Phil Fernbach

What we really want to do is throw away all of the irrelevant detail and just retain the deeper principles, the deeper generalizable structures that are going to allow us to choose effective actions.

What we really want to do is throw away all of the irrelevant detail and just retain the deeper principles, the deeper generalizable structures that are going to allow us to choose effective actions.

That's exactly right. The world is so complex. When you start digging into the details of almost anything, you realize how complicated it is and that you don't necessarily appreciate that complexity off the bat. I remember hearing a story about a rock, paper, scissors tournament. Do you know the game rock, paper, scissors? Yes, yeah. Very simple game, right?

That's exactly right. The world is so complex. When you start digging into the details of almost anything, you realize how complicated it is and that you don't necessarily appreciate that complexity off the bat. I remember hearing a story about a rock, paper, scissors tournament. Do you know the game rock, paper, scissors? Yes, yeah. Very simple game, right?

That's exactly right. The world is so complex. When you start digging into the details of almost anything, you realize how complicated it is and that you don't necessarily appreciate that complexity off the bat. I remember hearing a story about a rock, paper, scissors tournament. Do you know the game rock, paper, scissors? Yes, yeah. Very simple game, right?

It seems like there's nothing to learn and nothing to understand about that game. How could you have a tournament? You just throw randomly. Right. Well, actually, it turns out that there's a group of people who have gotten really good at rock, paper, scissors. And what do they do? They master the details of how the human mind chooses—

It seems like there's nothing to learn and nothing to understand about that game. How could you have a tournament? You just throw randomly. Right. Well, actually, it turns out that there's a group of people who have gotten really good at rock, paper, scissors. And what do they do? They master the details of how the human mind chooses—

It seems like there's nothing to learn and nothing to understand about that game. How could you have a tournament? You just throw randomly. Right. Well, actually, it turns out that there's a group of people who have gotten really good at rock, paper, scissors. And what do they do? They master the details of how the human mind chooses—

what to throw and how it engages in pattern matching and other kinds of things. And they can identify certain kinds of patterns in what a more novice rock, paper, scissors player will do and take advantage of that.

what to throw and how it engages in pattern matching and other kinds of things. And they can identify certain kinds of patterns in what a more novice rock, paper, scissors player will do and take advantage of that.

what to throw and how it engages in pattern matching and other kinds of things. And they can identify certain kinds of patterns in what a more novice rock, paper, scissors player will do and take advantage of that.

That's exactly right. It's a funny kind of dumb example, but something where when I first looked at it, I said, there is no way that somebody could develop any level of expertise in that area. But it turns out, no, there is actually something to be learned there.

That's exactly right. It's a funny kind of dumb example, but something where when I first looked at it, I said, there is no way that somebody could develop any level of expertise in that area. But it turns out, no, there is actually something to be learned there.

That's exactly right. It's a funny kind of dumb example, but something where when I first looked at it, I said, there is no way that somebody could develop any level of expertise in that area. But it turns out, no, there is actually something to be learned there.

Yeah, this is a super fascinating example. So hyperthymesia is also called highly superior autobiographical memory. And these are people who literally remember everything that's ever happened to them. And so you could talk to a person with hyperthymesia and say, what happened to you at 10.30 in the morning on August 15th, 1985. And they can relate to exactly what occurred.

Yeah, this is a super fascinating example. So hyperthymesia is also called highly superior autobiographical memory. And these are people who literally remember everything that's ever happened to them. And so you could talk to a person with hyperthymesia and say, what happened to you at 10.30 in the morning on August 15th, 1985. And they can relate to exactly what occurred.

Yeah, this is a super fascinating example. So hyperthymesia is also called highly superior autobiographical memory. And these are people who literally remember everything that's ever happened to them. And so you could talk to a person with hyperthymesia and say, what happened to you at 10.30 in the morning on August 15th, 1985. And they can relate to exactly what occurred.

They basically have perfect recall. So before I described how our minds are very good at throwing away irrelevant detail. If you have hyperthymesia, it's the opposite. You retain everything that's ever happened to you. It sounds like a superpower, but it actually makes life really difficult. And there's an amazing short story by the Argentinian writer Borges, which is called Funes de Memorias.

They basically have perfect recall. So before I described how our minds are very good at throwing away irrelevant detail. If you have hyperthymesia, it's the opposite. You retain everything that's ever happened to you. It sounds like a superpower, but it actually makes life really difficult. And there's an amazing short story by the Argentinian writer Borges, which is called Funes de Memorias.

They basically have perfect recall. So before I described how our minds are very good at throwing away irrelevant detail. If you have hyperthymesia, it's the opposite. You retain everything that's ever happened to you. It sounds like a superpower, but it actually makes life really difficult. And there's an amazing short story by the Argentinian writer Borges, which is called Funes de Memorias.