Let's see, I know: 3.141592654 (That's how many digits my calculator at school gives so that's how I know them.) Geez, who would memorize 67,000 digits, it's so pointless. At least memorizing cubing algs let you solve the cube, but just a streak of random numbers have no point at all!!!!



Memorizing cubing algorithms have no point at all, too.


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## Rosetti (Mar 1, 2008)

tim said:


> alexc said:
> 
> 
> > Let's see, I know: 3.141592654 (That's how many digits my calculator at school gives so that's how I know them.) Geez, who would memorize 67,000 digits, it's so pointless. At least memorizing cubing algs let you solve the cube, but just a streak of random numbers have no point at all!!!!
> ...



Realistically speaking, solving the cube has no point at all.
It's all oppinion.

All I know is

3.1415926

Can I have a Small Container of Coffee
3 .1 4 1 5 9 2 6


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## Hadley4000 (Mar 1, 2008)

I used to know it to 50 places. Let's see what I can remember...

3.1415926535897932

Eh. Not that bad.

Is that guy autistic? Often time people with autism can be like that.


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## hait2 (Mar 1, 2008)

sine sine cosine sine
3.14159!

i actually know e to more (way more) decimal places than pi. memorizing pi decimals is too common, e's a much more natural number


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## badmephisto (Mar 1, 2008)

Hadley4000 said:


> I used to know it to 50 places. Let's see what I can remember...
> 
> 3.1415926535897932
> 
> ...



he is a savant. I'm not sure if he really is autistic, possibly slightly. Anyway that doesn't matter. What does matter is that he has a severe case of synesthesia. Human brain is very good at remembering some things, but terrible at remembering abstract entities such as numbers. In contrast for example we are very good at remembering melodies, tones, and generally anything with patterns. Anyway due to synesthesia he experiences numbers in a completely different way, one which he finds particularly easy to remember. He's not really a genius in a classical sense or anything, he just has a very good memory for numbers, just like you have a very good memory for that song you heard yesterday, and if you heard it again today you would recognize it immediately.
Anyway what does this have to do God's algorithm anyway?
And yes, he would probably be pretty good in BLD solves


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## Raltenbach (Mar 1, 2008)

Perhaps I mistyped. Wow the sarcasm and instant aggression from most of you is rather surprising. I just imagined he'd be able to solve a cube from any state with a great deal of efficiency, perhaps getting it down to the fewest possible moves. As he is a visual thinker, I figured he'd be able to see quickly what pieces would move from whichever turn you could make and have a very clear idea of which would be optimal. Again I probably used the term incorrectly, and I apologize. I'm still pretty new to this wide world of cubing, please show a little mercy on me, I'd hate to be ousted from a community that I respect so quickly. 
Still, this guy look-ahead would kick all kinds of bottom.
Sorry for misusing the term "God's Algorithm."

EDIT: the guy's ability is NOT merely memorization, it's pattern recognition and visual understanding of numeric patters. THAT combined with his ridiculous memory would give him a definite one up on me. So to respond to aVGalen, obviously memorizing Shakespear won't give you chess skill, but that is so far from what I am trying to say it's laughable. If it was just memory, you'd have a point, but as it stands, you kind of don't.


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## Derrick Eide17 (Mar 1, 2008)

i once memorized 350 just last year, but then i was like geez whats the point? and i stopped lmao. i can do like 160 now if i say them really fast, but typing them is harder, meh let's stil try and see anyway. 

3.1415926535897932384626... ugh crap thats all i remember, and i think the last part 626 is wrong haha. oh well


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## Swordsman Kirby (Mar 1, 2008)

Think of it as memorizing the SAME set of cubes over and over again.


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## Claesson (Mar 1, 2008)

Hm, even if you could find the "perfect" algorithm for solving the cube, (the scramble backwards is perhaps the fastest) you would still need to look at the hole cube to see what case you have. Looking for about 5 secs, and doing the alg in 5 secs is still > world record! But for blindfolded it would be great!


