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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Eight-time world memory champion, 66, reveals secrets to growing 'razor sharp' memory and warns 'senior citizens' to 'use it or lose it'
2024-04-06
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Dominic O'Brien, 66, from London, appeared on This Morning today to share the handy tips he used to win the World Memory Championships a record eight times.

So spectacular is Dominic's memory that he was entered into the Guinness Book of Records in 2002 for memorising 54 packs of cards after peering at each card just once.

Speaking to hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, the mnemonist - a person with the ability to remember and recall unusually long lists of data - advised people to ward off dementia by playing digital games, instruments and committing to regular exercise.

He also explained how he keeps his memory 'sharp' in his sixties: 'I play games every day. I do Sudoku, I do WordAll, I do connections - you know the grid with a four by four on TV.

'I also do spelling bees, crosswords... I try and do them as quickly as possible. Occasionally I'll try to memorise a deck of cards if it's possible. It's to keep the wheels turning sort of thing.

'Physical exercise as well. I do a lot of walking and playing physical instruments. The piano is very good for memory and so are brass instruments.

'For executive functions and general skills - it's more singing and woodwind instruments. It's better if you start early with an instrument but never too late to start'.

The former memory champion added that when competing he trained his mind for three hours a day. However he claimed that regular citizens needed just '10 to 15 minutes' of practice per day.

Dominic, who has also authored various memory-related books, warned viewers to do these activities in order to fend off dementia, which he labelled as the 'biggest killer now in the UK'.

He said: 'There's research coming out of York university - they talk about playing digital games and you know exercising your memory.

'Keeping the wheels turning here [in the mind] and playing digital games is very good for senior citizens as well'... keep an active mind. Use it or lose it'.

Dominic also shared that he began training his memory at age 30 after becoming interested in classic card game Bridge.

Coming from a long line of Bridge players, he developed his interest into memorising whole packs of cards.

He would later go on to acquire a place in the Guinness Book of Records for memorising a random sequence of 2808 playing cards (54 packs).
Posted by:Skidmark

#8  Heard the Dems want to have Slo Joe as company spokesman. They swear he’s just fine..
Posted by: Warthog   2024-04-06 14:36  

#7  ^ that post
Posted by: Mercutio   2024-04-06 08:55  

#6  ^Yes, but I don't remember why.
Posted by: Bobby   2024-04-06 07:41  

#5  Memory loss is not all bad.
Posted by: Besoeker   2024-04-06 07:03  

#4  ^ we had a lot of c@sino spam
Posted by: Frank G   2024-04-06 05:33  

#3  Geeezus, I see "pöker" is a dirty word.
Posted by: DooDahMan   2024-04-06 01:21  

#2  Then this 'razor sharp' dude should be good at põker. Or how about chess?
Posted by: DooDahMan   2024-04-06 01:20  

#1  Yes, the ability to memorize phone books is what we all should strive for.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective   2024-04-06 01:08  

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