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Lessons by 3blue1brown

3blue1brown.com

11–20 of 130 posts

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#11

2b1b does a video on how you raise e to a matrix (hint: raising something to e is converted into another function where it's not nonsensical to do such a thing.) In about 10 minutes he explains something my math methods instructor struggled with over two weeks (4 classes). I was resistant to the view that YouTube could host "decent" instructional content for a long time. That video was one of the first that was CLEAR…

> a video on how you raise e to a matrix

Video link https://youtu.be/O85OWBJ2ayo

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#13
post #2

I'm likely in the minority, but I found 3blue1brown videos difficult to understand and they usually give me a worse intuition about a concept than I previously had. I wonder why that is. Seems like most people I know swear by his videos.

If you're looking for more a more traditional style I've heard good things about Michael Penn at https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelPennMath

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#15

2b1b does a video on how you raise e to a matrix (hint: raising something to e is converted into another function where it's not nonsensical to do such a thing.) In about 10 minutes he explains something my math methods instructor struggled with over two weeks (4 classes). I was resistant to the view that YouTube could host "decent" instructional content for a long time. That video was one of the first that was CLEAR…

true for most of calc and a lot of electrical. Institutions failed to discuss why you need to do things. so much of it is here is Taylor Series or integration by parts. but nobody really knew what the application for this stuff was. just follow some rules and plug in some numbers.

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#16
post #2

I'm likely in the minority, but I found 3blue1brown videos difficult to understand and they usually give me a worse intuition about a concept than I previously had. I wonder why that is. Seems like most people I know swear by his videos.

Mostly I've been a huge fan and think I learn a lot, but occasionally his explanation doesn't click with me. One example is his Fourier series where I want to think about a change of basis and multiplying an input signal by "reference" functions, but his explanation is more about circles spinning on circles.

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#17
I feel like the Manim[1] library Grant created to make these videos is becoming some sort of "video matplotlib". I've seen it used in so many maths videos up to this point. There seems like a good amount of value in creating a simple, structured and clear way to represent these concepts in videos.

[1] https://www.manim.community/

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#18
post #2

I'm likely in the minority, but I found 3blue1brown videos difficult to understand and they usually give me a worse intuition about a concept than I previously had. I wonder why that is. Seems like most people I know swear by his videos.

That's the first time I've heard that. Curious what about it makes it harder for you. That's a shame, but it seems like 3b1b doesn't cater to your learning style!

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#19

2b1b does a video on how you raise e to a matrix (hint: raising something to e is converted into another function where it's not nonsensical to do such a thing.) In about 10 minutes he explains something my math methods instructor struggled with over two weeks (4 classes). I was resistant to the view that YouTube could host "decent" instructional content for a long time. That video was one of the first that was CLEAR…

My "ten minutes to understand something I never quite got" moment was his video on Fourier Transforms.

Re: Lessons by 3blue1brown

#20
post #2

I'm likely in the minority, but I found 3blue1brown videos difficult to understand and they usually give me a worse intuition about a concept than I previously had. I wonder why that is. Seems like most people I know swear by his videos.

Learning is all about using your current knowledge and understanding to refine and augment those mental models.

Be aware that many people don't watch videos to learn, they watch to be entertained. They think that they are learning, but really they are just watching animations. In the end, they can't actually do any of the math. They haven't actually learned anything. In the same vein, that's why TED talks are so popular. It's like eating dessert... all sugar and no nutrients.

I'm not saying that 3b1b videos aren't instructional, but rather that they are so well put together that they can satisfy the entertainment-seekers while still offering meaningful content.

The question is, then, why don't you get anything out of the videos? That brings us back to the problem of mental models of understanding.

If someone teaches a subject from a completely different perspective, it may be that it confuses you as your brain tries to harmonize the two conflicting mental models, and the video moves along too quickly for you to be able to benefit from the realignment.

This is not an attack on you, btw. In fact, I believe that this realization helped me a lot as an educator to be patient when teaching. Furthermore, it does not mean that your initial understanding is wrong, but that it is a different perspective than that which is being presented by the instructor.

Alternatively, it may be that the videos move through a particular concept too quickly. I find this is an issue, too. Once I understand something new, I like to almost daydream about the concept, exploring it mentally so that I understand it from a lot of different angles. I think of it in different situations and to see if my intuitions make sense, and if they don't I ask for clarifications. You can't do that when watching a video because it doesn't stop to answer your questions.

I like 3b1b videos. Some of them I can binge on all day simply because they "click" and make sense. Others I have had to spend days (or weeks) thinking about in order to digest and understand the perspective that Grant is trying to convey. They are definitely high value and I greatly appreciate Grant's work, but I definitely have to work, too, in order to benefit from some of them.

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