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## Swordsman Kirby (Mar 1, 2008)

Claesson said:


> (the scramble backwards is perhaps the fastest)


Wrong. Scrambles of 25 moves backwards I doubt are ever the fastest way.


> you would still need to look at the hole cube to see what case you have.


Wrong. You can ignore some pieces.


> Looking for about 5 secs, and doing the alg in 5 secs is still > world record!


Wrong. You get 15-sec preinspection.


> But for blindfolded it would be great!


Okay at least we could agree on something.


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## Lucas Garron (Mar 1, 2008)

How I love a great (selection / inventory / menagerie / collector) of Rubik's Cubes!

, or:

How I love a solve, restoring my Rubik's Cubes!

EDIT: ...and other puzzling... (the best word I've found for here is "notabilia")


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## Lt-UnReaL (Mar 1, 2008)

What "method" do people use to create cube solvers for programs? Can't they incorporate that into something useful for humans to do for solving?


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## badmephisto (Mar 2, 2008)

Lt-UnReaL said:


> What "method" do people use to create cube solvers for programs? Can't they incorporate that into something useful for humans to do for solving?



They use huge databases containing many many patterns. Humans cant use that.
Optimal solvers are (as far as i remember) implemented using Iterative deepening search because of it's incredible (linear) space complexity, meaning that it doesn't take up too much of RAM, and they use some advanced heuristics to guide the search in the right direction. 

Both are infeasible for humans. You have to remember that computers and humans are very good in very separate areas. Computer can multiply 1000 digit numbers in a few milliseconds but can't recognize a car in a picture, and humans are the exact reverse situation... so... don't go looking to computer algorithms for inspiration


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## KConny (Mar 2, 2008)

Lofty said:


> I only know 100 digits, I'll never be good at cubing... :-(



Seems about right. I knew 101 digits once, and I'm a bit faster than you 2H.


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## ThePizzaGuy92 (Mar 5, 2008)

realistcally, if he learned BLD, he could probably do several hundred cubes. 

That guy's amazing, he's been one of my heros since before this was posted. Same goes for Kim Peek and of couse Einstein [althought Einstein didn't have mental health issues]


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## Lucas Garron (Mar 5, 2008)

ThePizzaGuy92 said:


> realistcally, if he learned BLD, he could probably do several hundred cubes.


Hey, so could I! Or you!


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## Dene (Mar 5, 2008)

Actually, Einstein did. He had a speech impairment caused by smaller Wernicke's and Broca's areas. Because of his lack of verbal skills, you would think it would make many things in life difficult, but that's probably why he excelled at mathematics and theoretical physics.


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## Harris Chan (Mar 5, 2008)

Dene said:


> Actually, Einstein did. He had a speech impairment caused by smaller Wernicke's and Broca's areas. Because of his lack of verbal skills, you would think it would make many things in life difficult, but that's probably why he excelled at mathematics and theoretical physics.



Yah, seems like the other part of his brain is bigger than normal people to balance that. He thinks in pictures more than just talking to himself. And being able to see the big picture is really the key to discovery and complex thought (well the pictures that inspired his break through were simple, such as an elevator during free fall, etc, but the observation and thought that is derive from it is amazing).

In other words, pictures > words XD


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## Dene (Mar 5, 2008)

I would argue differently. Descartes (whom I consider far superior to Einstein) didn't seem to have any special ability.


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## Lt-UnReaL (Mar 6, 2008)

ZZLL would only take him like a month to memorize. o:


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## ooveehoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Memorizing oi isn't that difficult, atleast if you memorize less than 200 digits. Last year we had a bet with a friend of mine. He said he would give me an euro if I could memorize the 100 first digits in one day. I spent that whole day just memorizing it in groups of 3-6 digits. (3,141592)(6535)(8979)(3238)(46264)(3383)(27950)... Next day I could remember the first 103 digits. But learnig all the PLL took me around six weeks.


