Recently, some neuroscientists tried to observe long-term working memory in action.

ECONOMIST: Who wants to be a genius?

So this study seems to provide some neurological evidence for Dr Ericsson's idea that long-term working-memory function underpins prodigy-level performance.

ECONOMIST: Who wants to be a genius?

Mr Gamm appeared to be using his long-term memory to store the working results that he needed to complete his calculations for example, all the dividends and remainders of a division sum.

ECONOMIST: Who wants to be a genius?

Still, the foc.us is one of a few tDCS headsets designed for the consumer market and can, the inventor Michael Oxley claims, improve your working or short-term memory when the electrodes are placed on your prefrontal cortex.

ENGADGET

The authors of a new study wanted to determine whether short-term mindfulness training might help improve the working memory, focus, and ultimately, the GRE scores, of kids who took a two-week class on mindfulness.

FORBES: The 'New' Benefits Of Mindfulness: Improved Memory, Focus, And GRE Scores

Dr Ericsson believes that prodigies get such impressive mileage out of their working memories by placing important pieces of information into their long-term memories in a way that makes them accessible to working-memory processes.

ECONOMIST: Who wants to be a genius?