The Sunday SN(A)CK #2
Academ-ish writing, polymathy, and the Medici effect
Welcome back! I am super excited that so many read
my first edition of The Sunday SN(A)CK <3 Truly appreciate it!
Now… One source, a note, a new creation, and a node of knowledge.
Short and sweet, let’s dive in!
Source
A definition of the voice Ink & Switch are going for in their papers, keeping only the “best parts” of academic writing. Andy Matuschak’s tweet put me on to it.
I admire the rigor, structure and validity of academic publications, but they can be tough to read… and write (I presume). Hence, academish writing is intriguing to me both as a reader and a writer.
A wonderful example of this in the PKM/productivity space is Anne-Laure Le Cunff, with Ness Labs. Her writing is clear and accessible, while also research-based and systematic — a sort of academish writing style I truly appreciate.
In light of last week’s source, a guide to prompt engineering, I think an academish style is exactly what I’d like AI to use as a thinking assistant. Will work on a prompt.
Note
Commonplace ideas in one field can be innovative when applied to another.
While something seems basic to you, it could be revolutionary to others. Highlights the importance of adapting and implementing old ideas in new contexts — cross-pollination in your knowledge garden. Seems like a clear benefit to managing our personal knowledge journeys (like a lot of us enjoy doing).
A brilliant example of this is Winston’s tweet this week translating concepts from data science into PKM language. Loved it!
Creation
LPLT - Learn, Play, Learn, Teach
from the book Polymath by Peter Hollins
LPLT is a very systemized way to learn something new… on your own… from scratch. I have summarized LPLT below, but first, here’s a way to define that new thing you want to learn:
Get a broad overview of the topic, determine the scope and complexity. Identify subtopics and essential details.
Narrow the scope. Cut the subject into pieces and decide which piece we like best (most curious about). This is a great starting point.
Define success. Why do we want to learn the chosen subject? Spell it out.
Compile resources. Don’t filter, find rebuttals, consider a plurality of mediums.
Make your own unique learning plan with modules/steps. Categorize resources into subtopics. Consider the sequence.
Filter, filter, filter. Prune the compilation and preserve only the best. My definition of best is: the sources that make you most curious.
Now, the LPLT framework:
Learn - Find basic information about the subject. Move between modules and subtopics, skim through the resources and outline core ideas.
Play - Explore and “play around” with the ideas. How do they connect to each other, and to other topics in your knowledge graph? Record the questions your curious mind comes up with.
Learn - Revisit the aggregated sources and outline answers to your inquiries. Focus on connections, contradictions, and conversations between the ideas.
Teach - All creation is a form of teaching. Sharing what you’ve learned forces you to simplify the knowledge you’ve built. Each new creation means a new order of ideas, which means new opportunities to find and discover gaps in your understanding.
Knowledge
The Medici effect
I first learned about this on a guided tour through Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance.
The term is derived from the 15th-century Medici family, who helped usher in the Renaissance by bringing together artists, writers, philosophers, mathematicians, and other creatives from all over the world.
A polymath’s haven.
The Medici effect refers to creativity and innovation from interdisciplinary collaboration and a cross-pollination of ideas.
Makes me think about its role in teamwork. Cross-functional or interdisciplinary teams should be more innovative. I guess there are some factors, like the fluency of communication and the individuals’ standalone creativity. Would like to explore further. Maybe I’ll do an academish paper on it :D
This is some of the things I found myself curious about this week. Hope you found it interesting too. Feel free to copy the parts you liked into your favorite tool for thought to cross-pollinate with you own ideas :)