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The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

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Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#21

Post by agumonkey »

barefoot wrote: post #7

"If you’re not learning you’re standing still" This is a large understatement. In our industry, if you're not learning you are drifting backwards rapidly. I aim for twenty hours a week of (unpaid) reinvestment and learning. Some weeks I still feel like that's not enough to stay current. Does anyone else feel the same way?

I did learning for the sake of it; not totally for no reason, I used to crave learning, abstraction, understanding. At one point it wasn't the whole story.

Standing still as rotting is bad obviously, but to me, just seek things that provides a sense of eager. Be it walking, boxing.. "make it" passionating (as in seek what tickles that sense). If semiconductor physics does that, enjoy it. But the emotion is what motivates me now. I think it's more important to replenish that than learning. You'll learn later when you're fulfilled, and probably 10x times better and faster.

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#23

Post by wallace_f »

wenc wrote: post #18
dajonker wrote: post #6

That's usually how you can identify good people: when they can explain complicated things using simple words, in a way that their audience can understand it. People that need lots of expensive words and leave you feeling dizzy at the end of their presentation often don't know very well what they are talking about either.

An alternative explanation is that some people are just good explainers. I've had profs in college who were brilliant but couldn't teach, and profs who could teach but weren't brilliant (didn't produce much original research). I wouldn't say the former group "didn't know their material well", but they didn't build up the material systematically. Pedagogy was neglected. Explaining things is an art that not every has t…

I would have loved to earn a degree by watching lectures online of the best teachers, and then having, instead of lecture hours offered in-person, an interactive Q&A session.

But what would be the best is if you are allowed to skip ahead lectures, etc at your own pace. The competitive incentive here would have been a big extra motivator.

Of course, you cant blame stagnating scientific discovery, stagnating prosperity, and soaring academic costs on the Academic Complex. Teachers, especially, are beyond reproach.

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#24

Post by copperx »

iKevinShah wrote: post #16
dajonker wrote: post #6

That's usually how you can identify good people: when they can explain complicated things using simple words, in a way that their audience can understand it. People that need lots of expensive words and leave you feeling dizzy at the end of their presentation often don't know very well what they are talking about either.

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein

Feynman said that if he couldn't teach something to undergrads, he didn't understand it well enough.

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#25

Post by kmarc »

tugberkk wrote: post #8

There is a youtuber junior md called Ali Abdaal. He has very good scientific videos about learning. Talks about subjects such as “active recall” and “spaced repetition”. Worth a look imho. Here is the youtube channel link: https://m.youtube.com/user/Sepharoth64 Video on a.recall and s.repetition: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ukLnPbIffxE

Should you be interested in the science and research behind it, I warmly recommend reading the book "Make It Stick" where the concepts are discussed in length. [1]

[1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18770267-make-it-stick

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#27

Post by peter303 »

In my town we have something called The Science Cafe. The presenter has describe an interesting topic in 20 minutes without [computer] slides, followed by Q&A. This is not easy now that conference talks and course lectures heavily use powerpoint. TED science talks are similar.

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#28

Post by mettamage »

> When you write out an idea from start to finish in simple language that a child can understand (tip: use only the most common words), you force yourself to understand the concept at a deeper level and simplify relationships and connections between ideas. If you struggle, you have a clear understanding of where you have some gaps. That tension is good –it heralds an opportunity to learn.

I have lived with my grandparents for the majority of my life. My grandpa isn't the most intellectual person on this planet. Yet, since I've grown up I've always seen him as my intellectual equal and because of that he always listened to when I had understood a new concept.

I am sure that because of this 'in-built mechanism' in my family structure I got set up to be 'naturally talented' at explaining things since I was always used to put things into simple terms subconsciously.

What I am learning from this is that when I have a kid, I have to act like an 8 year old so that he/she will experience the same blessing as I did.

I still thank my grandpa for listening to my (most of the times) very long-winded and convoluted explanations, forcing me to simplify until I had a feeling he understood me well enough.

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#29

Post by daveFNbuck »

peter303 wrote: post #27

In my town we have something called The Science Cafe. The presenter has describe an interesting topic in 20 minutes without [computer] slides, followed by Q&A. This is not easy now that conference talks and course lectures heavily use powerpoint. TED science talks are similar.

Is harder now to find someone willing to talk without slides, or is it harder for the speakers to put together a talk without slides?

> without [computer] slides

Are other types of slides allowed?

Re: The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything (2012)

#30

Post by [deleted] »

1000units wrote: post #11
dajonker wrote: post #6

That's usually how you can identify good people: when they can explain complicated things using simple words, in a way that their audience can understand it. People that need lots of expensive words and leave you feeling dizzy at the end of their presentation often don't know very well what they are talking about either.

Good or smart? They're not entirely unrelated but there's a big difference.

[deleted]
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