Humans are actually high-spec computers (note: "high-spec" rather than "highly efficient"). We also have a CPU, and it's dual-core: one powerful core handles the task at hand, while the other resides in the subconscious—though the subconscious core's computational functionality is slightly inferior. Thus, while we can multitask or handle multiple things at once, we can only truly focus on a single task at any given moment. We also have RAM and cache. When we are fully concentrated, memories related to the current task are loaded into the cache, allowing ideas to flow and thoughts to surge. Recent events are placed in RAM and can be recalled with a little thought. As for things that happened years ago, they are stored on the hard drive, requiring a long time to pull them out and temporarily load them into RAM. The analogy ends here; what follows is what's truly important:
Note that the subconscious also has a computational core, which we often overlook. Look at a few long words before going to bed and tell yourself to remember them. Five minutes later, you're already asleep, and the default powerful core is completely powered off (otherwise, you'd be tossing and turning). Throughout the night, the subconscious core works hard to remember those words, running silently like a background task. Since it isn't as powerful, it might take more time to memorize a word, but that doesn't matter because you're already asleep—it's like grinding in a game while AFK, requiring no effort at all. When you wake up in the morning and recall those words, you'll be surprised to find you've actually remembered them (perhaps a particularly troublesome word is still missing because the subconscious core is less efficient). This is because the subconscious core has directly submitted the results of its night's labor.
Therefore, using your subconscious to help you work is a great choice. Although it's inefficient, it wins because we give it plenty of time; the cumulative effect is quite considerable. Be adept at utilizing the "dual-core" feature; otherwise, your dual-core machine is no different from a single-core one. Since the subconscious is on standby 24/7, you can assign tasks not just before bed, but before meals or brushing your teeth as well. On the other hand, full concentration is the most efficient state because both cores are processing the same task, increasing efficiency by at least 1.x times.
Reading to this point might be getting interesting. Besides fully utilizing dual cores, there's another point to note: creating indexes for your memory. Indexes are used to provide clues for searching, and searches with indexes take less time. What does this mean? Simply put, human memory can also be indexed. After learning a vast and complex body of knowledge, try to summarize it according to its structure. This is the fundamental reason why a teacher can close the book and walk through all the points from start to finish while you cannot. Building an index is actually a process of abstracting knowledge. If you could abstract differential formulas to the level of food, you'd naturally think of them during every meal... Of course, that's a joke, but the logic holds. The higher the level of abstraction, the easier it is to be triggered (recalled), because when we encounter a problem, we habitually abstract it first, then search existing knowledge to concretize it, and solve it based on past experience. Even more powerful is that memory indexes have no data type restrictions—we can hear a song and think of a friend, or smell a flower and remember the past. So when you want to remember something, try to remember additional details, such as its position on the paper, your posture at the time, or even the weather that day. The more extra information you remember simultaneously, the easier it will be to recall it later.
Human computational ability is inferior to that of computers; for instance, we can't calculate 2-digit multiplication in 3 seconds, whereas a computer needs only 1 microsecond or less. However, humans have their own advantages. For example, our memory search speed is very fast—an idea or a past event can pop up instantly (which is why it's hard to stay focused); we recognize images quickly, spotting a red flower in a green field at a glance; when faced with a problem, we can quickly produce a "plausible" guess... So do not try to turn your weaknesses into strengths, as no amount of effort will allow you to perform millions of calculations in a second. Instead, we should fully utilize our advantages: we have efficient reading and search mechanisms that save a vast amount of time. In this regard, a computer can never compare, and this will remain true for the foreseeable future.
How to utilize this dual-core machine efficiently while avoiding being misled by it is exactly what "Dark Time" strives to tell us.
Book Review:
The first two parts of the book, "Dark Time" and "Thinking Changes Life," are excellent. The third part, "Learning Problem Solving with Polya"... well, I admit I don't like math. The highlights of the book are "Some Learning Habits That Have Accompanied Me All Along," "My Seven Years at Nanjing University," and "The Hammer and the Nail" (a must-read for programmers).
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