Definition
Plain language
Two-peaked — or, when talking about inputs, two channels at once, such as text plus sound.
As stated in the literature
Of a distribution: having two distinct modes. Of a model input condition: supplying two modalities jointly (e.g. transcript plus full audio), as contrasted with text-only or audio-only conditions.
Also called: bimodal target, bimodality
Why it matters: Recognizing a bimodal pattern matters because averaging it into a single middle value hides the real split and misrepresents what people actually think.
For example, when asked how spicy they like their food, a group might split into two crowds — one for 'mild' and one for 'very hot' — with almost no one choosing the middle.
Heard on the show
“The second thing I'd flag, Hope, is the bimodal collapse.”Episode 003 — How to Pick the Best of Sixteen Coding Agent Rollouts