Mnemonic

The word "mnemonic" is derived from the Ancient Greek word μνημονικός (mnēmonikos), meaning "of memory, or relating to memory" and is related to Mnemosyne("remembrance"), the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. Both of these words are derived from μνήμη (mnēmē), "remembrance, memory". Mnemonics in antiquity were most often considered in the context of what is today known as the art of memory. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic

• How to become a memory master | Idriz Zogaj 
• Feats of memory anyone can do | Joshua Foer 
• The Memory Palace Technique 
• This Guy Can Teach You How to Memorize Anything
• A. Luria, The Mind of a Mnemonist: A Little Book about a Vast Memory 
• Method of loci (Wikipedia)

Mnemonic techniques are commonly used in professional education to support recall of standardized frameworks. Their purpose is orientation and fluency, not replacement of analytical competence or practical experience.

Examples:

Memorizing PMBOK® Knowledge Areas: A Simple Mnemonic for Students

According to the PMBOK® Guide, the core Knowledge Areas are:

Integration – Scope – Schedule – Cost – Quality – Resource – Communications – Risk – Procurement – Stakeholder

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Technique 1: Mnemonic sentence (fastest entry point)

First letters:
I S S C Q R C R P S

Sentence:

In Serious Studies, Careful Quality Resources Communicate Risks, Procuring Stakeholders.

This helps with:

• correct order

• quick recall under pressure

• exam situations

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Technique 2: Memory palace (conceptual, not exotic)

Use a familiar place (your office, apartment, university building).

Assign one room per Knowledge Area, in order:

1. Entrance → Integration

2. Living room → Scope

3. Corridor → Schedule

4. Kitchen → Cost

5. Bathroom → Quality

6. Office → Resource

7. Meeting room → Communications

8. Stairs → Risk

9. Storage → Procurement

10. Balcony → Stakeholder

No imagery tricks required — location alone is enough.

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Technique 3: Meaning anchor (prevents rote learning)

For each Knowledge Area, attach one functional verb:

• Integration → coordinate

• Scope → define

• Schedule → sequence

• Cost → estimate

• Quality → validate

• Resource → assign

• Communications → inform

• Risk → anticipate

• Procurement → acquire

• Stakeholder → engage

This keeps the mnemonic professional and usable.

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5-minute daily exercise

1. Write the list from memory

2. Walk the memory palace mentally (30–60 seconds)

3. Say one verb per Knowledge Area aloud

4. Recall the list backwards

5. Apply it to one real project example

That’s it.

Memorizing a Bitcoin Private Key: A Mnemonic Thought Experiment

Important note:
This example uses a fully artificial string.
Memorizing real private keys is not recommended for asset security.
This is a cognitive exercise, not financial advice.

Why this is interesting (from a memory perspective)

A Bitcoin private key is:

• long

• abstract

• non-semantic

• unforgiving (one error = total failure)

That makes it a perfect stress test for mnemonic techniques — similar to:

• protocol IDs

• hashes

• audit trail references

• long identifiers in regulated systems

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Example: an artificial “private key”

Here is a not real, shortened string (not valid, not usable):

K7fA-9M2q-XR8L-P4Zt-WD6e

The goal is not to memorize characters directly.

 

Technique used: simple memory palace + chunking

Step 1: Chunk the string

Break it into 5 blocks:

1. K7fA

2. 9M2q

3. XR8L

4. P4Zt

5. WD6e

Each block becomes one location.

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Step 2: Choose a familiar place (memory palace)

Use something boring and stable, e.g. your apartment:

1. Front door

2. Hallway

3. Kitchen

4. Desk

5. Window

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Step 3: Bind each chunk to a location (minimal imagery)

No fantasy needed — just distinct anchors:

• Front door → K7fA
  (Key “K” + door = enough)

• Hallway → 9M2q
  (9 steps, “M” like movement)

• Kitchen → XR8L
  (“X” marks stove, 8 burners, “L” shape counter)

• Desk → P4Zt
  (Paper, 4 corners)

• Window → WD6e
  (Window, daylight, 6 panes)

The associations don’t need to be clever — they need to be stable.

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Step 4: One recall pass

Mentally walk the apartment once.
Say each chunk aloud.
Done.

Total time: 2–3 minutes.