#078: Physics Behind Torpedo Bat, Three Stages of Talent Development, How to Spread an Idea

Hi All!

We are pleased to welcome you to this week's edition of Undiscovered, a newsletter with exclusive resources and insights expanding from the material found on our main site - becketu.com.

This week, we'll take a look at the physics behind the viral new bat design in Major League Baseball, Bloom's Three Stages of Talent Development, how to tell stories in sequences, and more.

Let's dive in:

Physics Behind Torpedo Bat

One of the most exciting developments coming out of the young 2025 Major League Baseball season is the growing awareness around the torpedo bat. Unlike traditional bats, the barrel of the torpedo bat sits closer to the hitter’s hands, redistributing weight to the sweet spot where players typically make contact with the ball. This design reduces swing weight, making the bat easier to control while increasing the likelihood of quality hits, like hard-hit balls and elevated shots that lead to home runs.

The New York Yankees were the first team to implement this design after hiring an MIT physicist to research optimal placement of wood. I know what you're thinking - "Wow, it really takes a genius to figure out you should place more wood where the impact is made." But, that's in essence what happened. The result has been an unprecedented surge in offense for the Yankees and a secret advantage now wide open to the public.

For a game over 200 years old, it's incredible to see how it still evolves.

Bloom's Three Stages of Talent Development

Justin Skycak of Math Academy quotes on his website that "nothing excites (him) more than seeing people lean into serious upskilling". He goes on to say this is related to stages 2-3 of Bloom's talent development process in hierarchal domains, which allows individuals to "use the increased agency to benefit both themselves and the world".

But what are Bloom's 3 Stages of Talent Development? As discovered by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom, they are as follows:

Skycak goes on to say that each stage is further characterized by four factors:

1) the student's level of skill and commitment
2) the teacher's of level of expertise
3) the type of training activities that are used, and
4) the mode of interaction between the teacher and student
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These factors co-occur within the three stages of talent development. If at any point there's a mismatch between the three stages and the four factors, the talent development process will experience friction and can ultimately lead to failure.

Working in Sequences

I'm always curious how writers and filmmakers craft their stories. When I came across this diagram for outlining scrips by James V. Simpson, I was immediately interested:

James V. Simpson @jamesvsimpson I love outlining a new script. I write in 5 Acts with 8 sequences and 32 story cards. I try to give each sequence its own unity and arc. This is how I do it. Every writer is different. You do you. 9:40 PM • Apr 4, 2025 48 Retweets 845 Likes Read 22 replies

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You may not be writing a screenplay, but the ability to break down larger stories into smaller "sequences" is a universally valuable skill. If you look at it broadly, the breakdown occurs as follows:
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1. Overall Story
2. Three Main Acts
3. "Sub" Acts
4. Sequences
5. "Cards"

I love this approach because it forces you to create 'mini-stories' within the overall narrative, forcing you to focus on story progression and character building. Whether it's a play, a show, a film, or any kind of pitch, understanding sequences and building on them will help you become a better storyteller.

The Three Things Needed to Spread an Idea

​David Perell recently interviewed PR expert Lulu Cheng Meservey, who discussed the three things needed to spread an idea: a message, a medium, and a messenger.

David goes on to provide some of his personal highlights:

It's a great reminder not all ideas need to be new, and we should think about the way we communicate an idea just as much as the idea itself. if you're interested in watching the whole interview between David and Lulu, you can find that here.

The Educational Genome

Mathematician and university professor Alex Kontorovich found Math Academy's "Educational Genome" roadmap, and had the following to say about the future of learning:

Our friend Justin Skycak from Math Academy expanded on this by saying "The future of education is to map out, measure, adapt instruction to every student's individual knowledge profile across thousands of concepts/skills/applications".

This could have potentially massive consequences. Some of the more exciting possibilities are within creating modular, interdisciplinary content along with lifelong learning ecosystems. What does that mean?

For interdisciplinary content, traditional subjects could dissolve into skill-based modules (e.g. combining coding with biology for bioinformatics). A lifelong learning ecosystem could also generate profiles that extend into higher education and career training, aligning micro-credentials with employer needs.

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