I've actually taken note of my navigational skills over the last couple years... I grew up in one state, and then a few years after graduating college, moved to a different state. When I was growing up, phone navigation didn't really exist as it does now, cars didn't have built-in navigation, and standalone navigation devices were slow and not all that great (at least the ones I could afford).
I find that when I return home, even 10 years later, I am able to navigate all the places I used to go unaided with ease, back-roads, niche routes, able to travel for hours without getting "lost".
When I moved, though, I had very recently gotten my first smartphone, and google maps was very convenient to "learn" the new area. I ended up just continuing to use navigation since it was convenient. I've found that beyond the major main routes, I don't have the same kind of "built-in" navigational skill that I do for my original home-turf. I never really learned the area.
I am moving towards a smart-phone-less life, and I've been able to let go of a lot, but GPS navigation remains a sticking point. I need to start training myself to navigate unaided in my current area.
Weslee@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Do you use a calculator?
My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Slide rule
Typhoonigator@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Abacus
My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Beans in a clay pot
systemglitch@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I usually try doing it in my head first. I use paper if it is available. I use a calculator when I don’t have time, or fail at the first two steps.
I noticed my number skills were deteriorating without proper use, and I found that alarming. I’m still weaker than I used to be, but not as bad as I was.
It’s just important to think for ones self when one can. The brain is a muscle that atrophies without use.
technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 days ago
Maybe you number skills are fading because you waste your time and energy on pointless computations. Maybe they just fade with time…
deur@feddit.nl 2 days ago
Your brain is weirdly unhappy with the concept of other brains doing math. Nice!
The brainpower involved in mental math is just real-time factorization and otherwise general application of the rules of arithmatic. It’s no waste, it’s just a well practiced set of pathways that take annoying math and make it friendly. It takes at most 2 seconds to know if it’s time to use a calculator.