1.3.6

MARGE & the Feynman Technique

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MARGE and the Feynman Technique

The Feynman technique is a mental model used to convey information using concise thoughts and simple language.

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A four-stage process

  • The technique is a four-stage process:
    • Identify a subject.
    • Teach it to a child.
    • Identify and fill your knowledge gaps.
    • Organise, simplify and tell your story.
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Communication

  • When identifying a subject you should write down, concisely, everything you know about it.
  • Take these notes and work with them so you can teach the topic to a child, elaborating on ideas using simple language and diagrams.
  • The language used should be accessible to all, and the communication should be precise.
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Organisation

  • Highlighting knowledge gaps in your explanations ensures that you stitch your schema together and fill these gaps with missing knowledge.
  • Once this is complete, you can then explain a topic in detail, in simple language, precisely and with a narrative.
  • This needs clear organisation of your thoughts and explanations.

Feynman's Application

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Feynman's application

  • Feynman argued that if all scientific knowledge were destroyed, the following sentence would allow future society to rebuild the current body of knowledge that exists in science:
    • All things are made of atoms – little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another.
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Clarity

  • This sentence exemplifies the Feynman technique. By being precise, having a clear narrative, and using language free of jargon, it makes it clear what to attend to, and motivates the reader to want to know more about the topic.
  • The Feynman technique acts not only as a useful study tool for the creator of the sentence, but also as a tool to guide future learning for the recipient.

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