13/08/2026
How to Become an Everyday Genius: Nelson Dellis.
Episode out now: https://linktr.ee/undercurrentstories
We tend to think of genius as something you’re born with. A rare quality possessed by people with extraordinary memories, mathematical abilities, or problem-solving skills.
But what if many of the abilities we associate with genius can actually be trained?
In this episode, I'm joined by Nelson Dellis, a six-time USA Memory Champion, Guinness World Record holder, and author of Everyday Genius, about the practical skills we can all develop to make better use of our minds.
Nelson explains how he went from having what he describes as a fairly ordinary memory to becoming one of the world's top memory athletes. He shares the techniques he uses to memorise enormous amounts of information, including numbers, names and lists, and explains why the ability to remember information still matters in an age when we can ask our phones or AI to retrieve almost anything for us.
We also get into mental maths, problem-solving, curiosity, intuition and the fascinating question of whether our minds may be capable of more than we currently understand.
One of the most interesting ideas in this conversation is that genius may be less about having an extraordinary brain and more about learning how to use an ordinary brain extraordinarily well.
Nelson's own story is a good example. He didn't grow up believing he had a remarkable memory. He discovered techniques that worked, practised them, and gradually transformed his abilities.
https://www.nelsondellis.com/
