I think a more general point is that we learn when we use information, and we learn different things depening on what we use it for. All those Ph. D. theses that never is read probably learned the author the material. Now if that was a good use of time and money is another question.

Then again people have different learning styles. Studying math or physics was most instructive in learning this. I tend to start a course by looking at old exams. "What can I do with this?" is my central question. From there I go backwards to see what I need to know to do what I want to do. However I have noticed that some people read the books the other way, from start to finish that is. Odd people, but to each their own.

Building stuff is one way (and a very good one) of using information and making it your own. Another is to teach, and I bet there are lots of more that I do not think about right know.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se