First Blog

1.      Introduction. Your marvelous brain not only thinks but can think in a variety of ways. Thinking in evolutionary terms, most have practical roots, but others are new and learned. It is almost wonderous the scope of these modes of thinking, almost as if it was designed for tasks that lay ahead. In this short essay we give brief descriptions of some of our many thinking modes we use to solve problems. The sheer number of thinking modes suggests another point of separation between humans and other animals. For example, most predators think tactically, but how many think strategically? Not all these thinking modes come naturally. Many must be learned, practiced, and then perfected. Various personalities specialize in various types of thinking, which while adequate for some are insufficient to become a great thinker. The greatest of all is the human’s capacity for metacognition, its ability to control thought, or think about thinking. After this discussio...

  A.     “I felt really alone and isolated at school. This “outsider” feeling drove me to take risks and prove doubters wrong, and later influenced my choices as a scientist.” --- Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna Figure 1 Jennifer Doudna B.     Thinking is not unlike running. For both, periods of rest are necessary. For both, training and practice are necessary. For both, there are good days and bad. For both, there are desires, limitations, hard work, and huge satisfaction. C.     Great teachers need great students as much as great students need great teachers. 

We take up the question as to what are some comprehension strategies that work well for you. First, note that comprehension is not an ah-ha moment. The ah-ha may come after mental preparation but never before. The stages of preparation are our message here today. Comprehension is more than learning a skill. We are not talking here about changing ink cartridges on your printer, but concepts like learning an accounting system, or legal and philosophical ideas. Big stuff. Comprehension is more-or-less a problem-solving event, another type of problem to be sure, but it involves all the big three components, understanding, belief, and acceptance. Mere problem-solving, on the other hand, requires only one of these. Steps I use in comprehension, though many are done simultaneously. They apply to all subjects. ·        Read the material, taking notes as needed. ·        Think about the topic over and over in your mind until y...

  For your travels today, whether directed, meandering, random-stepping, please consider… Judgments  are easy. No responsibility. No depth of examination. No reflection. Errors are rarely noticed. Truth of judgment becomes a crown to wear, a conceit, a self-justification. Thinking  is difficult. Self-reflection is essential. Self-delusion is ever-present. Self-examination is difficult. The assumption of error is correct. Solid, fully discoursed conclusions are sometimes impossible. Both together are not incompatible. Rodin - Thinker