Bluma Zeigarnik

Soviet psychologist credited in How to Take Smart Notes with discovering the Zeigarnik effect. The book recounts the (possibly apocryphal) story of her being struck by a waiter who flawlessly recalled complex orders without writing anything down, but forgot them completely the instant a table was cleared — the observation that led her to show that open, unfinished tasks occupy short-term memory until they’re either completed or “closed” by writing them down.

Where this appears

• How To Take Smart Notes