“… you don't realize whether or not you completely understand a topic until you are tasked to explain it to someone else. … That really challenges your understanding of a topic.”

— Steven Novella

SGU, Podcast #170, October 22nd, 2008 http://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcast/sgu/170 The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, Podcast, 2000s

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Do you have more details about the quote "… you don't realize whether or not you completely understand a topic until you are tasked to explain it to someone else…" by Steven Novella?

Steven Novella20

American neurologist, skepticist 1964

Jonathan Tropper (1970) American writer

Source: This is Where I Leave You

“My advice to prospective PhD students is to follow your passion and pick a topic that interests you — don't do a PhD topic that you hate, but you think will be lucrative. Because the big picture is that it is the fundamentals learned and problem solving skills gained from your PhD that will open the real career doors. Topics come in and out of fashion — it is the investment in yourself and the person you become through your PhD experience that really matters in the end. Of course, if you happen to love a topic that turns out lucrative then great — but this is hard to predict.”

Derek Abbott (1960) Physicist, engineer

Introductory profile at The University of Adelaide

“You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

variant: If you can't explain something to a six-year-old, you really don't understand it yourself. variant: If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. Frequently attributed to Richard Feynman Probably based on a similar quote about explaining physics to a "barmaid" by Ernest Rutherford Page 418 of Einstein: His Life and Times (1972) by Ronald W. Clark says that Louis de Broglie did attribute a similar statement to Einstein: : To de Broglie, Einstein revealed an instinctive reason for his inability to accept the purely statistical interpretation of wave mechanics. It was a reason which linked him with Rutherford, who used to state that "it should be possible to explain the laws of physics to a barmaid." Einstein, having a final discussion with de Broglie on the platform of the Gare du Nord in Paris, whence they had traveled from Brussels to attend the Fresnel centenary celebrations, said "that all physical theories, their mathematical expressions apart ought to lend themselves to so simple a description 'that even a child could understand them.' " The de Broglie quote is from his 1962 book New Perspectives in Physics, p. 184 http://books.google.com/books?id=xY45AAAAMAAJ&q=%22mathematical+expression+apart%22#search_anchor. Cf. this quote from David Hilbert's talk Mathematical Problems given in 1900 before the International Congress of Mathematicians: : "A mathematical theory is not to be considered complete until you have made it so clear that you can explain it to the first man whom you meet on the street." Cf. this quote from Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle: : Dr. Hoenikker used to say that any scientist who couldn't explain to an eight-year-old what he was doing was a charlatan. Misattributed

“If you don't understand yourself you don't understand anybody else.”

Nikki Giovanni (1943) American writer and academic

“Anything you don't understand is dangerous until you do understand it.”

Larry Niven book Flatlander

"Flatlander" (1967), first published in If (March 1967)

“I teach identity leadership, based on the philosophy that you can’t lead anybody else until you lead yourself. Once you understand who you are, you can really focus on becoming the expert in your field.”

Stedman Graham (1951) American businessman

Financial Post: "'The key is to know who you are': Stedman Graham talks investing, self-leadership and Oprah" https://business.financialpost.com/executive/leadership/the-key-is-to-know-who-you-are-stedman-graham-talks-investing-self-leadership-and-oprah (27 April 2018)

“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

“I don't understand you. You don't understand me. What else do we have in common?”

Ashleigh Brilliant (1933) American author and cartoonist

“Now I understand. When you love someone, you have to try things even if they don't make sense to anyone else.”

Gennifer Choldenko book Al Capone Does My Shirts

Source: Al Capone Does My Shirts

“If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Variant: If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.

“… you don't realize whether or not you completely understand a topic until you are tasked to explain it to someone else. … That really challenges your understanding of a topic.”

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Steven Novella20

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