What did you ask at school today?
Or how to beat AI.
As a teacher, I find a student asking question far more attentive than one answering questions. Yes, there are students (like a younger me) who ask questions to measure up a teacher or just be the center of attraction of a class. But if you leave such students aside (and also the ones who neither answer nor ask questions :-)) — a kid asking questions implies a mind at work.
Usually, students don’t ask questions as they have “understood everything”.
Say I’m teaching how to calculate circumference of a circle. It’s a simple formula 2πr — usually no counter questions are asked. You put the value of π (pi, 22/7) , r (radius of circle) and voila you have the answer.
But few years back, a student asked in the class what is pi i.e. the significance of pi. I explained that if you divide the circumference of ANY circle in the world by the diameter of the same circle — the answer would be a constant. For ALL CIRCLES IN THE WORLD this is true. Astonishing, isn’t it?
So here’s the nuance if you can catch it. The formula is simple — but there’s this rare kid who when sees a “pi” — is interested in it’s significance.
As we move ahead and let AI and computers take over the world — people who questions will matter. Computers can easily calculate infinite 2πr questions in minutes — but they can’t wonder at “pi”.
And that’s why, as parents/teachers/students — this question that Feynman’s mom used to ask him matters a lot. This is our secret weapon against AI.
AI can answer all the questions but only humans can ask questions.
