Sublime

In this view, learning becomes similar to programming: it consists of selecting the simplest internal formula that fits the data, among all those available in the language of thought.

On the contrary, mathematics molds itself into a preexisting, innate representation of numerical quantities, which it then extends and refines.

At its core, intelligence can be viewed as a process that converts unstructured information into useful and actionable knowledge.

consolidation which happens in all domains: a shift from slow, conscious, and effortful processing to fast, unconscious, and automatic expertise.

Learning, in this sense, therefore means managing an internal hierarchy of rules and trying to infer, as soon as possible, the most general ones that summarize a whole series of observations.

Brain imaging shows that we all rely on very similar brain circuits and learning rules. The brain circuits for reading and mathematics are the same in each of us, give or take a few millimeters—even in blind children. We all face similar hurdles in learning, and the same teaching methods can surmount them.