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## shelley (Apr 10, 2008)

AvGalen said:


> No, I think that guy could really do it. I can recite pi up to 2 decimals and have actually found god's algorithm every week since we started doing FMC in the weekly competition (I always use http://kociemba.org/cube.htm just to check though)
> So if someone could recite pi up to 10000 times more, he could probably find a 10000 times shorter solution.
> 
> And anyone that can recite a lot of Shakespeare can probably beat all grandmasters of chess, solve world hunger and leap over tall buildings.
> ...





Raltenbach said:


> [...] So to respond to aVGalen, obviously memorizing Shakespear won't give you chess skill, but that is so far from what I am trying to say it's laughable. If it was just memory, you'd have a point, but as it stands, you kind of don't.



Arnaud, I think you wiped up the sarcasm a bit too well. Some people appear to have missed it.


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## Johannes91 (Apr 10, 2008)

AvGalen said:


> I have actually found god's algorithm every week since we started doing FMC in the weekly competition


Everyone seems to have their own definition for "God's algorithm"...


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## shelley (Apr 10, 2008)

Just like every religion seems to have their own definition (or interpretation) of "God," right?


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## Johannes91 (Apr 10, 2008)

shelley said:


> Just like every religion seems to have their own definition (or interpretation) of "God," right?


I don't see the connection.


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## shelley (Apr 10, 2008)

Johannes91 said:


> I don't see the connection.



On reviewing my statement, I don't either. Forget I said anything. It was early in the morning and I had just woken up.


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## xXdaveXsuperstarXx (Jul 9, 2009)

This guy could learn ZB in a week.


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## Paul Wagner (Jul 9, 2009)

I wanna meet him.


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## fanwuq (Jul 9, 2009)

xXdaveXsuperstarXx said:


> This guy could learn ZB in a week.



Does memorizing numbers translate well to muscle memory?

Maybe he can recite the algorithms, but it's useless if he can't execute at over 5 tps and recognize the case in less than 1 second. I don't think he will be any faster at committing the algs to muscle memory than someone who likes cubing and has lots of experience learning algs.


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 9, 2009)

That's pro.

He's an autistic savant. There was a program about this on nat geo just this morning. A savant is a person whose brain is very limited, but very deep. In this case, it's math and language. But with many autistic savants, simple things like putting on a piece of clothing or riding a bike is impossible. Also, most (if not all) savants have damage to some section on the left side of the brain.

Very interesting... there was this other savant who was proclaimed mentally retarded, but as he grew older, he could actually remember every book he has read (and he reads A LOT) word for word 98%.

There was another guy too who used to be a trouble-making streetfighter until he got a seizure. It completely changed his life and now he's extremely artistically talented.


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## Stefan (Jul 9, 2009)

aznmortalx said:


> Very interesting... there was this other savant who was proclaimed mentally retarded, but as he grew older, he could actually remember every book he has read (and he reads A LOT) word for word 98%.


********. Like most of this.


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## Kian (Jul 9, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> aznmortalx said:
> 
> 
> > Very interesting... there was this other savant who was proclaimed mentally retarded, but as he grew older, he could actually remember every book he has read (and he reads A LOT) word for word 98%.
> ...



I think he's referring to Kim Peek. I've heard the same claim before, but I don't know how accurate that is, obviously.


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## Robert-Y (Jul 9, 2009)

Has anyone heard of Andriy Slyusarchuk before?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriy_Slyusarchuk

"By June 2009 he claimed to have set a new record by memorizing the first 30 million places of pi, which were printed in 20 volumes of text [4] Although he did not recite all 30 million digits that he claimed to have memorized, he was able to recite randomly selected sequences from within the first 30 million places of pi."


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## Carrot (Jul 9, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> aznmortalx said:
> 
> 
> > Very interesting... there was this other savant who was proclaimed mentally retarded, but as he grew older, he could actually remember every book he has read (and he reads A LOT) word for word 98%.
> ...



