How to Learn Faster with the Feynman Technique (Example Included)

Summary

The video script introduces the Feynman Technique, a powerful study method named after physicist Richard Feynman, known for his ability to simplify complex concepts. The technique involves four steps: writing down the concept, explaining it in simple terms, identifying areas of weakness, and simplifying technical jargon. It's applicable across various subjects and helps to pinpoint knowledge gaps, making it an efficient review tool. The script also suggests explaining concepts to a child to challenge assumptions and deepen understanding.

Takeaways

• 😎 The Feynman Technique is a study method attributed to physicist Richard Feynman, emphasizing teaching concepts to others for better understanding.
• 🧠 It's named after Richard Feynman, known as 'The Great Explainer', who was renowned for simplifying complex ideas into understandable language.
• 🏆 Feynman won the Nobel Prize in 1965 for his work in quantum electrodynamics and contributed significantly to science with his Feynman diagrams.
• 📝 The technique involves a four-step process: writing the concept's name, explaining it simply, identifying gaps in understanding, and simplifying technical jargon.
• 📖 The first step is to write the concept's name at the top of a piece of paper, using the Pythagorean Theorem as an example in the script.
• 🗣️ The second step is to explain the concept in plain language, as if teaching it to someone else, including working through examples.
• 🔍 The third step involves reviewing areas of weakness in the explanation and revisiting the source material to solidify understanding.
• 📝 The fourth step is to simplify technical terms and convoluted language in the explanation, aiming for the utmost clarity.
• 👶 An extra suggestion is to consider how you would explain the concept to a child, which can challenge assumptions and deepen understanding.
• 📚 The technique is beneficial for both quickly assessing knowledge and identifying areas that require further study, making it an efficient review tool.
• 🌐 The script provides additional examples of applying the Feynman Technique to concepts like Bayes' Rule and the CSS Box Model in a companion article.

Q & A

What is the quote often attributed to Albert Einstein that the video discusses?

The video does not provide the exact quote attributed to Albert Einstein, but it suggests that it's a well-known quote that has been reversed to reveal a powerful study advice.

What is the main idea discussed in the video related to studying?

The main idea discussed in the video is the Feynman Technique, which is about teaching what you're learning to someone else as an effective study technique.

Who is Richard Feynman and why is the technique named after him?

Richard Feynman was a renowned physicist who won a Nobel Prize in 1965 for his work in quantum electrodynamics. He was also known as 'The Great Explainer' due to his ability to simplify complex concepts, which is why the technique is named after him.

What are Feynman diagrams?

Feynman diagrams are graphical representations of the math behind how subatomic particles work, which Richard Feynman contributed to in the field of science.

How does the Feynman Technique help in understanding a concept?

The Feynman Technique helps by requiring you to explain a concept in simple terms as if teaching it to someone else, which tests and deepens your own understanding.

What is the first step of the Feynman Technique?

The first step is to write the name of the concept you want to understand at the top of a piece of paper.

What should be the language used in step two of the Feynman Technique?

In step two, you should explain the concept in simple, plain English (or any language you speak), as if you were teaching it to someone else.

What should you do if you identify areas where you're shaky on the concept during step three?

If you identify shaky areas, you should go back to the source material, notes, or work through examples until your understanding of those areas is solid.

What is the purpose of step four in the Feynman Technique?

Step four is to review your explanation and simplify any technical terms or convoluted language, aiming for the utmost simplicity.

How can the Feynman Technique be applied to subjects other than math or science?

The Feynman Technique can be applied to any subject by explaining the concept in simple terms, regardless of the discipline, to improve understanding.

What is the additional suggestion given in the video for enhancing step four of the technique?

The additional suggestion is to consider how you would explain the concept to a child, which can challenge your assumptions and deepen your understanding.

Where can viewers find examples of applying the Feynman Technique to complex concepts or non-math subjects?

Examples of applying the Feynman Technique to complex concepts or non-math subjects can be found in the companion article linked in the video description.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 The Feynman Technique for Effective Learning

This paragraph introduces the Feynman Technique, a study method attributed to physicist Richard Feynman, known for his ability to simplify complex concepts. The technique involves teaching what you've learned to someone else, which helps deepen your understanding. It's a four-step process: writing the concept's name, explaining it in simple terms, identifying and reviewing shaky areas, and simplifying technical jargon. This method is applicable to various subjects and can be used for both learning and testing one's knowledge. Feynman's own dedication to intuitive understanding underscores the technique's value.

05:02

📚 Expanding on the Feynman Technique with Examples

The second paragraph provides additional context and resources for applying the Feynman Technique. It suggests using the technique to review concepts and pinpoint areas of weakness, making it an efficient study tool. The speaker also recommends framing explanations as if for a child to challenge assumptions and deepen understanding, using the Pythagorean Theorem as an example. The paragraph concludes by directing viewers to a companion article with examples of applying the technique to Bayes' Rule and the CSS Box Model, and encourages engagement through likes, comments, and subscriptions.

