6 ms·
There's been research done (I know, big words -- don't have any links readily available), where it was pointing to the fact that what goes easily in (into the b
by hackrmn 1mo ago
There's been research done (I know, big words -- don't have any links readily available), where it was pointing to the fact that what goes easily in (into the brain) also goes easily out, and conversely, what the brain requires effort and literal calories and energy to understand, stays there longer (investment must be rewarded / recouped somehow).
So while there's no doubt that facilitating learning is a net-positive, at some point it becomes a net-positive, I suppose -- your brain just chucks it out faster because it knows you can re-obtain the same information again since it worked so easily the first time. It doesn't know the difference between easy and hard, all it knows is how much effort it takes and how much reward (hormones) was generated for it all (to cement the habit/result).
- bryzaguy 1mo agoSpaced repetition could address this, no? Also, the right example or metaphor can make a difficult concept both easier to understand and stickier in my mind which I think is different than something easy to learn.
- runarberg 1mo agoSpaced repetition is a good way (perhaps even the optimal way) to get large amount of trivial memorization into your brain, but it not a good way to understand a complex subjects. Memorizing one word in a foreign language is not that complex, nor hard. The tricky part about learning a language is that you have to memorize thousands of words, and the trickier part is that you have to retain most of those words over a long period of time. Spaced repetition helps by finding an optimal schedule to for the exact same activity as you would otherwise.
- hackrmn 1mo agoI agree regarding metaphors, I myself aggressively utilise analogies with both myself and others, as a "digestive", but I feel like with LLMs we're treading on thin ice as it's not straightforward to classify a particular use case as one scaffolding learning with a metaphor, or just having the opposite effect where your brain "sails" in a faulty sea of "learning" while in reality there's no real work being done, not of the kind the brain needs to do in order to re-order all the synapses and own networks that ends being "knowledge" eventually.
- runarberg 1mo agoI also think that this broad claim (LLMs are good for learning) is also a testable hypothesis, and given the size of the AI industry I think it is reasonable to assume that AI companies would be eager to proof that LLMs are good for learning (and then pushing their own proprietary implementations into school systems and make more money). The absence of evidence here feels very much like evidence of absence. At least my cynical view of capitalism tells me that if there was a good way to use LLMs to learn stuff, we would have research showing it, and AI companies would be waving that research all over our faces.
- engineer_22 1mo agoLLM have only been useful for ~12 months (arguably <6 months). Too early to throw the baby out with the bathwater...
- runarberg 1mo agoLLM‘s have been useful for ~12 months for the past 3 years. I’m not buying this any more: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateEnd=1753056000&dateRange=custom&dateStart=1720915200&page=0&prefix=false&query=last%20year%20models%20better&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateEnd=1753056000&dateRange=custom&...
- engineer_22 1mo agoThey released air tools but you’d rather use a hammer to drive nails. It reflects more on /you/ than on the technology.
- hackrmn 1mo agoWhat are you referring to with "they released air tools"? I am not sure I am able to interpret your argument in any meaningful way.