How do you know that! xD Maybe he only read 1 book in all his life... and read it like 4000 times  Aznmortalx didn't give us a name 

ohhh... and to get back the topic, I totally agree with Fanwuq that his memo-"talent" is only good if he could add it to his fingermuscles.. which requires a LOT of training


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 9, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> aznmortalx said:
> 
> 
> > Very interesting... there was this other savant who was proclaimed mentally retarded, but as he grew older, he could actually remember every book he has read (and he reads A LOT) word for word 98%.
> ...



It most certainly IS NOT bs. Scientists have been studying Kim (the person I was talking about) and he even has his own freaking movie!

Also, Odder, he claims he's only read each book once. He's been tested though and he came up with a 98% accuracy. He can also store practically every event in his life and remember it later on. He lives with his dad though and he can't put on his own clothing...

EDIT: It's a real syndrome too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savant_syndrome

Kim peek: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek


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## Carrot (Jul 9, 2009)

Robert-Y said:


> Has anyone heard of Andriy Slyusarchuk before?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriy_Slyusarchuk
> 
> "By June 2009 he claimed to have set a new record by memorizing the first 30 million places of pi, which were printed in 20 volumes of text [4] Although he did not recite all 30 million digits that he claimed to have memorized, he was able to recite randomly selected sequences from within the first 30 million places of pi."



I've seen him driving blindfolded xD That was pretty fun 

and for aznmortalx, I was just making fun, I have also heard about him, but I don't think he is that special at all... (his IQ test REALLY disappointed me >.< Somehow I just can't take people doing obvious failz multiple times :/ That's why I suck at teaching people anything >.< )


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 9, 2009)

Odder said:


> Robert-Y said:
> 
> 
> > Has anyone heard of Andriy Slyusarchuk before?
> ...


His iq is low because he is a savant. His brain is very limited but very deep in very limited areas. He is special though. Can you recall word for word the last book you read

But I suppose you already know that...


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## Stefan (Jul 9, 2009)

Wow, more ********. What a surprise.


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## Carrot (Jul 9, 2009)

Stefan, we are good at finding ********? 

and for az-something.., Yes xD


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## JTW2007 (Jul 9, 2009)

I only know up to 3.14159265358979323846 by heart. I had up to 183 digits at one point.


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 9, 2009)

JTW2007 said:


> I only know up to 3.14159265358979323846 by heart. I had up to 183 digits at one point.



I made it to 150 at 4th grade. Though I've forgotten it at this point.  The most i can recall now is 3.141592653.



> Wow, more ********. What a surprise.



Quite a suprise indeed...


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## endless_akatsuki (Jul 9, 2009)

Somehow, I think I would rather be me than a savant. I do not envy them at all. Although I do respect them.


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 9, 2009)

endless_akatsuki said:


> Somehow, I think I would rather be me than a savant. I do not envy them at all. Although I do respect them.



Same here. I'd rather have a broader view of knowledge than a very limited one.


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## Laurentius (Jul 9, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> Wow, more ********. What a surprise.



Jesus you're pissing me off dude. Why the hell won't you believe it? And don't say you were sarcastic 'cause you obviously were negative since your first post in this thread.

Kim Peek really exists, he can read two pages at the same time and remembers 98% of it, and he reads a page in 8 seconds, which a normal person would use 2 minutes on (not sure if this was both pages or just one)

And if you still don't believe it, do some ****ing research and stop pissing me off.


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 9, 2009)

Laurentius said:


> StefanPochmann said:
> 
> 
> > Wow, more ********. What a surprise.
> ...


I believe it was 8 seconds for 2.


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## Carrot (Jul 9, 2009)

aznmortalx said:


> Laurentius said:
> 
> 
> > StefanPochmann said:
> ...



If he read both pages simultanious... what the fishytail does it matter if it's one or two pages!?!?


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## Samlambert (Jul 9, 2009)

Laurentius, don't waste your time, Stefan is an *******.

