1. Learning through Creation vs. Passive Consumption [0]

Most people consume content passively and retain very little, but learning through creation forces deeper engagement and better understanding.

1.1. The Importance of Creation for True Understanding [0]

  1. Most people spend a lot of time consuming content like articles, notes, or lectures, but they retain very little and produce even less from what they learn [0].
  2. Students often absorb information passively by reading, listening, and watching, but they are not often challenged to create something from scratch or build on their knowledge [1].
  3. If you cannot reproduce an argument, formula, or concept, you haven't fully understood it [3].
    1. The act of creating forces you to engage with the material on a deeper level and reflect on the knowledge you've retained [4].
    2. Creating helps you identify knowledge gaps because you get stuck when trying to reproduce a theory or explain a concept, revealing incomplete understanding [5].
  4. Techniques used during a PhD can help internalize information more quickly and focus on creation rather than passive consumption [7].

1.2. Learning Through Creation as a Habit [10]

  1. The best way to learn something is by creating something [11].
    1. For example, if you are asked to repeat an argument you just heard and improve it, you realize that many people cannot even reproduce an argument they passively listened to [12].
  2. Make it a habit to engage in active reflection at the start and end of your day [13].
    1. Dedicate time to organize thoughts, write notes, and actively reflect on what you've heard or learned about a topic, such as after a lesson or lecture [14].
    2. As a researcher, the speaker takes notes after lectures, sometimes using them for blog posts, which helps truly understand the presented arguments rather than just passively observing [16].
    3. Developing this kind of information retention and note-taking as a habit significantly improves retention over time [19].
  3. Focus on active learning techniques versus passive learning techniques [21].
    1. Passive learning involves only listening without creating anything [22].
    2. Active learning involves reproducing part of the information [22].

2. Active Learning Techniques for Deeper Understanding [23]

Active learning techniques, such as learning from experts, using the Feynman technique, and applying knowledge to real-life scenarios, promote deeper understanding and retention.

2.1. Learning from Experts [23]

  1. To learn a new topic, identify the top 10 to 100 renowned experts in that field [23].
  2. Consume all their work by listening to interviews on podcasts, reading their latest research papers, and watching their lectures on YouTube [30].
  3. Collect all this information in a common space, such as Notion or Evernote, creating a dedicated space for the topic and listing notes from these experts [34].
  4. Critically engage with the material by asking what topic these experts should work on next to advance their research, as research is rarely complete and often has gaps [37].
    1. This question forces active engagement with the topics presented [38].

2.2. The Feynman Technique [39]

  1. The Feynman technique, named after physicist and teacher Richard Feynman, involves mastering a concept by teaching it [39].
  2. Choose a topic you want to master and write down everything you know about it, like a mind map, which helps identify what you've learned, what you're familiar with, and what you're uncertain about [40].
  3. Explain the concept as if you were teaching it to someone else [45].
    1. This can be done internally, by thinking over sentences in your head, or by finding a quiet room to talk out loud to an imaginary audience [47].
    2. Teaching forces you to simplify complex ideas and pinpoint parts you don't fully understand, even if you've worked with the concepts for years [50].
  4. Review and refine your explanation by going back to your sources to fill in knowledge gaps [53].
    1. Instead of immediately looking up unknown information, highlight the question, read up on it, and then teach it again [54].
    2. Continue refining your explanation until you can teach the concept clearly and without hesitation [55].
    3. This process, though long, leads to a much deeper understanding of concepts [56].
    4. It can also help identify gaps in general understanding, potentially leading to new research questions, such as questioning why a constant is used in a formula [57].

2.3. Applying Learning to Real-Life Scenarios [60]

  1. Apply active learning strategies in daily life when reading or engaging with other materials [60].
  2. Read case studies or learn about people who have experienced disorders you are researching [62].
    1. For example, when researching schizophrenia using abstract computational psychiatry methods, the speaker reads about people's lived experiences to better understand research questions [63].
  3. Apply your learning to real-life scenarios instead of just reading theory [67].
    1. Read case studies or real-world examples related to your field, such as neurological disorders or brain injuries in neuroscience [68].
    2. Write a summary or answer questions about the case, applying what you've learned practically [69].
    3. This solidifies knowledge and can spark interest, providing momentum for continued reading and research [70].
    4. An example is the book The Center Cannot Hold by a Harvard Law School professor, which describes her experience with schizophrenia [71].
  4. These methods help remember information better and present it more clearly to others, such as new students [73].