← Back to Visual Frameworks

#0014 Memory Quadrants

Cramming vs spaced repetition

Memory Quadrants

Cramming subdivides everywhere then collapses. Spaced repetition maintains strategic detail.

High retention
Decayed memory
Recently reinforced
Study session
Day 0Time: Day 20Day 20
Cramming
Memory decay Scroll to zoom
0%
retention rate
0 / 1 cells
Spaced Repetition
Strategic review Scroll to zoom
95%
retention rate
972 / 1021 cells
Spaced retention: x more knowledge retained
The Cramming Collapse

Everything subdivides at once—maximum short-term detail. But without reinforcement, the quadtree collapses. Fine distinctions blur back into coarse categories. You knew it all... for about a day.

Adaptive Detail

8 sessions, spaced by 3 days. Each review reinforces some regions, letting them stay subdivided. The result: sharp detail where it matters, efficient forgetting of the rest.

The Quadtree Metaphor: Memory isn't uniform—some topics need fine-grained detail (4 subdivisions deep), others just broad strokes. Spaced repetition keeps important areas sharp while letting peripheral knowledge gracefully compress.

Increase study sessions to see more regions maintain detail. Adjust spacing interval to find the sweet spot between review and forgetting. The threshold controls how much retention is "enough" to keep subdividing.