What is Thinking: Definition and 397 Discussions

Thought (or thinking) encompasses a flow of ideas and associations that can lead to logical conclusions. Although thinking is an activity of an existential value for humans, there is still no consensus as to how it is adequately defined or understood.
Because thought underlies many human actions and interactions, understanding its physical and metaphysical origins and its effects has been a longstanding goal of many academic disciplines including philosophy, linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, biology, sociology and cognitive science.
Thinking allows humans to make sense of, interpret, represent or model the world they experience, and to make predictions about that world. It is therefore helpful to an organism with needs, objectives, and desires as it makes plans or otherwise attempts to accomplish those goals.

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  1. U

    Programs Finding the Best Science Majors for Analytical and Logical Thinking

    I was wondering about what people consider good science based majors I want: A challenging degree(important) mostly based on independent work(pretty important too) Good job prospects and pay(not that important) analytical with theory and practice Logical and conceptual in nature. I...
  2. J

    Thinking About Working Out: Can It Increase Muscle Mass?

    I *think* I remember hearing something about a study that showed just thinking about working out was able to increase muscle mass.. was this true?
  3. JasonJo

    Programs Should I Double Major in Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics?

    I am thinking about switching my double major from Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) and Economics to AMS and Pure Mathematics with maybe a minor in economics. I want to keep my two career options open: Actuary or going to grad school However I have been hearing from some upper...
  4. M

    Thinking about the space shuttle

    I know that a rocket flying through space can burn fuel, which has mass, at a constant rate, thus a constant forward force. But does the acceleration of the shuttle increase or decrease with time, or does it just stay the same?
  5. wolram

    Is Creatine the Secret to Optimal Health and Fitness?

    I have heard a whisper that GD is in the doldrums, is it because there is nothing to talk about, or pure apathy? i know there are posters to GD that exhibit signs of intelligent conversation, and an inkling of wit, well two or three to be honest, are you one of them? :biggrin:
  6. N

    Thinking in different dimensions

    I was wondering about something today, I once heard a quote from Roger Penrose: a bar maid asked him what drink he wanted and he didn';t respond for a couple of seconds. When he did he said 'Sorry, I was thinking in about 12 different dimensino and I find it hard to come back to one' (or...
  7. Loren Booda

    Feeling or Thinking: Which Has Shaped Your Life?

    Which has contributed more to your life?
  8. S

    Drawing Questions: Pen Alternatives & Color Additions

    I have some questions, so if you like to joke or anything--offtopical points are also welcomed..:wink: In order to draw something, we need a pen and a paper, so if we don't use the pen, what can we use ? Second, when we draw something we can use crayons or color pens to add colors to the...
  9. D

    Thinking hard about errors in titration

    hi guys assistance in this area would be great just see what i have written and comment on them please thanks! all. im thinking about the errors in titration from doing a typical acid-base titration to talk about in my experiment and these are the errors i came up with. First of all my...
  10. N

    Critical Thinking Course: Evaluation, Tips & Resources

    hey any 1 attended this course ... if so .. could u tell me about it .. what is it exactly and how do they evaluate u ... and what is the perfect way to score high level in it ... and if anyone has a site or an ebook or anything which would help 4 the course ... please give me regards no...
  11. Loren Booda

    Is Magical Thinking Still Present in Our Adult Minds?

    We adults usually think in concrete terms. Would you agree, however, that the majority of our mature abstract thought processes can be related directly to our imagination as a child? How can this association justify the seeming exclusivity of child and adult minds? What magical thinking do...
  12. A

    Simple thinking problem - mirror refraction

    Suppose you want to take a photograph of yourself as you look at your image in a flat mirror 1.8 m away. For what distance should the camera lens be focused? You must be ½ the total distance away: since the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, the distance needed to get a...
  13. S

    How do we control our thinking?

    For example, when you are doing an essay, you must get some idea to write. Thus you send an impulse through the nerve cell to the brain. But what send the impulse, and how is it controlled?
  14. N

    Best thinking about dimensionality

    Hi all, and bless. Sorry about the mystic greeting but I feel like I need all the grisgris I can get these days. A frustrating week. However, i was last working on Pascal triangles, tetrahedra, and higher dimensional simplexes. N-choose-k was the math of the day. Now I have recently...
  15. E

    Love vs Thinking: Is Having Both Possible?

    first of all, I'm only fairly confident that I've chosen the appropriate forum for this. anyway -- loving and thinking, for me, have always been two different, distinct, indulgances. however, I've noticed that if i partake one, i ignore the other. to wit, bein' a lover is grand but...
  16. wolram

    Can we be tricked into thinking W=-1

    http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0408081
  17. T

    . Simple satellite / rocket seperation problem is my thinking wrong?