Sorry, had to post because this is just increasingly stupid how Stefan is always acting like he's god and like he knows everything. Alright, I'm gone once again. Byebye, flame on

/topicninja


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## keyan (Jul 9, 2009)

Samlambert said:


> Laurentius, don't waste your time, Stefan is an *******.
> 
> Sorry, had to post because this is just increasingly stupid how Stefan is always acting like he's god and like he knows everything. Alright, I'm gone once again. Byebye, flame on
> 
> /topicninja



There are a lot of elitist pricks on this forum. A lot. Stefan, though, isn't one of them.


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## gpt_kibutz (Jul 10, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> Wow, more ********. What a surprise.



What's your reason to claim that it is ******** indeed?


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## Sa967St (Jul 10, 2009)

aznmortalx said:


> JTW2007 said:
> 
> 
> > I only know up to 3.14159265358979323846 by heart. I had up to 183 digits at one point.
> ...


I currently know it up to 192 decimal places, yaaayy 
I'll try to get up to 300 by next Pi Day (I'm too lazy to learn it sooner)


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## Robert-Y (Jul 10, 2009)

Hmm... Maybe Stefan is just kidding with us?...


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## beingforitself (Jul 10, 2009)

Robert-Y said:


> Has anyone heard of Andriy Slyusarchuk before?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriy_Slyusarchuk
> 
> "By June 2009 he claimed to have set a new record by memorizing the first 30 million places of pi, which were printed in 20 volumes of text [4] Although he did not recite all 30 million digits that he claimed to have memorized, he was able to recite randomly selected sequences from within the first 30 million places of pi."



Err, I hate to go all evil-Stefan on you and everything, but at least with respect to this particular claim, Mr. Slyusarchuk is pretty clearly a fraud.


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## amostay2004 (Jul 10, 2009)

"Since reciting 30 million digits of π at one digit a second would take almost a year (347 days) if you did it non-stop 24 hours a day, seven days a week..."

If it takes that long to recite, I wonder how long it takes to actually memorise them? It really does sound very impossible..


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## Robert-Y (Jul 10, 2009)

Let's say it took him 20 years to memorize 30 million decimal places. That would mean 30000000/7305 per day which is around 4000 digits a day. Is that possible?


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## fanwuq (Jul 10, 2009)

Robert-Y said:


> Let's say it took him 20 years to memorize 30 million decimal places. That would mean 30000000/7305 per day which is around 4000 digits a day. Is that possible?



By 2008 he claimed to remember 2,000,000 decimal places of pi, as well as around 7,000 volumes of text.
By June 2009 he claimed to have set a new record by memorizing the first 30 million places of pi, which were printed in 20 volumes of text [4] Although he did not recite all 30 million digits that he claimed to have memorized, he was able to recite randomly selected sequences from within the first 30 million places of pi.

Thats about 1 year.


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## Robert-Y (Jul 10, 2009)

Ok then. 28 million decimal places in let's say 15 months. (1st Jan 2008 - 30th Jun 2009)

28,000,000/~450 per day

= 60000+ per day....


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## SparkZer00 (Jul 10, 2009)

tim said:


> I think you need a photographic memory to be able to memorize so many digits of PI.



Everyone has photographic memory, not everyone has film


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## PhillipEspinoza (Jul 10, 2009)

amostay2004 said:


> "Since reciting 30 million digits of π at one digit a second would take almost a year (347 days) if you did it non-stop 24 hours a day, seven days a week..."
> 
> If it takes that long to recite, I wonder how long it takes to actually memorise them? It really does sound very impossible..






wikipage said:


> "has set a world record by memorizing 5100 digits in 117 seconds."



Surely you can think faster than you can talk. Though some people do talk faster than they can think (and not because they talk fast either). But if he can memo 5100 digits in less than 2 minutes (which is substantially faster than anyone could recite those digits) then I'm pretty sure he can memo much more given more time to do so. Also, if he did do BLD, imagine his time for memo. He'd probably be consistently sub-5 seconds for memo.


