The Para-Academic System

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I think I'm very sympathetic to the idea that we want people trying radical things that will probably fail, as long as they're doing it in a way that is sort of rigorous. Maybe there can be a little bit of a winner take all dynamic where like one approach to something gets like a lot of funding and then there's not that much funding for the more radical purchase. And then some approaches that might just seem too weird. Maybe nobody wants to study them because it's just not that cool. Whereas you know, sort of freed from the system, maybe people would pursue it.

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How can we accelerate learning? Is spaced repetition the best way to absorb information over the long term? Do we always read non-fiction works with the goal of learning? What are some less common but perhaps more valuable types of information that can be put on flash cards? What sorts of things are worth remembering anyway? Why is it important to commit some ideas to memory when so much information is easily findable on the internet? What benefits are derived from being involved in all stages of a project pipeline from concept to execution (as opposed to being involved only in one part, like the research phase)? Why should more researchers be involved in para-academic projects? Where can one find funding for para-academic research?

Andy Matuschak invents tools that expand what people can think and do. His current research focuses on a new written medium which makes it much easier to remember what you read. In previous roles, Andy led R&D at Khan Academy and helped build iOS at Apple. You can read more about his work at andymatuschak.org and follow him on Twitter at @andy_matuschak.

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