Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman believed that if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t…
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman believed that if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t actually understand it. He developed a technique that students today use to master complex topics in record time.
1. Choose a Topic Pick the concept you want to learn (e.g., Quantum Physics or Thermodynamics).
2. Explain it to a Child Take a blank sheet of paper and write the name of the topic at the top. Now, explain it in simple language, as if you were teaching it to a 10-year-old. No jargon allowed!
3. Identify the Gaps When you get stuck and can’t explain a part, that is your “knowledge gap.” Go back to your textbook and fill in the missing pieces.
4. Simplify and Use Analogies If your explanation is still too complex, find a real-world analogy. (Example: Explaining electricity as water flowing through a pipe). This technique stops “illusion of competence.”
