Welcome to this week’s edition of Simon Sees!
This week, we were inspired by our latest Future With Friends episode with Dr Richard Hodge, where we explored ‘The Future of Learning’. Recorded live with Melbourne startup Spill Haus, Richard invites us to see learning not just as a system, but as a human practice that grows when curiosity, reflection, and conversation are allowed to flourish.
But now to our signals. First up, a Nature Human Behaviour study flips the idea of solo genius on its head. It shows that a small, well-structured group can be smarter than thousands of individuals acting alone. By thinking independently, then deliberating in tiny teams, groups reach answers that no single person could – proof that learning and decision-making thrive when shared.
Next, The Conversation reminds us that AI isn’t a shortcut to understanding. Sure, the technology is powerful – but old-school web search and hands-on exploration still spark deeper learning. Tools are useful, but curiosity and effort do the heavy lifting.
And finally, a sneaky Simon Reads pick: Right Story, Wrong Story by Tyson Yunkaporta. The book extends Yunkaporta’s explorations of learning through Indigenous thinking, showing how stories, land, and community are inseparable from how we relate to each other. Through conversations with everyone from economists to Elders, Yunkaporta crafts “crowd-sourced narratives” that honour every perspective – offering a formidably original guide to teaching, learning, and shaping collective thinking for the future.
Maybe the point isn’t to get it right the first time – but to stay curious, experiment, and see where the conversation takes us.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
Aggregated knowledge from a small number of debates outperforms the wisdom of large crowds
“Proof that learning and decision-making isn’t just done better collectively, it’s done better collaboratively.’’
THE CONVERSATION
Learning with AI falls short compared to old-fashioned web search
“Learning from AI may feel easier — but this ease comes at a cost: people retain less, think less deeply, and ultimately produce knowledge that’s shorter, more generic, and less useful than what comes from old-fashioned web search.”
Right Story, Wrong Story: Adventures in Indigenous Thinking
The award-winning author of Sand Talk returns with a formidably original yarn with Indigenous thought leaders from around the globe.
Sand Talk, Tyson Yunkaporta’s bestselling debut, cast an Indigenous lens on contemporary society. It was, said Melissa Lucashenko, ‘an extraordinary invitation into the world of the Dreaming’.
Right Story, Wrong Story extends Yunkaporta’s explorations of how we can learn from Indigenous thinking. Along the way, he talks to a range of people including liberal economists, memorisation experts, Frisian ecologists, and Elders who are wood carvers, mathematicians and storytellers.
THE FUTURE WITH FRIENDS PODCAST
Ep 18: The Future of Learning
In this episode of The Future With Friends, Simon is joined by his long-time friend Dr Richard Hodge to explore the future of learning.
Recorded live in collaboration with Melbourne startup Spill Haus, this special episode brings Richard’s calm wisdom and expansive thinking to a topic that is far bigger than any single trend or technology. Described by Simon as the “wise elder everyone wishes they had in their community,” Richard gently stretches the audience’s imagination, inviting them to consider learning not just as a system, but as an evolving human practice.
Rather than narrowing the conversation to AI or digital disruption, Richard holds a much broader space—one that looks at the many facets of learning, how they may unfold in the future, and what valuable lessons we might carry forward from our past. He explores what we do now, what still matters, and what might deserve deeper reflection as we reimagine how people grow, develop, and make meaning in the decades ahead.
The conversation doesn’t aim to deliver answers. Instead, it offers an open, thoughtful space—true to the purpose of scenario thinking—where curiosity is more valuable than certainty and exploration is the point. Simon describes it as an inspiring exchange filled with intellectually rich ideas and concepts that stay with you long after listening.At its heart, The Future of Learning invites us to pause, to reflect, and to consider how we might consciously shape the ways we learn—together and for the future.
Simon
