A lot of people these days are talking about NotebookLM, specially its audio
overview feature that generates a podcast style audio recording from your
sources. While I understand this is more engaging than calling a summary
function on the content, I am not a fan.
Most of what I like about learning about new topics using LLMs involves being active in the process by asking narrow and specific questions than ingesting a prepared information dump. Interview style podcasts use questions too but since they are not your questions you can instead go read (which I prefer) an article, probably more actively.
For topics that are gray—where you don't know all aspects well enough to explore the whole territory just based on your own questions—you need interactivity but also assistance. Let's say I want to study 'Capitalism in India'. I can't do much by only asking questions to an LLM since I don't have a good sense what all context to cover, which era of the country to study more, how to compare Indian Capitalism to Western, etc. I also can't just open Wikipedia and read everything around Indian Economics since I might have specific inclinations around my motivation which will not be met with inefficient hops on wiki pages. Another example topic is the whole Israel vs Palestine tension. Here too I need expert assistance in asking the right questions to understand everything.
There are many techniques to attack such ambiguous and multifaceted gray topics. Here is a rough map that, according to me, shows involvement of a student (active to passive) and the effectiveness of study:
We can do better. Looking at the graph, the best way to efficiently study here would be to sit as a moderator in a debate of experts. I don't have experts for everything but I can have cheap copies via LLMs. Because of this dirty approximation I would have to be more intervening in this debate as a moderator. I am calling this technique Interventional Debate (ID) and would put it on the more active side of the spectrum like shown below:
I am open to changes in the maps above as I understand more about what works how, so take this with a pinch of salt.
1. idli
To try out ID, I made a small tool called idli1 that lets me set up a debate on a topic between auto-generated debaters where I can intervene at any point and do things like steer the conversation in a direction, check facts (pretty important since LLMs will bluff), call out logical fallacies, ask for clarifications, read about something that was brought up in the debate, etc.
Here is a log of and ID on a dummy topic 'Dark vs Light theme for programming' to show how this works. Note that only the topic and texts under 'Moderator' are written by me:
TITLE: Dark vs Light theme for Programming This is a debate between 2 debaters on the above topic. To start members will put their opening arguments one by one. ** Debater A Light themes in programming environments offer enhanced readability in various lighting conditions. Studies have shown that dark text on a light background provides superior legibility and reduces visual fatigue, especially in daylight settings. This adaptability to ambient light helps maintain a consistent and comfortable coding experience. Moreover, the contrast in light themes mirrors traditional mediums like paper, facilitating smoother transitions and reducing cognitive load. Embracing a light theme can subsequently lead to increased productivity and decreased eye strain, as it aligns with the natural environment humans are biologically accustomed to. ** Debater B Dark themes offer significant advantages, particularly concerning reduced eye strain and increased energy efficiency. In low-light conditions or for extended periods of screen time, research has shown that dark themes help minimize eye fatigue. This is because dark backgrounds emit less light, which reduces the glare that can strain eyes when staring at bright screens for long periods. Moreover, on OLED and AMOLED screens, dark themes conserve battery life by lighting up fewer pixels, thus enhancing energy efficiency. Additionally, the subdued color palette of dark themes can foster a focused, immersive coding environment, especially in dimly lit settings, by minimizing distractions and keeping code elements distinct, thereby boosting productivity and concentration. ** Debater A While dark themes may reduce eye strain in low-light settings, light themes excel in providing superior readability during daylight hours, a crucial aspect for those who code throughout the day. The natural alignment of light themes with the human circadian rhythm minimizes cognitive dissonance and fosters a seamless working environment. Adopting light themes can bridge the gap between digital and traditional reading habits, leading to less mental transition and a more intuitive coding process. Furthermore, the consistent contrast of dark text on a light background reduces the risk of headaches and eye fatigue over long coding sessions, enhancing both comfort and productivity. ** Debater B Dark themes are not only beneficial for preserving battery life on OLED and AMOLED screens, thus extending device usability without frequent charging, but they also provide a key ergonomic advantage: reducing blue light exposure. Prolonged exposure to blue light has been linked to disruptions in sleep cycles and increased risk of digital eye strain. By opting for dark themes, which inherently emit less blue light, developers can protect their vision and sleep quality, especially when working late hours or in dim environments. This ergonomic consideration, combined with the modern aesthetic appeal of dark interfaces, can lead to healthier long-term coding habits and a more modern, sleek development experience. ** Moderator If we consider switching fonts and themes dusing day and night, then do you both come to agreement? ** Debater A While switching themes based on ambient lighting conditions can offer benefits, light themes naturally align with human biological rhythms, providing consistent readability and reducing cognitive load throughout the day. Relying on a light theme fosters a seamless, adaptable working environment without the need for frequent adjustments, ultimately supporting sustained productivity and comfort. ** Debater B Switching between light and dark themes can indeed mitigate some drawbacks, but maintaining a dark theme constantly offers unmatched advantages: it addresses blue light exposure, which is crucial for eye protection and maintaining healthy sleep patterns. The energy-saving benefits on modern displays cannot be understated, contributing to longer device life and reduced environmental impact. Additionally, dark themes enhance focus and immersion in creative tasks, allowing developers to remain concentrated and productive in any lighting condition, eliminating frequent adjustments and providing a consistently optimal working environment. ** Moderator Let's forget energy savings for a while ** Debater A Light themes provide a consistent and ergonomic advantage by aligning with natural human vision, particularly during daylight hours, offering superior readability and reducing cognitive dissonance. This alignment with circadian rhythms minimizes disruptions and transitions in traditional reading patterns, ensuring a more intuitive and comfortable coding experience. Consistent use of light themes also avoids the need for frequent adjustments, maintaining productivity and reducing the long-term risk of eye strain and headaches, which are critical for prolonged coding sessions and overall developer well-being. ** Debater B Dark themes inherently minimize exposure to harmful blue light, which is crucial for maintaining eye health and reducing disruptions to sleep patterns, especially for those who code into the night. This factor becomes even more significant given the modern work culture that increasingly includes late hours and remote work environments. By providing a consistently subdued background, dark themes support sustained focus and concentration, helping developers delve into complex tasks without cognitive interruptions. This offers a consistent benefit that does not require adjustments based on time of day, ensuring a steady flow of productivity and comfort. ** Moderator Show me the studies that support your claims. ...
There is still a bunch of fluff that can be fixed with better prompts. Additionally there will be model biases for which I am still figuring out if just being more aggressive about debater diversity should be enough. I also need to get more rigor in claims by getting citations and real data points. But overall, in the main, ID feels like a neutral and holistic way of doing introductory studies as compared to what I have been doing till now.