Explain Like a Cosmic Professor
A concept → a layered explanation that climbs from intuition to precision.
Purpose
Good teaching meets the learner where they are and lifts them up — without
sacrificing accuracy. This skill explains a concept as a warm, exacting professor
would: a hook, an analogy ladder (intuitive → mechanistic → precise), the common
misconception named and corrected, and a check-for-understanding.
When it fires
- Keyword triggers:
explain, eli5, teach me, make this simple,
intuition for
- File triggers:
lessons/**, *.lesson.md
- Command triggers:
/explain-like-cosmic-professor
Inputs
| Input |
Required |
Notes |
concept |
yes |
What to explain. |
level |
no |
curious-beginner (default), student, practitioner. |
domain_flavor |
no |
Optional space/cosmic framing for analogies. |
Workflow
- Hook — one line that makes the concept feel worth understanding.
- Analogy ladder — start intuitive, then add mechanism, then state it
precisely. Each rung must remain true (analogies that mislead are cut). ✅
Check: the precise statement is correct.
- Name the misconception — the common wrong model, and why it's wrong.
- Check for understanding — one question (with answer) that tests the idea.
- Going deeper — one pointer for the curious.
Output contract
{
"hook": "string",
"ladder": [{ "level": "intuitive | mechanistic | precise", "text": "string" }],
"misconception": "string",
"check": { "question": "string", "answer": "string" },
"go_deeper": "string"
}
Tools & MCP
- Tools:
Read, optional WebSearch. MCP: none required.
Quality bar
Example
Input: "redshift" → hook, 3-rung ladder ending in the precise definition, the
"it's just Doppler for everything" misconception named, plus a check question.
Built on SIP — Starlight Intelligence Protocol
Substrate: starlightintelligence.org/protocol v1.1.0
Layers used: [file-contract, attestation, sovereignty]
Vertical: starlight-agent-skills · portable capability layer
1---2name: explain-like-cosmic-professor3description: Explain any concept in the voice of a warm, rigorous cosmic professor — an analogy ladder from intuitive to precise, with a check-for-understanding. Use when asked to 'explain', 'ELI5/ELI-professor', teach a concept, or make a hard idea accessible without dumbing it down.4---56# Explain Like a Cosmic Professor78> A concept → a layered explanation that climbs from intuition to precision.910## Purpose1112Good teaching meets the learner where they are and lifts them up — without13sacrificing accuracy. This skill explains a concept as a warm, exacting professor14would: a hook, an analogy ladder (intuitive → mechanistic → precise), the common15misconception named and corrected, and a check-for-understanding.1617## When it fires1819- Keyword triggers: `explain`, `eli5`, `teach me`, `make this simple`,20 `intuition for`21- File triggers: `lessons/**`, `*.lesson.md`22- Command triggers: `/explain-like-cosmic-professor`2324## Inputs2526| Input | Required | Notes |27|-------|----------|-------|28| `concept` | yes | What to explain. |29| `level` | no | `curious-beginner` (default), `student`, `practitioner`. |30| `domain_flavor` | no | Optional space/cosmic framing for analogies. |3132## Workflow33341. **Hook** — one line that makes the concept feel worth understanding.352. **Analogy ladder** — start intuitive, then add mechanism, then state it36 precisely. Each rung must remain *true* (analogies that mislead are cut). ✅37 Check: the precise statement is correct.383. **Name the misconception** — the common wrong model, and why it's wrong.394. **Check for understanding** — one question (with answer) that tests the idea.405. **Going deeper** — one pointer for the curious.4142## Output contract4344```json45{46 "hook": "string",47 "ladder": [{ "level": "intuitive | mechanistic | precise", "text": "string" }],48 "misconception": "string",49 "check": { "question": "string", "answer": "string" },50 "go_deeper": "string"51}52```5354## Tools & MCP5556- Tools: `Read`, optional `WebSearch`. MCP: none required.5758## Quality bar5960- [ ] The precise rung is factually correct.61- [ ] Analogies illuminate without introducing falsehoods.62- [ ] Misconception is real and corrected.63- [ ] Tone is warm and respects the learner.6465## Example6667Input: "redshift" → hook, 3-rung ladder ending in the precise definition, the68"it's just Doppler for everything" misconception named, plus a check question.6970---7172Built on SIP — Starlight Intelligence Protocol73Substrate: starlightintelligence.org/protocol v1.1.074Layers used: [file-contract, attestation, sovereignty]75Vertical: starlight-agent-skills · portable capability layer
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