Keywords

💡Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is a renowned theoretical physicist who is often attributed with various quotes, though not all are authentically his. In the context of the video, Einstein's name is used to introduce the concept of a well-known quote that emphasizes the value of teaching what you learn to others, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Study Less, Study Smart

This is the title of a lecture by Doctor Marty Lubdell, which the video references. The lecture discusses effective study techniques, including teaching what you learn to others, a concept that is expanded upon in the video. It represents the video's theme of efficient learning strategies.

💡Feynman Technique

Named after physicist Richard Feynman, this technique involves explaining a concept in simple terms to ensure deep understanding. The video uses the Feynman Technique as a method for studying effectively, illustrating its application through the Pythagorean Theorem example.

💡Quantum Electrodynamics

Quantum Electrodynamics is a field of physics for which Richard Feynman won a Nobel Prize in 1965. In the video, it is mentioned to highlight Feynman's scientific achievements and to establish his credibility as a great explainer of complex concepts.

💡Feynman Diagrams

Feynman Diagrams are graphical representations of the mathematical equations describing the interactions of subatomic particles. The video mentions these diagrams to emphasize Feynman's ability to simplify complex scientific concepts, which is integral to the main theme of the video.

💡The Great Explainer

A nickname for Richard Feynman, 'The Great Explainer' signifies his talent for making complex scientific ideas accessible. The video uses this nickname to underscore the importance of being able to explain concepts simply, which is a key aspect of the Feynman Technique.

💡Intuitive Understanding

The video discusses the importance of achieving an intuitive understanding of a concept, as exemplified by Feynman's approach to learning. It suggests that true understanding comes from being able to explain a concept easily, which is central to the video's message.

💡Pythagorean Theorem

Used as an example in the video, the Pythagorean Theorem is a fundamental principle in geometry. The video demonstrates the application of the Feynman Technique by explaining this theorem in simple terms, showing how the technique can be applied to various subjects.

💡Technical Terms

The video advises against using technical terms when explaining concepts, as part of the Feynman Technique. It suggests simplifying language to ensure that explanations are accessible, which is crucial for testing and solidifying one's understanding.

💡Simplicity

Simplicity is a core principle of the Feynman Technique emphasized in the video. It argues that the ability to explain a concept in simple language is a true test of understanding. The video encourages breaking down complex ideas into easily understandable terms.

💡Explaining to a Child

The video suggests explaining concepts as if to a child as a way to challenge assumptions and ensure a deep understanding. This approach is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the Feynman Technique in simplifying complex ideas.

Highlights

The quote often attributed to Einstein about teaching as a way to understand is insightful and valuable for study advice.

The Feynman Technique is a step-by-step process for teaching what you're learning to someone else, enhancing understanding.

The technique is named after physicist Richard Feynman, known for his ability to simplify complex concepts.

Feynman diagrams are graphical representations of subatomic particle interactions, contributing to his nickname 'The Great Explainer'.

Feynman's method of working through equations until concepts are intuitively understood is a key aspect of the technique.

The technique is applicable to any subject area, not just physics or math, and can be used for both learning and testing understanding.

The Feynman Technique consists of four steps: writing the concept name, explaining it simply, identifying shaky areas, and simplifying technical terms.

The first step of the technique involves writing down the concept you want to understand.

The second step requires explaining the concept in simple language as if teaching it to someone else.

The third step involves revisiting the material to solidify understanding of areas that were initially difficult.

The fourth step challenges you to simplify technical terms and convoluted language in your explanation.

The technique helps quickly identify solid and shaky areas of understanding, making it an efficient review method.

Feynman believed that the ultimate test of understanding is the ability to explain a concept to someone else.

An additional suggestion is to explain concepts as if to a child to challenge assumptions and deepen understanding.

Examples of applying the Feynman Technique to complex concepts like Bayes' Rule and the CSS Box Model are provided in a companion article.

The video offers a free book on how to earn better grades for subscribers and additional tips on being a productive student.

The video concludes with an invitation to subscribe for more productivity tips and to explore other informative videos.

Transcripts

There's this pretty well known quote that gets thrown

around a lot and it's often attributed to Albert Einstein

and it goes,

Now whether or not Einstein was the person

who actually said this, let's be real he probably wasn't,

it's still really insightful and reversing it reveals

a pretty powerful piece of study advice.

Now this idea is something I touched on briefly

back in my video summary of the Study Less, Study Smart

lecture by Doctor Marty Lubdell, because in that lecture

he talked about one of the effective study techniques

being to teach what you're learning to someone else.

So in this video, I want to dig deeper into that idea

and share with you a step-by-step process for doing this,

which has been called the Feynman Technique.

Now this technique is named after the physicist

who was, in his own right, a great scientist.

