
Ask HN: How do you explain something complex in simple terms? - solipsist
We've all faced that situation in which someone asks us to explain a complicated topic in ways that someone such as a child could understand. What is the magical recipe for doing that? Imagine this as an interview question: finding a general method or set of steps to simplify material in a way that doesn't lose the core ideas. Even better, find a way to simplify it into the fewest number of words.<p>How would you answer this question?
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pzxc
I would answer it:

Find the most complex way to give a full and complete explanation, then for
each bit assign a necessity value for how important it is.

Anything less than a complete explanation is obviously going to leave stuff
out, so then you can decide where you want to make the tradeoff by looking at
all information above a certain necessity threshold (how ruthlessly you want
to cut down the explanation).

The quantification of each element of the explanation is going to be relative
and arbitrary, but it's still easier to decide how far you're willing to go if
you have numbers to base it on, even if they're made-up numbers.

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rguzman
The same way you pick up girls: become Richard Feynman. <http://xkcd.com/182/>

More seriously, I find that when I think I can't explain something I know to
someone in simple-enough terms it is because I'm underestimating the audience.
Explaining things slowly without resorting to undefined jargon usually does
the trick.

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bobf
Consider a similar question which is frequently discussed on HN -- how to
describe a business concept as easily as possible. One technique is to make
comparisons to existing businesses that are fairly well understood. For
example, YouTube was described as "the flickr of video" (see
<http://slashdot.org/articles/05/08/14/1320217.shtml> \- from 2005) in its
early days.

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gojomo
It depends deeply on the audience, and the level of understanding you're
targeting.

What does the 'child' already know that can be leveraged?

Do you want them to have a fuzzy, perhaps-intuitive understanding... or bring
them up (however many long steps it takes) to a complicated understanding?

Can the explanation be delivered interactively, confirming understanding of
explained (or assumed) bases along the way?

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Mz
First, you need to understand it thoroughly. The roots of complicated topics
are often simpler than it would seem at first glance.

Second, you need practice explaining things to people for whom this is pretty
alien.

Third, you need to treat the audience like it has a brain and respect them.
Simplifying does not mean "dumbing down".

Fourth, use image-rich language. It makes things more tangible.

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hardik988
I think Richard Feynman does this exceptionally well. He always explains it in
terms that the audience can understand. You should check out some of his
videos on Youtube..

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thebigredjay
Analogies!

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motxilo
Learning to explain something complex in simple terms to yourself is even more
important. The rest follows.

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tychonoff
Metaphors!

