Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm

The winter sun sets in mid-afternoon in Kolobrzeg, Poland, but the early twilight does not deter people from taking their regular outdoor promenade. Bundled up in parkas with fur-trimmed hoods, strolling hand in mittened hand along the edge of the Baltic Sea, off-season tourists from Germany stop openmouthed when they see a tall, well-built, nearly naked man running up and down the sand.

"Kalt? Kalt?" one of them calls out. The man gives a polite but vague answer, then turns and dives into the waves. After swimming back and forth in the 40-degree water for a few minutes, he emerges from the surf and jogs briefly along the shore. The wind is strong, but the man makes no move to get dressed. Passersby continue to comment and stare. "This is one of the reasons I prefer anonymity," he tells me in English. "You do something even slightly out of the ordinary and it causes a sensation."

Get Smarter: 12 Hacks That Will Amp Up Your Brainpower

1: Distract Yourself

2: Caffeinate With Care

3: Choose Impressive Information

4: Think Positive

5: Do the Right Drugs

6: Juice Your IQ Score

7: Know Your Brain

8: Don't Panic

9: Embrace Chaos

10: Get Visual

11: Exercise Wisely

12: Slow Down

Plus: 6 Intelligence Myths Exposed

Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm By Gary Wolf