Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2024 July 28

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July 28

Multiplication memorization

I remember back in elementary school, one of my classmates said he memorized multiplication tables by assigning a gender and color to each equation. For example, he would say eight times nine was male and purple and five times eight was female and brown. Is there a name for this phenomenon, and does this actually work? TWOrantula^TM (enter the web) 02:49, 28 July 2024 (UTC)

Grapheme–color synesthesia.-Gadfium (talk) 04:38, 28 July 2024 (UTC)

Synesthesia is likely a natural in-born perception while the OP's classmate voluntarily cultivates an unusual (two-dimensional) form of Mnemonic. These can aid memory because we more easily remember spatial, personal, surprising, physical, sexual, humorous and otherwise "relatable" information than more abstract or impersonal forms of information. Philvoids (talk) 13:46, 28 July 2024 (UTC)

This system is used as a mnemonic in the Byzantine calendar, which is used to calculate the date of Easter, and also the lunar date of each day. The Martyrology and the lunar date of "the morrow" are read out in religious houses at Lauds. In this calendar, odd-numbered months have 29 days and are named after female saints; even-numbered months have 30 days and are named after male saints. Seven times in 19 years the last month is duplicated, to allow for the fact that lunar months are shorter than solar ones. In the last year of the 19-year cycle, the tenth month, Richard, is emasculated (having only 29 days) so that the next cycle will begin on the same civil date as the previous one did. The technical name for this operation is saltus lunae. When the system was first introduced in Alexandria in AD 284 the sixth epagemonal day had the same lunar date as the day before; likewise 28 February 2028 will be 3 Ronan bis, followed by 3 Ronan corresponding to 29 February and 4 Ronan corresponding to 1 March. If the leap day is inserted in its original position between 23 February (a.d. vii kal. mart.) and 24 February (a.d. vi kal. mart.) the sequence is adjusted accordingly. The system is a great improvement on the previous, which involved grappling with epacts. See Special:Permalink/1188536894#The Reichenau Primer (opposite Pangur Bán). Today (Thursday) is the second day of the seventh month. Watch out for the new moon in the west after sunset. 2.102.9.180 (talk) 15:00, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

Easter falls in the third month, Miri. Next year, 2025, with golden number 12, Miri begins on 31 March, and with Sunday letter E Easter is on the 21st (20 April). 2.102.9.180 (talk) 15:03, 8 August 2024 (UTC)