1. Mnemonics: Mnemonics are simple tools that help you recall information by creating memorable associations. For example, to remember the colours of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), use the phrase Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. You can create your own, but remember to make them silly and memorable as they are more likely to stick in your mind. For example, Slim Hippos Munched Explosive Oranges will help you to remember the Great Lakes of North America in order of size (Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario). Here's one more to remember the order of the first six Roman emperors: Angry Tigers Called Clouds Nasty Gases (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Cladius, Nero, Galba).

2. Visualization: Create vivid mental images to associate with the facts. Again, make your mental images as silly as possible! To remember the capital of Chile as Sanitago, I picture a human-sized chili pepper walking around wearing a Santa's hat. Whenever you come across a great fact, try to bend it, shape it, and play with it in your mind to make it stick.

3. Story Method: Weave facts into a short, memorable story. Linking unrelated concepts through a narrative helps the brain retain multiple pieces of information at once. We recommend the book "Remember, Remember" by Ed Cooke for a good insight into this method.

4. Repetition: Spaced repetition is key. Review material several times over increasing intervals to strengthen memory. There are flashcard apps that will do this for you like Anki or Quizlet which alert you to the optimum time for revision.

5. Memory Palaces: Visualize a familiar place and “store” facts at different locations (or loki). Make strong associations with the image and the specific place. Later, walk through the palace in your mind to recall the information. This is extremely effective when trying to tackle large lists of information useful for quizzing (US Presidents, Kings and Queens of Britain, Oscar winners, etc.) For further reading, try "Memory Craft" by Lynne Kelly.

By applying these techniques regularly, you’ll find yourself recalling obscure facts faster, improving your quiz performance, and enjoying a sharper, more agile mind. Remember: quizzing isn’t just about knowing facts—it’s about remembering them when it counts!

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