Explain Like I'm 5
Over the last few years, as I've slowly come to believe that if you really understand a concept, now it could be anything from maths to science to even programming, you should be able to explain it in simple English, even to a 5-yr old. I've said it before and I still live by this old quote:
If you want to master something, teach it.
—Dr Richard Feynman
But for me, that teaching needs to be practical, relatable and most importantly have a bit of enjoyment. So, this is where I'll be sharing my take on some of those concepts that can sometimes seem a bit daunting.
I'm starting this new series mostly as an experiment on myself, to see if I actually understand half the stuff I claim to, by trying to make it simple and super-duper relatable to everyday things instead of explaining through jargon.
Simple English.
Making the concepts click!
In my experience as an engineer and now a faculty, the code or concept's rarely the hard part. It's the ability to imagine that thing you can't see.
Ever since I started teaching since April, 2025, I've realised and learnt that I find a great joy in sharing my own experiences (good, bad and ugly) as examples because a decent and honestly speaking, a more relatable analogy does something a textbook definition can't.
A somewhat complex concept can suddenly make sense the second you tie it to something daft and everyday, like food or friends, or whatever nonsense I've compared it to that week. I genuinely love doing this. Selfishly, it's also how I check whether I actually understand something myself; if I can't explain it without jargon, I probably don't get it as well as I think I do.
Plus, I also want to give people (mostly my students) the chance to understand and share their own examples or their ways of understanding the same concepts. You never know what simple example or idea might be the one that finally clicks!!
The big picture.
Each page here will focus on a single concept and I'll explain it simply, using practical examples that we encounter every day. For me, the best examples are always the ones you can see and feel or simply compare yourself to.
It's always lovely when someone has a prerequisite for a topic, but I feel that won't be necessary here, as I intend to keep these articles completely independent. So feel free to jump in and explore whichever topic you fancy.
These pages are meant to give you that aha! moment, hopefully without boring you to death. They're short* and hopefully sharp, though I make no promises on the sharp bit.