Susuto

I think that the point of the article was that people who are actively looking at something, with the intention of remembering it, or thinking about what they are seeing, are more likely to recall details later on.

It’s the premise of most memory techniques out there. If you spend time organizing what it is you want to remember, you are more likely to remember it in a meaningful way later on. It’s not just the details that you need to remember something. You can also construct visual reminders that are highly improbable. If you parked the car at the corner of 3rd and Tower, visualizing that your car is now the third tallest tower in town, or dangling off the corner of the third tallest tower in the city, may help you remember. But just thinking about the immobile objects that are around your car may help as well. It’s next to the large Oak, across from the green fire hydrant, with the brownstone on the corner, might not help in downtown Boston, but in some neighborhoods elsewhere, remembering those specific details may be enough to give your memory a starting point to fill in more of the details.