Elon Musk on Reddit, Khan Academy, and Architecture made for Instagram
Elon Musk is someone who understands memes and the world. Khan Academy is doing something the education systems should adapt. Star
Hey there!
Being sick during Covid doesn’t feel great, but it certainly gives you a chance to sneak out of your daily routine to watch a TV show.
So, I watched this new Netflix show Behind her Eyes, and boy did it mess with my head.
The last 20 minutes of the last episode ate the entire season up. This is what I mean when I say I need more. It's not often that a psychological thriller show/movie leaves me questioning till the end. (I usually figure it out halfway through) BUT THIS!
I think it’s a short TV show, worthy of a weekend binge. Plan it.
Also, I have recovered from my sore throat, thanks for asking.
Also, I will be back to my swimming evenings today. Can I do a 2k swim without stopping?
Elon Musk on Learning
When you’re sick, you waste a lot of time.
I spent (wasted) most of my time on YouTube, Reddit and planning my team for the biggest Double Gameweek of the Fantasy Premier League.
Here’s some of the good stuff I found on a Reddit post.
Question: How do you learn so fast? Lots of people read books and talk to other smart people, but you’ve taken it to a whole new level.
Elon Musk: I think most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying. One bit of advice: it is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree — make sure you understand the fundamental principles, like the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.
Or, as Elon Musk said in his Ted Talk: “If you wanna do something new, go for the physics approach of first principles reasoning. Get the fundamentals and reason up from there.”
Keep It Simple Silly.
Here’s my take on learning how to learn where I break it down.
Education? Potential?
Do you know how it seems every school district and educational foundation wants to throw money at "We need more technology in the classrooms!"?
They're half right.
We need enough technology to enable ready access for self-paced, teacher assisted learning. I just watched a 12-year-old and a 30-year-old find out about Khan Academy at the same time. Both of them hate math. They're not 'math people'. They've 'never been good at that stuff.
Both of them saw the video game-style achievements, saw the quick, easy, "Just one more 5-minute lesson" system, and started ploughing through a month or more of conventional math classes in a few days.
You need:
A teacher to get the kids started, explain the occasional roadblock, and prod the kids who'd rather sit on their phone and Reddit/Facebook.
A learning system that's set up to take 95% of the work of the teacher, because the teacher can't focus on tutoring 20 or 30 kids simultaneously. This is where I think we're going to see a ridiculous amount of growth over the next 10-15 years, enough to revolutionize learning in schools willing to take a giant, scary leap away from traditional methods.
The technology to support the learning system and keep the teacher aware of everyone's progress. That means Internet access for the kids no matter where they are, rugged, inexpensive tablets/laptops with large displays and long-lived batteries, and the software and network infrastructure to keep it running.
A school system that can put all that together is going to start churning out kids who'd be considered geniuses on a regular basis. They're not actually smarter, but they've learned they can learn. No more than a handful of people reading this even have the potential, in an ideal world, to be Elon Musk. 90% of the people reading this have the potential, in an ideal world, to be one of the rocket scientists working for him.
All you needed was the chance to start learning as a toddler, and the internalized, rock-solid belief that of course, you can learn how to do something a little complicated- everybody said you can't teach algebra to a 2nd grader and you did it, so how hard can rocket surgery be?
Here’s a cool video from Khan academy’s founder:
Starchitecture
It describes the made-for-Instagram architectural style that’s become so popular. The buildings photograph well, so they become icons that cities use to attract tourists.
We need this a lot in India, I feel.
Smart concept to use architecture as marketing.
Here are a few examples:
Endnote:
I have been given some good work opportunities lately which makes me think about the luck factor in my life.
Smart people don't automatically become successful, they do so because they got lucky.
I am not sure if many of you will agree with it, and it’s okay.
Amateurs think disagreements are threats. Professionals see them as an opportunity to learn.
👋 The End
Thanks for joining me! Let me know what you’re reading, learning, watching or thinking about. If you wish to get in touch, message me on Twitter or Instagram, or reply to this post/email.
Hey, here’s a cool/vibey song that I have been listening to. Of course, it brings back the FIFA 16 memories.
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