Depressingly, a debunked theory is believed by the vast majority of teachers. The belief in Learning Styles (that some people are auditory learners, visual learners, etc) is not only wrong, it can hurt. But the research shows that when teachers learn why, they change. So, a 🧵1/
First off, there is just no evidence that teaching to a student's preferred "style" leads to any better teaching outcomes. And nobody really knows what a "learning style" is, over 71 different types have been proposed, but none help. But the belief persists for a reason... 2/
Students *think* they learn more when something matches their style... even though they objectively don’t and students don't even use their preferred styles. You may wonder, "So it doesn't work, what's the harm?"
Except we know that a belief in learning styles can hurt... 3/
The approach wastes time, and involves teaching to strengths, not weaknesses. People can get better at visual, verbal & other approaches with practice, and this helps overall achievement! But a belief in learning styles discourages improvement & effort. 4/ researchgate.net/publication/31…
And if you want to know what effective teaching methods are backed by research, the Great Teaching Toolkit Evidence Review lays out the state-of-the-art evidence. It is a useful read for anyone who teaches, and covers more than just Learning Styles. 5/ greatteaching.com
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Veo 2 prompt: "a distant shot zooms in to reveal a knight wearing a golden helmet, he begins to charge on his zebra, lowering his lance, charging towards a clockwork octopus" (this is one of the initial 4 videos it made)
"an woman with short black hair assembles an impossibly complicated device, close up on her face, she is sweating"
The consistency of small details is really impressive, the fact that the shaft of the screw turns at the same speed and direction, hair and sweat, tattoos...
"a man holding the leash of a golden retriever stares mournfully at a fireworks display over his small town of Tudor-style homes, the flashes punctuate the darkness."
All videos are from the first 4 from the prompt. I did learn that you can't ask for many cuts or scene changes.
Claude: “Give me hard original writing prompts for an MFA program” yields some really clever (and near impossible) prompts.
A few more. (Literal prompt: “give me some more”)
It did well on #12 (broken into parts)
# The Night Shift
## Operation Manual: TX-2047 Industrial Processing Unit
### Document Classification: Essential Reading
### Last Updated: 27 October 2024
**WARNING: Failure to follow proper shutdown procedures may result in catastrophic system failure and/or permanent spiritual contamination of the processing unit. All operators must complete this training module before attempting solo operation.**
I've been working the night shift at the plant for three weeks now, and I still can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. The constant hum of machinery should be comforting – white noise to fade into the background – but instead it feels like a presence. Watching. Waiting.
**1. INITIAL POWER-UP SEQUENCE**
- Locate the main control panel in the eastern wing
- Insert operator key and turn clockwise until resistance is felt
- Wait for the safety lights to pulse three times
The eastern wing is the worst. During day shift, it's just another industrial corridor: concrete floors, steel pipes, fluorescent lights. But at night, those same lights flicker and dim, casting shadows that seem to move when you're not looking directly at them. The shadows are always darker near the main control panel.
**WARNING: Never attempt to force the operator key if resistance occurs before a full clockwise turn. This may indicate a structural compromise in the primary containment system.**
The manual says the resistance is normal, just the safety systems engaging. But it feels different every time – sometimes a clean click, sometimes a grinding that sets my teeth on edge. Last night, I swear I heard whispering when I turned the key.
**2. PRIMARY SYSTEM ACTIVATION**
- Check all pressure gauges in sequence (A through F)
- Verify each gauge reads within acceptable parameters (see Table 1.1)
- If any gauge shows readings in the red zone, proceed to Emergency Protocol 7
They never told me what happened to the last night shift operator. Clean record, five years of experience, then one morning they found the control room empty. The key was still in the panel, turned halfway. All six pressure gauges were pegged in the red.
The numbers dance in front of my eyes during every check. Sometimes they seem to change when I blink, but when I look again, they're normal. Always just within acceptable parameters. Always just barely safe.
**3. COOLANT SYSTEM INITIALIZATION**
- Open primary coolant valves in the following sequence ONLY:
1. Valve 2C
2. Valve 4A
3. Valve 1B
4. Valve 3D
- Listen for the distinctive activation tone
- Verify flow rates on digital display
The activation tone. That's what they call it in the manual. A clear, mechanical chime that means everything's working properly. But it doesn't sound like a chime anymore. It sounds like singing. Like a voice calling from somewhere deep in the pipes.
**WARNING: The correct valve sequence must be followed precisely. Improper activation may result in system contamination and anomalous behavior of both mechanical and digital components.**
I asked my supervisor about system contamination once. His face went pale, and he told me to stick to the manual. Just follow the procedures. Don't ask questions. Don't investigate unusual sounds. Don't look too long at the shadows near the pressure gauges.
I wish people would stop repeating these as if they are facts that AI is plateauing.
AI might hit a roadblock, we don’t know, but every one of these issues has multiple studies stating the opposite: synthetic data works, scaling is fine, etc. We need more nuance on the AI future
I don’t know if LLMs can reason in theory, but they seem to “reason” in practice.
Ask Claude a Fermi problem: How many telephone poles are there in Manhattan? (Guess: 440. Actual: 0). On Staten Island? (Guess 19000-2859. Actual: 27,137) Queens? (Guess: 51-85k. Actual: 103k)
It doesn’t seem to have the number handy, but, even if it did, next token prediction should mean it reasons forward, not backward from a conclusion.
They are obviously not good at all sorts of problems (logic puzzles, etc.) but they do well at many others (Fermi problems, etc).