It's only a trick

Mischief

My parents were early All 50 user testers. After the 5th lesson -- about 1 hour of total "studying" -- I subjected my parents to a 1-question geography quiz: "List all 50 states in alphabetical order."

The quiz was a piece of cake. No surprises there. There was one hitch, when my dad's rebellious streak got the best of him, and as a joke, he listed the states in reverse alphabetical order instead.

While everyone at the table laughed at my dad's mischief, I pointed out how excited I was by his new ability. "In less than an hour of studying," I said, "you memorized 50 pieces of information, in order, forward and back! That's awesome!"

Laughing, he responded: Yes, it's a great trick!

A trick

In some ways, All 50 does feel like a trick. Listing out all 50 states in reverse-alphabetical order after an hour of studying appears to be an impressive feat, but from our vantage point, we can see how simple the process is. Like a magician with an extra ace in her sleeve, or a two-faced coin. The technique is in fact so unimpressive that onlookers would be disappointed to learn the truth behind the magic.

But there's an important difference between a magic trick and All 50. Learning the secret of a magic trick reveals a magician's powers to be nothing but a clever illusion. Learning the All 50 system, on the other hand, unlocks real and repeatable memorization.

A short screenplay, to drive the point home:

And... scene!

Teacher: Timmy, can you come up to my desk?
Timmy: Sure, is it about my exam?
Teacher: Yes it is. In the essay section, I noticed that you included many quotes directly from the textbook.
Timmy: Yeah...
Teacher: And all of these precise dates, full names, and historical details. They're all accurate.
Timmy: Thanks!
Teacher: Well, not so fast. This is the third exam in a row that you've done this. Tell me, did you memorize this information by repeating it over and over, hoping it would stick? Did you make hundreds of flash cards and study all night?
Timmy: No, I connected pictures in my head...
Teacher: Oh I'm sorry Timmy. I'm afraid that's just a trick. Unfortunately, none of this counts, and you've failed the exam.

Fin
rousing applause
	 

The script's absurdity is plain as day. According to the teacher, "flash cards" are not a trick, but mental pictures are. The distinction is quite shaky, to say the least.

It scales

If Timmy can store arbitrary information in his mind, and he can recall it at will, then the means of storage become irrelevant! If he can extend this technique to anything he'd like to memorize, and ace every class, then how can we call it a trick? Or, in other words: a trick is only a "trick" if it doesn't scale.

If All 50 were just a singular technique for memorizing names of states, then sure, it might be neat, or handy, but it certainly would be just a trick.

But All 50 doesn't stop at the states. It is a repeatable system that scales to any information you could possibly want to memorize. The pictures change, but the system stays the same.

But don't take my word for it. Give the lessons a shot and see for yourself.