In his keynote at Learning Technologies, Tony Buzan asked the audience to remember the first thing that popped into their heads when he said the word “Clinton.” Nearly everyone flashed on a picture, not a bunch of words. That’s the way we humans are wired.

The Guggenheim in Bilbao would not let me photograph a written explanation of Richard Serra’s works that was pinned to the wall. The Museum of Basque History and Culture doesn’t permit photographs either.The same held true at the Alta Mira Caves and in Westminster Abbey. Last month, it was museums in Santa Fe and Taos. What on earth are the museum curators afraid of? Many of these can’t be copyright issues.

I find this aggravating. If I can’t interact with the artwork, I’m less likely to remember it. If I cannot reflect on a photo of an event, it’s more likely to disappear from my memory.