3 ms·
Ask HN: How do you explain something complex in simple terms?
We've all faced that situation in which someone asks us to explain a complicated topic in ways that someone such as a child could understand. What is the magical recipe for doing that? Imagine this as an interview question: finding a general method or set of steps to simplify material in a way that doesn't lose the core ideas. Even better, find a way to simplify it into the fewest number of words.
How would you answer this question?
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- pzxc 16y agoI would answer it: Find the most complex way to give a full and complete explanation, then for each bit assign a necessity value for how important it is. Anything less than a complete explanation is obviously going to leave stuff out, so then you can decide where you want to make the tradeoff by looking at all information above a certain necessity threshold (how ruthlessly you want to cut down the explanation). The quantification of each element of the explanation is going to be relative and arbitrary, but it's still easier to decide how far you're willing to go if you have numbers to base it on, even if they're made-up numbers.
- thebigredjay 16y agoAnalogies!
- tychonoff 16y agoMetaphors!
- gojomo 16y agoIt depends deeply on the audience, and the level of understanding you're targeting. What does the 'child' already know that can be leveraged? Do you want them to have a fuzzy, perhaps-intuitive understanding... or bring them up (however many long steps it takes) to a complicated understanding? Can the explanation be delivered interactively, confirming understanding of explained (or assumed) bases along the way?
- bobf 16y agoConsider a similar question which is frequently discussed on HN -- how to describe a business concept as easily as possible. One technique is to make comparisons to existing businesses that are fairly well understood. For example, YouTube was described as "the flickr of video" (see http://slashdot.org/articles/05/08/14/1320217.shtml http://slashdot.org/articles/05/08/14/1320217.shtml - from 2005) in its early days.
- motxilo 16y agoLearning to explain something complex in simple terms to yourself is even more important. The rest follows.
- Mz 16y agoFirst, you need to understand it thoroughly. The roots of complicated topics are often simpler than it would seem at first glance. Second, you need practice explaining things to people for whom this is pretty alien. Third, you need to treat the audience like it has a brain and respect them. Simplifying does not mean "dumbing down". Fourth, use image-rich language. It makes things more tangible.
- hardik988 16y agoI think Richard Feynman does this exceptionally well. He always explains it in terms that the audience can understand. You should check out some of his videos on Youtube..
- rguzman 16y agoThe same way you pick up girls: become Richard Feynman. http://xkcd.com/182/ http://xkcd.com/182/ More seriously, I find that when I think I can't explain something I know to someone in simple-enough terms it is because I'm underestimating the audience. Explaining things slowly without resorting to undefined jargon usually does the trick.