All mysteries
Mystery #3Tier 2brain and learning

Why does practising the same thing over and over slowly make you brilliant at it?

The first time you tried something tricky, riding a bike or playing a tune, you were hopeless. Do it again and again, though, and one day it feels easy, almost automatic. Nothing about the task itself has changed. So why does practising the same thing over and over slowly turn you brilliant at it?

A street juggler at the Edinburgh Fringe mid-throw, three balls hanging in the air, a skill that once felt impossible
Photo: Quejaytee · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What's your hunch? When you practise, what do you think is changing to make you better?

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