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## Tim Reynolds (Jul 10, 2009)

aznmortalx said:


> he even has his own freaking movie!



uh...so?



xXdaveXsuperstarXx said:


> This guy could learn ZB in a week.



Why do you revive a year-old thread to make the same pointless connection that people have been making over and over?



Robert-Y said:


> Ok then. 28 million decimal places in let's say 15 months. (1st Jan 2008 - 30th Jun 2009)
> 
> 28,000,000/~450 per day
> 
> = 60000+ per day....



...you mean 18 months?
It comes out to an average of about one every 2 seconds. That includes sleeping and whatnot. But given the statistic Phillip quotes, it's maybe conceivable.


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## Robert-Y (Jul 10, 2009)

Tim Reynolds said:


> Robert-Y said:
> 
> 
> > Ok then. 28 million decimal places in let's say 15 months. (1st Jan 2008 - 30th Jun 2009)
> ...



Now I feel stupid  Ah we all make mistakes...


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## EmersonHerrmann (Jul 10, 2009)

What does memorizing something have to do with having an incredible brain or being smart...OR ANYTHING? He can probably memorize things or numbers pretty well, and that's about it 

@Phillip: Yeah...his BLD memo would be...crazy....


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## cheiney (Jul 10, 2009)

Robert-Y said:


> Ok then. 28 million decimal places in let's say 15 months. (1st Jan 2008 - 30th Jun 2009)
> 
> 28,000,000/~450 per day
> 
> = 60000+ per day....



It took the guy in the video 5 hours to memorize pi out to 22,514 or so numbers.

EDIT: I saw a video of him on Letterman. I think that's when he claimed he learned it in 5 hours.


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## rahulkadukar (Jul 10, 2009)

Well he could learn ZB but the point is not in learnig the Algortihms but in actually implementoing them very fast


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## Kyle Barry (Jul 10, 2009)

"What does memorizing something have to do with having an incredible brain or being smart...OR ANYTHING? He can probably memorize things or numbers pretty well, and that's about it"

I disagree. I believe phenomenal memorization indicates a powerful brain, and you can claim that this doesn't mean he is intelligent, but there is clearly no exact definition. I think a combination of information retention, information interpretation, and information output make up "intelligence," in its broader sense. I think almost every ability can be put in one or more of these categories. I see no reason why information interpretation(creativity, "thinking outside the box", etc.) has to encompass the whole realm of intelligence. How much someone can retain seems extremely important as well, and certainly shows a powerful brain. Even if Daniel Tammet has average information interpretation skills, and poor information output skills(he does have autism, albeit, extremely high-functioning autism), his unbelievable information retention makes him above average intelligence in my book.

Also, you guys should read his book, Born on a Blue Day (you can skip the chapters where he talks about his gay lover, that part wasn't as insightful), if you're interested.


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## amostay2004 (Jul 10, 2009)

PhillipEspinoza said:


> Surely you can think faster than you can talk. Though some people do talk faster than they can think (and not because they talk fast either). But if he can memo 5100 digits in less than 2 minutes (which is substantially faster than anyone could recite those digits) then I'm pretty sure he can memo much more given more time to do so. Also, if he did do BLD, imagine his time for memo. He'd probably be consistently sub-5 seconds for memo.



True, but in this case he needs to memorise 30 MILLION numbers..doesn't he have the need to recall something he memorised let's say a year ago? I mean you can memorise 5100 digits in 2 minutes and forget them the next day..but he has to keep 28million digits in his memory for (like what has been discussed) 18 months..surely it would take a longer memorization period...

or I could be wrong and he remembers everything he's ever looked at in his life..oh well


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## Stefan (Jul 10, 2009)

Samlambert said:


> Sorry, had to post because this is just increasingly stupid how Stefan is always acting like he's god and like he knows everything.



You mean like the recent incidence where many people bullied a kid they claimed was lying and I was the only one arguing against them? The one where I apparently changed their opinion and they then just quietly went elsewhere, without a single one apologizing for the massive hate attack? Yeah, truly I'm the bad guy.