In fact, back in 1965, he won a Nobel Prize for his work

in quantum electrodynamics, which is something

I had to practice saying a couple of different times,

and he contributed to science in a number of different ways,

including in the development of what are called

Feynman diagrams, which are basically graphical

representations of the math behind

how subatomic particles work.

But in addition to being a great scientist,

he was also a great teacher and a great explainer.

And in fact, one of his nicknames was "The Great Explainer,"

because he was able to boil down incredibly

complex concepts and put them in simple language

that other people could understand.

And that's why he's one of those great scientists

who is also known as a very good teacher.

And in fact, even in his own learning, Feynman was famous

for tirelessly working through equations until the concept

he was wrangling with was intuitively easy to understand,

in his mind.

So that's why this technique is named after him,

but you don't have to be a physicists or you don't have

to be working on math or science problems to use

this technique, because explaining a concept works

to improve your understanding of that concept in basically

an area, be it history or be it math,

or be it web development.

It doesn't matter, and it also works

for multiple different purposes.

If you're shaky on a concept and you want to quickly

improve your understanding, you can use it.

But if you already have a pretty confident grasp

of a subject, and say you've got a test coming up soon,

you can also use it to test your understanding

and challenge your assumptions.

As Feynman himself said,

The ultimate way to ensure that you actually understand

all the little nitty-gritty details of a concept

in head is to explain it to someone else,

or at least to pretend you're doing so.

And that is the crux of the Feynman technique.

So, let's get into it.

It's a process of four steps and the first step

is to simply get out a piece of paper and write

the name of the technique down at the top.

And in the example I filmed here, we're gonna use

the Pythagorean Theorem because it is simple

and it won't get in the way of the actual steps

we're going to go through.

Step two is to explain the concept and to do it

in simple, plain English,

or French, or really whatever language you happen to speak.

But the idea here is to do it in a way that's easy

to understand as if you were teaching someone else.

And don't just settle with defining the concept either.

Also work through examples and make sure you're able

to use the concept in practice, as well.

For step three, identify any of the areas

that you're shaky on after your explanation

or identify areas that you got stuck on

that halted your explanation and go back

to the source material or go back to your notes

or work through examples until your understanding

of these subareas is just as solid

as all the other areas.

And finally, step four is to look at your explanation

and try to identify any areas where you've resorted

to using technical terms of convoluted language

and then challenge yourself to break down those terms

and explain them in simplified, easy to understand words.

Remember, the key here is simplicity.

The act of explaining a topic as if you were teaching

it to somebody who didn't have the same base

assumptions and base knowledge that you have

is the ultimate test of your own knowledge in that subject.

And that's pretty much it, that's all there is

to the Feynman technique.

Now using this tecnhique is incredibly helpful

because it, number one, helps you to quickly overview

the concept and see where your knowledge is solid,

but number two, it helps you to instantly pinpoint

the areas where you're shaky and where

you need to do extra work.

And that makes this technique a great first step

in reviewing a concept because it's very efficient

and it helps you waste less time.

I did want to give you guys one extra suggestion though,

and it relates to how you frame your mind

going into step four.

Instead of just thinking how can I make this simple,

how can I put it in plain English, also think,

how would I explain this to a kid?

Why?

Well besides asking questions like,

"Can I have another Oreo," or

"Can I go watch Dragonball Z?"

A kid's gonna ask,

"Why does that work?"

And that's gonna help challenge your assumptions.

For instance, going back to our Pythagorean Theorem

example, maybe you know the formula,

but a kid would ask you why does that formula work?

Why does the Pythagorean Theorem hold as a rule

for all right triangles?

And yeah, maybe you understand that intuitively,

maybe you could bust out the proof by rearrangement,

but maybe you can't.

Maybe you've always looked at the formula

and taken it at face value, in which case,

you have some more learning to do.

Now speaking of the Pythagorean Theorem,

maybe that was a bit too simple of an example

for you and you'd like to see this technique

applied to something more complex or something

that has nothing to do with math at all.

If that's you, in the companion article for this video,

I've included a couple of different examples.

One going through Bayes' Rule, which is a concept

and probability theory in statistics,

and one going over the CSS Box Model, which is related

to web development and not related to math, at all,

that you can check out.

So if you want to see those, you can click the card

on the screen right now to get over to the article,

or you could find the link down in the description below.

Beyond that, if you enjoyed this video

and found it helpful, definitely give it a like

to support this channel and if you have addition tips

or ways that you use this technique personally,

I would love to hear from you down in the comments below.

Additionally, if you're not subscribed to this channel yet

and you want to get new tips on how to be a more productive

student, you can click right there to subscribe

and you can also click right there if you want to get

a free copy of my book on how to earn better grades.

Otherwise you can click right around there

to find another video which you will

probably find interesting.

Thanks for watching and I will see you in the next one.