The Science of Thinking

What's inside this course

1. 0:00

   1. The Discomfort of Thinking

   This chapter introduces the idea that thinking is often avoided because it's uncomfortable and requires effort. It uses examples like simple math problems and general knowledge questions to illustrate how people tend to jump to conclusions rather than engage in deeper thought.

2. 1:44

   2. Introducing System 1 and System 2

   The video explains how our minds work through two systems, System 1 (Gan) and System 2 (Drew). Drew represents our conscious, effortful thoughts, capable of following instructions and performing complex calculations.

3. 2:55

   3. Gan: The Fast and Automatic Thinker

   This chapter introduces Gan (System 1), highlighting its speed and automaticity in processing information from our senses. Gan makes quick judgments and fills in gaps without conscious effort, forming the basis of our conscious thoughts.

4. 4:20

   4. Memory Systems: Long-Term and Working Memory

   The video connects Gan's automatic responses to long-term memory and Drew's operations to working memory. It emphasizes the limited capacity of working memory and introduces 'chunking' as a strategy to overcome these limitations by organizing familiar information.

5. 5:37

   5. Learning: From Drew to Gan

   Learning is described as the process of transferring tasks from Drew (effortful processing) to Gan (automatic processing) through repeated practice. This automation frees up Drew's limited capacity for new challenges, similar to 'muscle memory' in skills.

6. 8:08

   6. Measuring Drew's Effort: The Plus-One Task

   This chapter demonstrates the effort required by Drew using the 'plus-one' and 'plus-three' tasks. It reveals that physiological responses, like pupil dilation, indicate when Drew is working hard, highlighting the mental strain of effortful thinking.

7. 11:42

   7. The Efficiency of Gan and Drew's Laziness

   The video explains that our brains are designed to conserve energy, with Gan handling most daily tasks automatically. Drew is 'lazy' and avoids effort when possible, which can lead to errors, as seen in the 'bat and ball' problem where Gan's quick answer is accepted without Drew's verification.

Every chapter ends with a checkpoint (quiz, flashcards, retell, diagram, or prediction) and the course closes with a final boss-fight. More courses →