The Essentials

Question 1

Focused and diffused mode. What’s that?

Answer 1

Two modes that researchers have found. we can’t be in two modes at the same time.

Analogy of the game of pinball (which also helps when learning something new):

• when we solve a problem or learn things that’s somehow related to already known concepts, our thought (ball) follow a path in our brain that has gone several times already and it bounces around on the bumpers to make it (e.g. adding numbers, literary criticism). Those bumpers of an idea are located very tightly to each other at the top of the machine. That’s focused mode
• what if the problem needs new ideas or approaches? Thoughts that you have never thought before, so you don’t know how the pattern feel or where it is? Those bumpers are at the bottom of the machine, located very broadly. It can be easily blocked by top bumpers. To get there, different way of thinking is needed - diffused mode. The thought can travel long way before hitting a bumper. It represents looking at things from a different perspective, with big-picture. That’s the way of making new neural connections.

Question 2

What are the best practices of learning new things?

Answer 2

• analogy and metaphors
• focused and diffused modes
• switching between the modes (e.g. S. Dali or T. Edison used to switch between them having flat naps, vaguely thinking about subjects until they were woken up by objects they drop on the floor)

Question 3

How does brain work?

Answer 3

• most of complex activities happen on unconscious level (breathing, reaching, running, seeing)
• all of our fears, hopes, excitement, feelings, memory, motivation are in neurons of the brain
• some parts of brain are active while resting, other while interacting with the world
• learning changes structure of the brain. connections between neurons (synapses) are built
• after resting, we wake up with an upgrade of our brain

Question 4

What is procrastination and why it appears?

Answer 4

Procrastination is a constant putting off activities you really don’t like, over time. Of we think about something we really dislike to do, it activates brain area that controls pain feeling. So we look for other, more pleasant activities (often using cellphones). To help with that use pomodoro technique (25 focus time + little reward afterwards - cup of coffee, talk with friend, walking, etc)

Question 5

Practice makes permanent

Answer 5

It’s about regular, systematic exercising with strong focus. If you learn something new ideas, concepts, new connections are created representing weak thought patterns. Over time, repeating similar ideas or solving problems, without looking at solution, strengthens these neural connections. You can then reach for those easier and faster.

It’s especially important when learning math or science, where lots of concepts is abstract. Non abstract things that you can see or feel are much easier to learn

Question 6

What kinds of memory are there?

Answer 6

• short term memory

responsible for immediate and conscious processing ideas / concepts in your mind. there are about 4 slots that you can fill with different things you try to connect them together to solve a problem or figure out new concepts. you can put there as well already learned informations from the other kind of memory. it is like an inefficient mental blackboard (you can be easily dissipated by other factors, that’s why we tend to close eyes to focus and repeat)

• long term memory

it’s like immense warehouse. Different kinds of that memory are located in different regions of the brain. To access some information efficiently, you need to “visit” that place several times to increased the chance to find it when needed. That’s why practice and repetition is important. Especially “spaced repetitions”. Repeating a new vocabulary or a problem solving technique distributed over time is best technique researchers have found (like a masoning - you can’t build everything at once, but with portions so that mortar can dry out)

Question 7

How does the sleep is important?

Answer 7

• it removes toxins created during the day by shrinking. it allows them to be flushed away
• it turns off focused mode and activates more diffused mode, strengthening weak neural patterns and memories
• rehearses difficult material by going over and over the tougher aspects you are trying to learn
• makes a remarkable difference in the ability to understand / view concepts you are trying to grasp