Ultra-Learning Principles by Scott Young

Background

• Person: Scott Young
• Achievements:
  • Completed MIT's 4-year computer science syllabus in 1 year using free online resources.
  • Mastered basic to professional-level painting in 30 days.
  • Learned a new language, Spanish, quickly.
• Outcome: Focused on how he mastered new skills quickly.
• Book: Ultra-Learning

Nine Principles of Ultra-Learning

1. Meta-Learning

• Concept: Learning about learning itself; categorizing knowledge.
• Types of Knowledge: Four Quadrants: Non-Non, Non-Unknown, Unknown-Non, Unknown-Unknown.
• Goal: Transform unknown-unknowns into known-unknowns.
• Example: Understanding investment via reading topics and asking relevant questions.

2. Focus

• Example: Mary Somerville (18th century) focused on mathematics despite societal constraints.
• Method: Ignored distractions, devoted herself wholly to learning, became the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society.

3. Directness

• Example: Vatsal Jaiswal's shift from India to Canada to become an architect.
• Method: Took a printing shop job to surround himself with architectural plans, which eventually led to job offers.
• Concept: Direct application of skills in real-world scenarios.

4. Drill

• Example: Benjamin Franklin improved his writing by emulating Spectator articles.
• Method: Identified weaknesses and practiced them repeatedly.
• Concept: Focus on weaknesses through targeted practice.

5. Retrieval

• Concept: Frequent testing and real-world application.
• Example: Short learning and testing cycles facilitate faster learning.

6. Feedback

• Concept: Actively seek negative feedback to understand mistakes and improve.
• Example: Negative feedback helps adjust learning strategies.

7. Retention

• Example: Nigel Richards mastering French to win the French Scrabble Championship and engaging in multiple challenging activities.
• Concept: Regular practice to prevent forgetting; repetition is key for memory retention.
• Method: Using techniques like Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve.

8. Intuition

• Example: Richard Feynman's intuitive understanding of complex mathematical problems.
• Concept: Developed through rapid feedback cycles; helps in making accurate judgments quickly.
• Book Recommendation: Thinking, Fast and Slow.

9. Experimentation

• Concept: Trying new methods to improve skills.
• Example: Vedic Mathematics for quicker calculations.
• Method: Learning from various sources and incorporating different styles.
• Analogy: Arnold Schwarzenegger learned posing techniques from a ballet dancer.

Conclusion

• Ultra-Learning can be achieved by following the nine principles focusing on understanding, practicing, and perfecting new skills.
• Resources like book summaries on the GIGL app can also provide additional learning materials.