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We used pictures, because your brain is tuned for visuals, not text. As far as your
brain’s concerned, a picture really is worth 1,024 words. And when text and pictures
work together, we embedded the text in the pictures because your brain works more
effectively when the text is within the thing the text refers to, as opposed to in a caption
or buried in the text somewhere.
We used repetition, saying the same thing in different ways and with different media types,
and multiple senses, to increase the chance that the content gets coded into more than one area of
your brain.
We used concepts and pictures in unexpected ways because your brain is tuned for novelty, and
we used pictures and ideas with at least some emotional content, because your brain is tuned to
pay attention to the biochemistry of emotions. That which causes you to feel something is more
likely to be remembered, even if that feeling is nothing more than a little humor, surprise, or
interest.
We used a personalized, conversational style, because your brain is tuned to pay more
attention when it believes you’re in a conversation than if it thinks you’re passively listening to a
presentation. Your brain does this even when you’re reading.
We included more than 40 activities, because your brain is tuned to learn and remember more
when you do things than when you read about things. And we made the exercises challe