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AI featuresHow does the Feynman test work in Synapsi?
Updated May 21, 2026·3 min read
The Feynman technique is a learning method named after physicist Richard Feynman. The idea is simple: if you can explain something in plain language to a non-expert, you actually understand it. If you can't, you've found a gap.
The 4 steps
- Pick a topic you want to test yourself on.
- Explain it as if you were teaching a 12-year-old. No jargon.
- Identify the gaps: where you reached for textbook language or got stuck.
- Review the source, then explain it again.
How Synapsi automates it
Open any note and tap Feynman test. Synapsi picks a prompt from the note's main topic and gives you a blank text area. You type your explanation in plain English. When you submit, Synapsi compares what you wrote against the note's content and surfaces three things: what you got right, what you almost had, and what you missed entirely.
For every gap, Synapsi proposes a new flashcard. Add it to the queue with one click and the spaced-repetition system schedules it for review tomorrow.
Tip: The Feynman test is best taken cold. Don't re-read the note first. The gaps are more revealing.
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