How I use LLMs to learn complex topics

Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by gofreddygo on Sunday August 09, 2026 @06:41PM (#49236948)

I have to agree with this. Completely relying on LLM for all your learning needs is a disaster. But being absolutely against use of LLMs isn't doing you any favors. This is where you don't have a formula but rely on you judgement and evidence of your having learnt something.

For example having an LLM summarize a dense topic and to find books so that you can filter faster and spend time reading those books works way better than having the LLM summarize the books or the topic (or even relying on second hand information). Another one is having the LLM quiz you on your topics of interest. With questions tailored to attack specific areas that you struggle with. Its wonderful at this, nothing I've used comes close to what an LLM can do here.

You define for yourself what your goals are, slowly refining them as you learn more, and use LLM as a tool. This ,I find works best for learning.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by intrasight on Sunday August 09, 2026 @07:21PM (#49237289)

Make it your goal to teach a room full of other humans that topic. I guarantee you will know that material cold. I've done lots of technical training in my career and after teaching a class two or three times I find myself to be very competent in the topic.

It's long been the case that the best way to learn something is to teach something.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by PsylentKnight on Sunday August 09, 2026 @09:52PM (#49238365)

> It's long been the case that the best way to learn something is to teach something

Which is pretty unfortunate for those that want to learn. I used to enjoy writing documentation at work, it was my favorite part of the job. And it did feel like it benefited me more than it benefited all the people that were (or weren't) reading my documentation. Now I can't really justify spending much time on docmentation when LLM's can do it in a fraction of the time and it's "good enough"

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by intrasight on Sunday August 09, 2026 @09:56PM (#49238394)

I got started as a software engineer working in the nuclear industry in the 80s. We measured our documentation in inches not pages, and it was all written by hand. And I'll bet you the documentation in the nuclear industry is still written by hand and not by LLMs.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by champagnepapi on Sunday August 09, 2026 @10:35PM (#49238619)

I sure hope those docs aren’t written by LLMs for many reasons!

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by andrekandre on Monday August 10, 2026 @12:12AM (#49239135)

i wonder if people who use llm's for business critical documentation would have the same opinion, and if so why?

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by piloto_ciego on Monday August 10, 2026 @01:19AM (#49239489)

I have used LLMs for safety sensitive tech writing and so have people I know. It’s pretty good at it, and you usually have a 95% ready to go product at the end of it. The last 5% can pretty easily be filled in by technical experts with way less time spent battling the type writer.

Is it perfect? No. But it suffices most of the time in a pinch.

Can’t speak to the nuke industry, but it’s pretty good at aviation related things.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by intrasight on Monday August 10, 2026 @07:50AM (#49242454)

A good compromise would be to have the LLM write the outline. That also helps get over the activation energy of starting.

Then elaborate in small chunks so the human domain expert can remain focused during review.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by piloto_ciego on Monday August 10, 2026 @12:48PM (#49246251)

You don’t even really need to do that…

You tell it what you need, and it pretty much does all the work: > please give me a 135 compliant maintenance manual, use the attached document as a primer, reference every part 135, 91, 43, and 65 reg as appropriate as well as the other included manuals. Make sure to reference every requirement in the attached list of requirements. Aircraft mx manuals are in the folder “mx-manuals” and our current forms are pdfs in the “forms” folder. Remember our operation is <describe scope of operation here>, not a major airline. Have fun!

This does surprisingly well and meets requirements at about 95% or better accuracy. Typically the only problem I routinely is trying to make the manual like a Delta Air Lines manual instead of one for a small air taxi.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by unethical_ban on Sunday August 09, 2026 @11:05PM (#49238778)

There is still value in experts distilling knowledge and crafting it to the audience. I'm a consultant in cybersecurity and someone asked me "give me a best practice framework for good policy hygiene". I'm sure an LLM could spit out some tips, but I've been on the industry 15 years and can write in 5 pages what an LLM wouldn't conceive of in that space.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by metal_am on Tuesday August 11, 2026 @04:12PM (#49263793)

That's pretty much the Feynman technique. It absolutely works.

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Re:How I use LLMs to learn complex topics by qnleigh on Monday August 10, 2026 @03:59AM (#49240684)

> Another one is having the LLM quiz you on your topics of interest

This is a great idea. I'm going to try it.

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