If I appear to act like I know everything... that's maybe cause I rarely say something wrong. Which in turn might be because if I'm not sure about something, I don't say it. *That* is maybe the big difference between me and others. I don't like spreading myths like many do. And occasionally I correct them if I see it and am interested enough.

About this topic here: I *have* researched quite a bit about Kim Peek, Daniel Tammet and others. I also know a good deal about memorization and reading and their competitions and records. I've personally met and spoken with some of the world's best memorizers. I've had a part in a TV show covering this stuff. I have seen flaws and lies. I know a bit about magic and mentalism trickery and human nature. I doubt any of you naive believers have done anywhere near as much research and thinking about this as I have.

Oh and Sam, didn't you dramatically proclaim you're "Gone from this forum" and "Not f*cking coming back"?


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## Stefan (Jul 10, 2009)

cheiney said:


> It took the guy in the video 5 hours to memorize pi out to 22,514 or so numbers.


Thanks. Perfect example of how this ******** is created. He did not *memorize* it in that time, he *recited* it in that time. But of course people don't care and it sounds more interesting to say he memorized it that fast, and people want to say interesting things to appear more interesting themselves. So one person exaggerates, another exaggerates further, and so on.


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## Mike Hughey (Jul 10, 2009)

Robert-Y said:


> Has anyone heard of Andriy Slyusarchuk before?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andriy_Slyusarchuk
> 
> "By June 2009 he claimed to have set a new record by memorizing the first 30 million places of pi, which were printed in 20 volumes of text [4] Although he did not recite all 30 million digits that he claimed to have memorized, he was able to recite randomly selected sequences from within the first 30 million places of pi."



If you read the rest of the wikipedia article on this guy, the logical conclusion is that he is a very good stage magician, who knows how to convince credulous people into believing what they want to believe. A good example from the article:

"... he told a person to read mentally a few random sentences from a random book. Then he was able to find out from that person’s thoughts which sentences did he/she read and on which page of the book"

As for people like Kim Peek, I think it's a slightly different representation of the same effect - people want to believe the exaggerated stories about him, and so they do. The difference is that Kim Peek isn't going out of his way try to convince them, like Andriy Slyusarchuk appears to be.


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## F.P. (Jul 10, 2009)

If you guys are interested in Daniel, you could also just read his books.


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## Robert-Y (Jul 10, 2009)

Sorry for doubting you, Stefan


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 10, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> cheiney said:
> 
> 
> > It took the guy in the video 5 hours to memorize pi out to 22,514 or so numbers.
> ...



Okay, I have to admit, all of your posts are always well thought out and contribute to the subject... that is, not counting a few like your bs comments...
However, I must stress that memorizing that many digits alone is a feat.


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## Stefan (Jul 10, 2009)

aznmortalx said:


> Okay, I have to admit, all of your posts are always well thought out and contribute to the subject.


Even those short "********" remarks? I almost feel bad about those. Well, they were an attempt to disrupt the joyful let's-believe-everything, but it was also me just being too annoyed to go through the same old arguments *again*.



aznmortalx said:


> However, I must stress that memorizing that many digits [Tammet's 22,514] alone is a feat.


Absolutely. Though some others memorized significantly more:
http://pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/memo/index.html
But "normal" people just don't sell as well, so they're less interesting to the media and other gossipers.


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## Stefan (Jul 10, 2009)

Just found this interview with Chao Lu, the current world record holder:
http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/details/luchaointerview.html

Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to be autistic or gay or whatever, and admits he uses techniques that can be taught to others. Boooring.

I think I said it before: If Tammet or Peek solved the cube in 30 seconds, the media would be all over them.


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## cheiney (Jul 10, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> cheiney said:
> 
> 
> > It took the guy in the video 5 hours to memorize pi out to 22,514 or so numbers.
> ...



