I started a computer science major approximately 2 years ago (I'm also double majoring in neuroscience as well). I'm going to be honest, I struggle with the programming stuff at times (and math). I thought it was going to be all flowers and puppies, because hey, I like this whole technology thing.
Whoopsie, It sucks really bad.
I'm no slouch when it comes to school. I'm not saying it comes with no effort, because I work really hard, but man my eyes glaze over while learning about this stuff. What I've come to realize is that while I don't mind working on my own stuff, I'm literally dying inside while going over different data structures and algorithms.
The good news: most people don't need the level of info I'm getting fed in my collegiate journey.
The bad news: some of this stuff is absolutely critical to learning programming.
Let's talk about Richard Feynman, the Nobel Prize winning physicist. As much as I love hearing about the world of physics in watered-down form, high-level physics are mind melting when being orated by top-level physicists. Feynman is definitely in the top 3 of any "top physicist" list. He revolutionized quantum mechanics, possibly from the strip club.
An excerpt from Richard Sherman, a doctoral student of Feynman:
“Sometimes Richard would suddenly say, ‘Let’s knock off and go somewhere and fool around!’ The usual place we went was a topless bar in Pasadena, called Gianone’s. There was always something happening at Gianone’s in the afternoon, every day of the week. We’d walk in, grab a table. Feynman knew everybody there—all the ladies; Gianone, the owner; and anybody who was a regular. He would go behind the bar and pick up an orange juice, because he never drank anything alcoholic. He would also grab a half-inch stack of those paper doilies, or place mats that they put down on tables in restaurants, and come back to the table. We might continue doing physics, or we might watch the ladies dancing on the stage. Frequently people would come by and chat, and this was the sort of entertainment that he liked. But it was kind of deceptive because, believe it or not, although this particular environment might not seem conducive to doing something like theoretical physics, over the years, Feynman actually did an enormous number of calculations in that place.”
This place was seemingly integral to Feynman, but was this because of the famed "Feynman Technique"? I think so. Besides being a strip club aficionado and physics genius, Feynman also developed a method for learning and teaching that is used by many people. I've especially heard of its use by medical school students.
To do the Feynman Technique:
- Pick something you want to learn and study about it.
- Teach it to someone. The teaching of the subject shows the gaps in your knowledge.
- Study the material again to fill in the gaps.
- Refine, revise and simplify the material.
I think that Feynman was practicing his technique. Could you imagine luring in dancers to refine quantum mechanics? I would assume before he had the material polished, he'd need a big stack of dollars in order to find someone to listen.
Right now I'm flirting with the idea of starting a series of programming tutorials related to Web3 stuff here on Hive. It would obviously start with some more rudimentary knowledge. As much as I'd enjoy it if someone learned something, I'd also be learning myself by utilizing the Feynman Technique.
I have a whole lot on my plate but this summer I need to accomplish some Web3 development, data science with Python, and machine learning. Do any of these interest you all?
Looking at you @thatkidsblack.