As bad as we are at remembering names and phone numbers and word-for-word instructions from our colleagues, we have really exceptional visual and spatial memories.

Source: "Feats of Memory Anyone Can Do." TED2012. Feb. 2012. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote is from science writer and U.S. Memory Championship winner Joshua Foer's 2012 TED Talk about the "memory palace" technique, which people can use to memorize vast amounts of information. The quote means that people have a weak ability to memorize things they hear, but our ability to memorize images, including three-dimensional images, is very strong. Watch the full TED Talk here: Joshua Foer - Feats of Memory Anyone Can Do