Here is some fascinating information that discusses neurobiology of a fly's brain. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this video is how it relates to how the brain processes information. From a purely biological perspective, Michael Dickenson's Ted Talk is fascinating because it demonstrates something electrical about the learning process; establishing a neural pathway is how the brain 'learns.'
Dickenson's research seems to imply that repetitive processes rely on established multiplexes of neurons that fire in a set pattern. To that end, it makes sense, that when a person learns something, part of that process involves practice until a neural pathway has been burned. It explains why we practice makes perfect.
It also tells me that making mistakes is a critical component of the learning process. Learning is about fine-tuning our mistakes until we reach a point considered to be satisfactory. Thus, regardless of whether we are on BMX bike, snowboarding, or memorizing PEMDAS, or memorizing y=mx+b, or even learning how to tie one's shoes, it all involves practice & making errors. This tends to explain why wisdom tends to come with age and experience. Old people have the potential to be wiser simply because they have had more of a chance to make mistakes! Now that is a fascinating thought!
Here is the take-away; learning is the process of developing and establishing set neural pathways through trial and error. Moreover, those who fine tune an action or thought process are neuromodulating.
The better we neuromodulate is proportional to the amount of errors we make. The more mistakes we make, the smarter we become.
Conclusion: Make as many mistakes as you can, but make yourself aware of those mistakes, because when you do, you will fine-tune your ability to develop more refined neural pathways as you build on past experiences.
In other words: You can only become an expert if you give yourself the opportunity to make mistakes.
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