Becket U curates the best resources in Math, Physics, Computers, Microeconomics, Game Theory, and Persuasion. With this knowledge, you will understand how the world works.
Undiscovered #117: Self-Directed Learning Through AI, Virality As You Know It Is Dead, How to Ascend by Studying History
#117: Self-Directed Learning Through AI, Virality As You Know It Is Dead, How to Ascend by Studying HistoryHi 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 will take a look at what brands will have to do moving forward to stand out on social media, the best system to learn any complex topic with Ai, how to study history in order to take advantage of modern events, and more. Virality As You Know It Is Dead"By 2027, every high growth brand will have a creator studio. How do I know? I was on the forefront of synthesizing content and brand. Over 5 years I grew my brand to $50m in sales. I did it starting with 200m views on TikTok in our first year with just me creating content, to a team of 8 people who delivered 30b+ views across the internet." It's an interesting premise, and one that challenges the classic assumptions of what performing well on social media looks like and means. Isaac says there are four forces that killed mass virality: How to Master Game Theory + Any Other Complex SubjectThis post by @EXM7777 is titled "how to master the one concept that rules our world", and it walks through how to learn Game Theory by creating a personalized curriculum with AI. In order to make proper use of the AI, you need to start by feeding it great sources and customizing the way it teaches the lessons from each. EXM divides it into two main sections, 1) books and 2) YouTube videos. Books
YouTube
Of course, we also recommend all the Game Theory resources we have on our Becket U site. Once you have your chosen resource, you will go through an extended and multistep approach to creating a new project in Claude and feeding all the information into it. What stood out to me about EXM's approach, is that their prompts make it so that every curriculum is personalized to the individual. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach here. The sequence described can be used for Game Theory, but the reality is this article is a meta-framework for mastering any complex topic that exists. The structure is as follows:
Naval Advice on Self-Directed Learning Through AINaval Ravikant recently tweeted, "Self-directed learning through AI is an autodidact's paradise." Many people in the responses were curious about his approach so he decided to drop some free game to everyone: Question 1: How can I make sure what AI feeds me is from the right sources? How to Ascend During Decline: Study HistoryAtlas Press wrote an article titled "How to Ascend During Decline: Study History" which argues that our technologically advanced and peaceful world is an outlier in history, and that we must all become more 'historically literate' to avoid a slow, complacent decline similar to that of Rome. This matters because most people suffer from "pressentism", assuming the current order is permanent, while the risk is erosion through debt, inflation, demographic collapse, and loss of cultural memory that unfold too gradually to trigger alarm. In order to take advantage of decline, you must be able to spot the cracks early, position yourself where resilience is scarce (skills, communities, assets), and help rebuild while others remain complacent. The best way to spot the cracks and learn about the right opportunities comes from a reliable toolbox of sources to learn from. In the article, these are the best books and podcasts to listen to, according to Atlas Press: Books
1. The Histories by Herodotus. Often called the "Father of History," Herodotus wrote this foundational work in the 5th century BC. It chronicles the Greco-Persian Wars, ancient cultures, and customs across the known world. It's a blend of storytelling and ethnography that set the standard for historical writing. 2. Parallel Lives (Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans) by Plutarch. Written in the 1st-2nd century AD, this collection of biographies pairs Greek and Roman figures (like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar) to explore character and leadership. It's not just history but moral philosophy through real lives, influencing thinkers for centuries. 3. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. This monumental 18th-century epic traces Rome's collapse from the height of the empire to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Gibbon's elegant style and vast research make it a cornerstone of historiography. 4. The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant. A sweeping 11-volume series from the 20th century covering human history from ancient times to the Age of Napoleon. It's accessible yet profound, emphasizing cultural and social developments across civilizations. 5. The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. Composed in the 5th century BC, this detailed account of the war between Athens and Sparta revolutionized history with its focus on evidence, causation, and human nature. Podcasts
1. Hardcore History by Dan Carlin A deep-dive series exploring dramatic historical events and eras with narrative flair, often focusing on wars and turning points. 2. Revolutions by Mike Duncan A series covering major political revolutions throughout history, from the English to the Russian.
3. MartyrMade by Darryl Cooper A narrative-driven podcast exploring deep historical and cultural conflicts, such as the multi-part series on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ("Fear & Loathing in the New Jerusalem").
4. Fall of Civilizations by Paul Cooper Examines the rise and dramatic collapses of ancient empires and societies, with detailed storytelling and analysis. 5. Whatifalthist by Rudyard Lynch Delves into alternate history scenarios, geopolitics, and long-term civilizational trends with speculative analysis and maps. It's popular for its thought-provoking "what if" explorations. New Roadmap for Building Your App IdeaThere are multitudes of new resources always coming online to help you build out app ideas. Below, you'll find general roadmaps filled with tutorials, design-specific advice to make your app stand out from slop, and how to distribute your app through modern forms of marketing. We curated the best, so you don't have to: General Roadmap
Design
Marketing
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Becket U curates the best resources in Math, Physics, Computers, Microeconomics, Game Theory, and Persuasion. With this knowledge, you will understand how the world works.
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