Home

LSQ Newsletter

A newsletter for lifelong learners looking to improve their processing, retention and recall of everything they learn.

Written by

Ray Blakney

After the Cram: How to Actually Recover From an Emergency Learning Session

Your brain just ran a marathon. Here's how to get it back to baseline...

Ray Blakney

Roll the Dice on Smarter: How Board Games Quietly Make You a Better Learner

Apr 24, 2026

•

7 min read

Roll the Dice on Smarter: How Board Games Quietly Make You a Better Learner

The cognitive science of cardboard, dice, and tiny wooden meeples, and why your weekly D&D session might be doing more for your brain than your study app.

Ray Blakney

The Case for Being Bored: Why Your Brain Needs Empty Time

Apr 23, 2026

•

7 min read

The Case for Being Bored: Why Your Brain Needs Empty Time

The uncomfortable, unfashionable truth about why the best learners are often the ones willing to sit quietly and do absolutely nothing.

Ray Blakney

How to Actually Remember What You Just Learned

Apr 23, 2026

•

7 min read

How to Actually Remember What You Just Learned

Three science-backed techniques that move information from your brain's RAM into long-term storage, plus why highlighting your textbook is basically the cognitive equivalent of doing nothing.

Ray Blakney

The Empty Desk Advantage: Why Minimal Spaces Make Better Learners

Apr 22, 2026

•

6 min read

The Empty Desk Advantage: Why Minimal Spaces Make Better Learners

Why your study space might be doing more work against you than for you.

Ray Blakney

The Overlooked Half of Learning: What to Do After You Close the Book

Apr 22, 2026

•

6 min read

The Overlooked Half of Learning: What to Do After You Close the Book

Your brain keeps working after you stop, and what you do in the next 60 minutes can make or break whether you actually remember any of it.

Ray Blakney

Chill Before You Drill: The Science of Pre-Study Relaxation

Apr 21, 2026

•

6 min read

Chill Before You Drill: The Science of Pre-Study Relaxation

Why your pre-study routine matters more than your actual study method, featuring one Jedi breathing technique, one Navy SEAL secret, and zero incense (unless you want some).

Ray Blakney