    URGENT. Simple satellite / rocket separation problem... is my thinking wrong? Rocket mass M-kM and satellite kM (k < 0) are separated by an explosion which releases energy Q and let's rocket M-kM come to a stop relative to the observer and satellite kM continue at velocity v. Initial velocity...
  18. Q

    Quantum physics movie - What the *$@ are we thinking? And upcoming movie

    Quantum physics movie -- What the *$@! are we thinking? And upcoming movie.. My friend who is learning calculus and physics, and I teach him what I know, works at movie theatre. He told me about a new movie in 2004, called "What the fuc* are we thinking?" It's about quantum physics and...
  19. P

    Thinking skills assessment test

    So I'm trying out the test to prepare me for my upcoming cambridge interview, there is one problem I can't understand though this one: 44 Sally is helping her father dig worms for fishing. "That's exactly enough," he says as she places a worm in his tin. "How many do you need?" she...
  20. T

    I'm Thinking of running away, should I?

    Should I run away? I mean, if one is unhappy (to some degree) with the day to day routine of life, then why not? If i did, where would I go? Maybe to the circus. Nah, there aren't any to speak of anymore. Also, should I get a pole and a bandana and wrap my belongings in it (as i have seen...
  21. T

    I'm thinking about becoming a racist

    I'm sitting in my suite in the Courtyard by Marriott right now thinking about blowing up a gas station. I worked for three hours on Friday, drove for 12 hours to San Jose got 5 hours sleep and then went to work today. My job is surveying and I have to do a survey of about 30 gas stations for a...
  22. C

    Where Can I Find Resources to Improve My Critical and Logical Thinking Skills?

    Are there any good books or websites that can help me become a better thinker, both critically and logically? Science is one of the things in life that interest me most, but I have trouble studying and understanding it since I'm not the best "deep" thinker. Any help is greatly appreciated.
  23. T

    Creative (lateral) thinking to solve a complex problem

    A merchant owed a large sum of money to a moneylender. The old, ugly moneylender fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter. He proposed that he would forget the debt if he could marry the merchant's daughter. The merchant and his daughter were horrified. The cunning moneylender suggested...
  24. Gara

    Some thoughts I've been thinking about.

    Predisposition's aside, I've been thinking about a whole bunch of stuff. I'm not even sure if they're questions. 1) If we assume when a spaceship is moving at the speed of light, it has infinite mass. In order for a ship with infinite mass to move, it would require infinite energy. Since the...
  25. A

    Easy physics thinking question (conservation of momentum)

    Two football players run into each other at midfield. We can (or cannot) realistically apply conservation of momentum to calculate the players' velocities just after the impact because A. The system of interest floats in space. B. The players are functionally isolated. C. We can treat...
  26. JasonRox

    How does speed affect perceived time in David W. Hogg's SR Book?

    This is a question in David W. Hoggs SR Book, so it is not homework. Problem 3-4 A rocket ship passes the Earth at speed B = 0.8 (B=v/c). Observers on the ship and on Earth agree that it is noon. Answer the following questions: a)At 12:30pm, as read by a rocket ship clock(assuming it is...
  27. wasteofo2

    News Iran's defense minister is thinking of taking Bush's lead.

    Apparently, Iran's defense minister is a fan of this preemptive war stuff, and figures that if using preemptive war is good enough for the USA, that it would be good enough for Iran, and is thinking of preemptively attacking Isreal, specifically their nuclear facilities. Also, due to American...
  28. A

    What Considerations Are Needed for a 500 MeV/u Zn Beam Test at GSI?

    this is the first time for me to prepare or thinking about the experiment which will be taken on the accerlerator. what should be taken into account before experiment?
  29. S

    Penrose Altered Smolin's Thinking?

    Why the work of LQG from a SRian approach is considered? Ths distilliation process was good for Smolin as it helped me to understand from his examples as to how the formation of the "new logic" might have extended from this head shaking that went on. This to me lead into other issues of...
  30. Mk

    BCS Theory Disproven - Credible Source Physicsweb or Scientific American

    BCS theory has been disproven, though still people use it to explain things,that's all. No, I don't remember where I read it. It was a credible source though, physicsweb.org, or scientific american...
  31. Gokul43201

    Can You Think Like a Physicist?

