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In Think101, we're thinking about thinking— that is, we're thinking about reasoning, about
judgment, about the choices we make, decision-making. How do we make choices? How do we think about
things like expertise? How do we turn somebody who knows nothing into somebody who knows a lot?
What I think we're trying to do is bring that kind of scientific thinking, that rigor,
that way of approaching problems, of finding things out, out of the lab and into our everyday lives.
It's never been more important to know how to learn, but it's not easy, and that's
an ultimate survival skill.
You can plant entirely false memories, whole memories, into the minds of people for things
that didn't happen. All that intelligence, all that experience, all that education doesn't
protect you.
I think part of being skeptical is keeping an open mind but demanding evidence. Try and
find some evidence first, and then make up your mind.
We wanted people to confront things that they think about and do every day and realize that
there's science around them in every place.
The best way to think about: "Will I be able to do something well in the future"
is to simulate it in the present.
I would say to both skeptics and believers: "Try and base your thoughts and your beliefs
on the evidence." I mean, that's what you do in many different areas of your life.
The world doesn't really look the way you think it looks. There's not a simple panacea here.
I personally find that the smartest people I meet are always willing to say they don't
know something.
Science isn't just for scientists. It's for anybody with integrity that really honestly
wants to understand their world.
Making mistakes is really important. If it feels easy, you're probably doing it wrong.
People will quickly recognize that the letter string at the bottom will produce more words
than the letter string at the top.
Why would the order of the stockings affect my judgment?
That was disgusting. What was that nice one? What was the really good one?
What am I going to do? I'm totally going to take a sip and...
Sorry. What were you saying?
Hang on. Let me enjoy this wine.
One of the things we're trying to do in this course is give a realistic idea about
how the mind is actually working.
Think clearly. Think effectively. Ultimately, we want them to have the tools to be able
to change the world.