Bizarreness effect
Memory effect
The tendency to remember strange or absurd material better than ordinary material. The effect shows up mainly when odd items are mixed in among normal ones.
In everyday life
People who train their memory often picture weird scenes, like a giant lobster driving a bus, trusting that an odd image will stand out more than an ordinary one.
Days after reading a news roundup, the only item you can recall is the man who tried to pay a parking fine entirely in jelly beans.
Why your mind does this
Unusual, funny, emotional, or personal things often signal something that matters, such as a threat, an opportunity, or information about ourselves. Giving them extra attention and a stronger place in memory helps us learn fast from rare or important events.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Stands out
How to spot it
Ask yourself whether an odd detail is crowding out the ordinary facts you actually need.
What you can do
Use it on purpose: to make a key name or fact stick, link it to an absurd mental image, and save the trick for the few things that matter most.