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it's exactly how we learn. many examples and then general principles. if you start with general principles, everybody drops out.

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Not "exactly" how we learn. Humans learn through a combination of reinforcement learning (which is costly/risky/painful) and through observation of existing patterns and norms.

Better observation-based learning is a less expensive way of improving existing corpus-based approaches than trial-and-error and participating in an environment.

except that the careful observation comes late in the curriculum. children don't learn if you start out with the Stern Gerlach experiment. they sing ABCs.

The parent of any young child can tell you that they learn through lots of exploration and reinforcement - often to the worry and chagrin of caregivers. Indeed much of our job is to guide exploration away from excessively dangerous “research” activities (ex. locking away cleaning products).

As an ideal parent, you should give your kids access to activities that seem dangerous, without actually being all too dangerous.

Kids seem to have an internal dial for a desired level of perceived danger, and get up to weird stuff, if they don't get enough perceived danger.

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