My mistake, I was listening to the wrong number at the time. He claims that he recited it in 5 hours, yet he says afterwards it took him a few weeks to learn the number. However, I can't tell if he's saying "a few weeks to learn -a- number", as in he added a new number every few weeks. Even still, 5 hours for 22,514 places is amazing. It took the world record holder 24 hours to recite 67,890 places. His pace was much faster than the current record holder. 

Even so, I'm not praising that he is a genius. I was trying to cite something from an interview with him, yet I mistakenly used his reciting time instead.


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## Stefan (Jul 10, 2009)

cheiney said:


> Even still, 5 hours for 22,514 places is amazing. It took the world record holder 24 hours to recite 67,890 places. His pace was much faster than the current record holder.


Sigh... did you not care at all to even just check out the second place?
http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com/lists/details/chahalkrishan.html


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## Mike Hughey (Jul 10, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> cheiney said:
> 
> 
> > Even still, 5 hours for 22,514 places is amazing. It took the world record holder 24 hours to recite 67,890 places. His pace was much faster than the current record holder.
> ...


He seems like a fairly ordinary guy, too:
http://memorymirchi.com/krishan-chahal.html
It brags a bit unnecessarily, but there's no mention of autism, etc.


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## fanwuq (Jul 10, 2009)

> 2. Did you take any breaks ?
> 
> No. According to the rule set by GWR, the time between two numbers should be no more than 15 seconds. So there was no lunch time, no toilet break during my recitation.



No toilet break for 24 hours. This is much more amazing than memorizing all these numbers... unless he were several layers of diapers during the attempt?


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## endless_akatsuki (Jul 10, 2009)

fanwuq said:


> No toilet break for 24 hours. This is much more amazing than memorizing all these numbers... unless he were several layers of diapers during the attempt?



Yes, that is truly amazing. Isn't that very dangerous...? Well, even if he did wear didapers, at least he had the courage to do it and not get embarrassed. I would find it very difficult to use a diaper...


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## cheiney (Jul 10, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> cheiney said:
> 
> 
> > Even still, 5 hours for 22,514 places is amazing. It took the world record holder 24 hours to recite 67,890 places. His pace was much faster than the current record holder.
> ...



Actually, I didn't care to look at the second place because it didn't really matter to me. I'm sure anyone on that world record list is incredible at memory and recall ability. Other than the fact he had some epileptic episodes, Daniel seems like a normal guy too. He just has some abstract way of retaining information. His ability to learn Icelandic in one week seems more impressive than reciting numbers, even if he actually had a teacher to help him through it.


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## endless_akatsuki (Jul 10, 2009)

cheiney said:


> Actually, I didn't care to look at the second place because it didn't really matter to me. I'm sure anyone on that world record list is incredible at memory and recall ability. Other than the fact he had some epileptic episodes, Daniel seems like a normal guy too. He just has some abstract way of retaining information. His ability to learn Icelandic in one week seems more impressive than reciting numbers, even if he actually had a teacher to help him through it.



lmao. That's not the point. The second place guy recited almost 2 times the amount in about 5 1/3 hours.


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jul 10, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> aznmortalx said:
> 
> 
> > Okay, I have to admit, all of your posts are always well thought out and contribute to the subject.
> ...



lol I was going to edit my post and say other than the bs comments but all the computers were being used at the time.

...okay... edited it in.


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## cheiney (Jul 10, 2009)

endless_akatsuki said:


> cheiney said:
> 
> 
> > Actually, I didn't care to look at the second place because it didn't really matter to me. I'm sure anyone on that world record list is incredible at memory and recall ability. Other than the fact he had some epileptic episodes, Daniel seems like a normal guy too. He just has some abstract way of retaining information. His ability to learn Icelandic in one week seems more impressive than reciting numbers, even if he actually had a teacher to help him through it.
> ...



Let me rephrase then. I don't care how many numbers they recited or how fast they did it. It's more time I'd ever want to spend memorizing a number sequence. Their dedication alone is enough to impress me.


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