    Anyone worked on problems from "Thinking Like a Physicist" ? This is a compilation of qualifier problems from the University of Bristol (I think) Physics Dept. - very different from the standard physics problems you come across in texts like Irodov, Resnick, etc. I found them quite refreshing !
  32. R

    The Universe Is Alive And Thinking

    The Universe Is Alive And Thinking! ...because we are alive and thinking. Ming acting on a molecular scale implies that consciousness may exist at all levels of matter even atomic and subatomic levels---Physicist Fred Alllen Wolf
  33. C

    How Can I Learn Critical Thinking and Why Is It Important?

    Few adults realize that they do not know anything about critical thinking. The words sound familiar but the reality is that they know nothing about critical thinking. Learning critical thinking is equivalent to two or three 3-hour college credit courses for a total of 6 to 9 hours of college...
  34. zoobyshoe

    Professor Teaches Critical Thinking With Bigfoot

    * * "In his Tier III class, Moody uses a variety of evidence, including a Discovery Channel documentary, "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science," to teach students how to weigh evidence. The movie presents a range of clues for the existence of Bigfoot, including films of purported...
  35. E

    Q: How does the speed of thinking affect our perception and sense of self?

    "Think of the devil and there he is", definitely a devil knows the speed of thinking. I need your openion on the following question. Q: What is the speed of thinking A) Infinite B) limited and variable C) Constant other than speed of light D) Same as speed of light E) Zero D) Not...
  36. Monique

    William Hung's Bizarre Journey to Stardom: What Are They Thinking?

    I saw NBC Matt Lauer's report on the booted American Idol contestant William Hung who apparently is going for stardom. Whát are they thínking? :eek:
  37. S

    Lingusitics Visual language and thinking visually

    I'd like to ask for some opinions about what I've been developing. It's about visual language and thinking visually. Originally I was just trying to satisfy my own curiosity, if I could create many different kind of geometrical figures, which could act as an useful tools for my thoughts, but I...
  38. S

    News Thinking About Neoconservatism, by Professor Kevin MacDonald

    September 18, 2003 Thinking About Neoconservatism By Kevin MacDonald Over the last year, there’s been a torrent of articles on neoconservatism raising (usually implicitly) some vexing issues: Are neoconservatives different from other conservatives? Is neoconservatism a Jewish movement...
  39. W

    Critical Thinking & Problem Solving HELP ME

    On my quiz, it asked... "When using a hammer to drive a nail into wood, you have to swing the hammer through the air with certain velocity. Because the hammer has both mass and momentum. Describe what happens to the hammer's momentum after the hammer hits the nail." SCIENCE ISN'T...
  40. R

    News What the hell is Bush Thinking?

    What the hell is Bush Thinking?? If you guys haven't heard about this one: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9111-2003Oct23.html It seems our President has informed NATO that it has to change the date for its summit because, get this, his daughters are graduating from college...
  41. S

    Holistic thinking - formulating a more complete physics

    In comparison with other physics forums I enjoy the special qualities of this one. People here seem to be more open to a friendly dialogue (rather than indulging in personal aggressions, as is widespread) in the aim of developing more complete views and insights. The implied capacity to 'listen'...
  42. D

    Quantitive Thinking Help - Improve My Scores on 9th Grade National Tests

    My 9th grade national tests just came back. I did above average on everything, my quantitive thinking however barely got passed the average mark. My parents are not pleased, even though they are decent scores. So, I need help on this subject. Any books or websites that provide this...
  43. T

    Thinking Without Language: Problem Solving Inhibited?

    When we think we think using words for the most part maybe with an imgae or two for color but mostly we think in words. How dose one go about thinking without a language like an infiante or another anmial. is problem solving inhibted ?
  44. zk4586

    Gah Help me find the word I'm thinking of

    Is there a long word that means separation of church and state? I think it starts with an "A". Help! Please!
  45. M

    Thinking in Multiple Dimensions: Ideas & Strategies

    In how many dimensions one can think? Can anyone give idea?
  46. L

    I'm thinking about joining Mensa

    I'm thinking about joining Mensa and I was wondering what experiences others have had with them. I really don't know if it's something I want to do or not. What are the benefits of joining?
  47. R

    Thinking about gravity and ineria

    Thinking about gravity and ineria I had the following thought. Please, give me your thought about it and feel free to blow holes in it. When any object with mass moves, even in what we may perceive as a straight line with constant velocity on a curved surface or within a curved...
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