Unconscious Spaced Repetition in Knowledge Work

This chapter explores how spaced repetition occurs naturally in professional settings through activities like research writing and mentoring. It contrasts these organic practices with structured methods that often fail to provide consistent reinforcement of knowledge.

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Episode notes

A few weeks ago, I sat beside Andy Matuschak to record how he reads a textbook.

Even though my own job is to learn things, I was shocked with how much more intense, painstaking, and effective his learning process was.

So I asked if we could record a conversation about how he learns and a bunch of other topics:

* How he identifies and interrogates his confusion (much harder than it seems, and requires an extremely effortful and slow pace)

* Why memorization is essential to understanding and decision-making

* How come some people (like Tyler Cowen) can integrate so much information without an explicit note taking or spaced repetition system.

* How LLMs and video games will change education

* How independent researchers and writers can make money

* The balance of freedom and discipline in education

* Why we produce fewer von Neumann-like prodigies nowadays

* How multi-trillion dollar companies like Apple (where he was previously responsible for bedrock iOS features) manage to coordinate millions of different considerations (from the cost of different components to the needs of users, etc) into new products designed by 10s of 1000s of people.

Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Read the full transcript here. Follow me on Twitter for updates on future episodes.

To see Andy’s process in action, check out the video where we record him studying a quantum physics textbook, talking aloud about his thought process, and using his memory system prototype to internalize the material.

You can check out his website and personal notes, and follow him on Twitter.

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Timestamps

(00:00:52) - Skillful reading

(00:02:30) - Do people care about understanding?

(00:06:52) - Structuring effective self-teaching

(00:16:37) - Memory and forgetting

(00:33:10) - Andy’s memory practice

(00:40:07) - Intellectual stamina

(00:44:27) - New media for learning (video, games, streaming)