Memory is really really weird

I just saw this in someone’s slashdot .sig

POKE 53281,0 POKE 53280,0

Amazingly, I actually knew what it meant. I even remembered right that it means black, not white. How the heck could I possibly remember that?!?

Related memory question: How is it possible that one can forget something, and then later remember it? And that while forgotten you can remember that you forgot it, try and hunt for the answer in your mind and not find it, then remember it later? For example, someone asks “What is fred’s phone number?” and you can’t remember. An hour later, you suddenly remember. What the heck is up with that?