Learning science
Forgetting curve visualizer
Ebbinghaus showed memory decays fast. Spaced repetition is how you fight back. Explore both curves below.
Higher strength means information fades more slowly. Elaboration, sleep, and meaningful encoding increase strength.
Reviews at days 1, 3, 7, and 14. Each review boosts retention and extends the interval.
What the curve shows
Hermann Ebbinghaus measured his own memory in 1885. He found that without active review, most of what you learn is forgotten within days. The exact rate depends on what you're learning and how well you encoded it — but the shape is always the same: a sharp drop followed by a long, slow decline.
How spaced repetition changes the curve
Each review resets the curve and extends the next interval. Do a review right before you'd forget and you reinforce the memory with minimum effort. NeverCram runs FSRS-6 — a modern algorithm that predicts your personal forgetting curve for every card and schedules reviews at the optimal moment.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve?
- Discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885, the forgetting curve shows that without active review, most of what you learn is forgotten within days — a sharp drop followed by a long, slow decline.
- How does spaced repetition flatten the forgetting curve?
- Each review resets the curve and extends the next interval. Reviewing just before you'd forget reinforces the memory with minimum effort and pushes future recall further out.
- What scheduling algorithm does NeverCram use?
- NeverCram runs FSRS-6, a modern algorithm that predicts your personal forgetting curve for every card and schedules reviews at the optimal moment — more accurate than fixed intervals.
Stop studying what you already know
NeverCram's FSRS-6 scheduler shows you cards right before you forget — no wasted reviews, no blindspots.