Visualising Information

Have you ever thought about how you see and store information in your mind?  Research suggests that we have developed certain strategies to do this.  These strategies have also influenced other areas such as our language.  The way we refer to first, second and third is different to every other number which ends in a th,  eg fourth, seventh,  ninth.  One, two and three are important items to us and many believe it is because we can visualise those numbers easily but it gets harder after that.

Synesthesia is a neurological condition which alters the way we perceive information.  You start seeing numbers with a strong association to colours and shapes.  Neurologist V.S. Ramachandran has an informative talk on the subject and ends with a demonstration on how we all have synesthesia to a certain degree.  You can also find a simple test here.  Higher than normal synesthesia has been linked to savants and highly creative people.  What is amazing is that researchers believe they are finding ways to train us to be more synesthetic.  What this potentially means is that we may all someday be able to develop superhuman mental capabilities.

Your challenge this week is to think about how you visualise data.  Start with numbers and then move onto other things such as colours and emotions.  What about specific pieces of data such as phone numbers or addresses?

In doing this you are taking the time to consider something that most people take for granted.  You may come across some interesting new ideas or realisations as a result.  You are fueling your creativity.