The impression I get of gwern is that he reads widely, thinks creatively, and experiments frequently
I want to do that. Tell me how. I think I already read widely (at least compared to my meat-space peers and possibly compared to the typical LW reader), but I can do better. I am frequently complimented for asking creative questions, coming up with unusual ideas and solutions (again, in comparison to non-rationalists), but if there are ways to do this better, I want to hear them. However, I want to make regular experimentation a part of my life and don’t really know how. I’m interning with a psych lab, and hope to work with some behavioral economists who run field-experiments.
How do I gain proficiency with experimental methods and build the habit of running simple experiments regularly? I suppose that there’s a certain kind of phenomenon that to the educated mind is automatically flagged as ripe for experimentation (I’m thinking of Feynman’s curiosity about the ants in his room or Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres testing to find out what the optimal way to fight is, prior the the first battle), but I don’t have that intuition, yet.
I want to do that. Tell me how. I think I already read widely (at least compared to my meat-space peers and possibly compared to the typical LW reader), but I can do better. I am frequently complimented for asking creative questions, coming up with unusual ideas and solutions (again, in comparison to non-rationalists), but if there are ways to do this better, I want to hear them. However, I want to make regular experimentation a part of my life and don’t really know how. I’m interning with a psych lab, and hope to work with some behavioral economists who run field-experiments.
How do I gain proficiency with experimental methods and build the habit of running simple experiments regularly? I suppose that there’s a certain kind of phenomenon that to the educated mind is automatically flagged as ripe for experimentation (I’m thinking of Feynman’s curiosity about the ants in his room or Harry James Potter-Evans-Verres testing to find out what the optimal way to fight is, prior the the first battle), but I don’t have that intuition, yet.
Suggestions?