[ExI] another story, not much instruction this time

[spike]

Green Alert

 

The two physics students sat together over lunch.

 

“I do retract my negative reaction to your… um… story.”

 

“What story?”

 

“You are teasing me.  You know what story.  The one which made me blush yesterday.”

 

“Oh, sure.  Kiss My.  No worries, that adorable blush was worth it.  So why retract?”

 

“It worked.  On the test this morning.”

 

“Ja.  Mnemonics work better if they operate on the areas of the brain ordinarily not associated with learning.  We work the hell out of those areas involved in math and science when we study, so those are already fully engaged anyway.  If we bring in those areas associated with embarrassment, humor, absurdity, outrage, especially sexual anything, the brain forms many redundant paths all leading to the same place.  You can come back a decade from now, you will still be able to recite the Kiss My sentence fragment and know what it means.”

 

“Well it makes sense, even if it…”  Both of their phones sounded off with a claxon.  “Amber Alert,” they said in unison, reaching for their phones.  “Abducted 3 year old girl, Salinas, unknown suspect driving a 2002 light gold Honda Odyssey, broken left tail light, license plate 5CYM4356.”

 

“Oh dear, I do hope this works out all right.”

 

They sat silently for a minute.

 

“I recall getting an Amber Alert a few months ago, a six-year-old girl was taken from her home in the night.  I never heard what happened, but I never stopped thinking about it.  There should be a site somewhere listing all the Amber Alerts and how it turns out.  Or there should be a Green Alert sent out every time an Amber Alert is resolved.  Most of the time it is the other parent stealing the kid, and if so, they already know whodunit and where they are likely to find them.”

 

“You are right.  I don’t know where to find out what happened to that abducted girl.  I heard that alert too, but not the resolution.  There should be a place or a site somewhere to find out what happened to every Amber Alert.”

 

In silence they finished their lunch.

 

“Hey can you get internet on that thing?  Look up Amber Alert, see if some breaking news mentions it.”

 

A Google on Amber Alert brought up a fresh breaking story.  The 3 year old child was left in a running car just a short time ago, a car thief jumped, in drove off, abandoned the car two miles away and fled with the child still dozing in the back seat unharmed, Amber Alert cancelled.

 

“OK then, such a relief.  The sleazy bastard probably took the car not even knowing she was back there.  Noticed her, called it off, pulled over and ran like hell.  Hope he doesn’t stop running.”  They sat enjoying the peaceful morning as the sun rose.  

 

“You look like you have something on your mind.”

 

“Who, me?”

 

“Who, you?  No, that guy mowing the grass over there looks like something’s on his mind.  Yes you.” 

 

“Oh, no, nothing.  Or not.. not, uh… all that much really, heh.  Aaahhhh, mmmmahem…”

 

“So why are you blushing?  I didn’t make up any suggestive mnemonics or anything.”

 

“You didn’t.  But I was just thinking, now that the test is over and we passed an no more classes today, the pressure is off.  So we don’t really need mnemonics.  To… you know… have a… memorable event.  Or something.”

 

“Or something, ja, NOW you’re talking.”

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20150924/e6a430b0/attachment.html>