4 ms·

A very formulaic article, start with an anecdote that could fit many other articles (it seems Feynmann always shows up when we are talking about learning), refe

A very formulaic article, start with an anecdote that could fit many other articles (it seems Feynmann always shows up when we are talking about learning), refer to some Twitter conversation, add a formula or graph which provides no insight, sprinkle memes everywhere and that's all. In the end, it seems the entire article can be summarised to, "it is all good to google for some recipes to solve your problems, but you also should care about some deeper understanding". Is there anything else to it?

lioeters 6y ago
Having skimmed through the article, I agree that the insight could have been summarized as a one-liner. One could raise the same criticism for majority of content on the Internet, or even the field of literature. On the other hand, starting with a Feynmann anecdote got my attention; the article takes the reader on an exploration of that single insight - at least it can be credited with staying on point - with some amusing illustrations/memes, and concludes by explaining the contrast between top-down/bottom-up approaches. OK, this last point could have been elaborated, what it means to "work from first principles". Over all, I enjoyed following the author's thinking process, and felt that the article had enough substance to keep the reader's interest and stimulate some reflection and discussion, to re/consider one's approach. > Is there anything else to it? Like you, I seek more philosophical and intellectual substance. I think articles like this one are aimed at a general audience, like "popular science" - it's second-hand digested information, with some opinions based on experience. To get to the real meat, one must get closer to the source of the insights, like Feymann's own work.
- Swizec 6y ago
  On the other hand, this article took me 6 months of having a thought I couldn’t put into words until it clicked earlier this week and the Feynman anecdote is just a stylistic choice for structuring the article. And you can summarize anything in 1 sentence if you don’t care about readers getting it, are trying to be funny, or are cynical enough. The world is not so complex after all. Everything’s just about increasing or decreasing entropy.

lioeters 6y ago

Having skimmed through the article, I agree that the insight could have been summarized as a one-liner. One could raise the same criticism for majority of content on the Internet, or even the field of literature. On the other hand, starting with a Feynmann anecdote got my attention; the article takes the reader on an exploration of that single insight - at least it can be credited with staying on point - with some amusing illustrations/memes, and concludes by explaining the contrast between top-down/bottom-up approaches. OK, this last point could have been elaborated, what it means to "work from first principles". Over all, I enjoyed following the author's thinking process, and felt that the article had enough substance to keep the reader's interest and stimulate some reflection and discussion, to re/consider one's approach. > Is there anything else to it? Like you, I seek more philosophical and intellectual substance. I think articles like this one are aimed at a general audience, like "popular science" - it's second-hand digested information, with some opinions based on experience. To get to the real meat, one must get closer to the source of the insights, like Feymann's own work.

Swizec 6y ago
On the other hand, this article took me 6 months of having a thought I couldn’t put into words until it clicked earlier this week and the Feynman anecdote is just a stylistic choice for structuring the article. And you can summarize anything in 1 sentence if you don’t care about readers getting it, are trying to be funny, or are cynical enough. The world is not so complex after all. Everything’s just about increasing or decreasing entropy.