Prediction error

Ok kiddo, let me try to explain prediction error in a way you can understand. Let's say you love watching the weather report on TV with your family. The weatherman says that it's going to be sunny and warm tomorrow, so you start planning a picnic with your friends. But when tomorrow actually comes, it's raining outside and you have to cancel your plans. This difference between what the weatherman predicted and what actually happened is called a prediction error.

In other words, prediction error happens when we make a guess about what will happen in the future, but reality turns out to be different from what we expected. It's like trying to hit a target with a dart – if you miss the bullseye, that's a prediction error.

Scientists and researchers use prediction error a lot to study things like learning and decision-making. They try to figure out why we sometimes make mistakes when we try to predict what will happen in the future, and how we can get better at it.