Download or read book The Way We Think written by Gilles Fauconnier and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2008-08-06 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In its first two decades, much of cognitive science focused on such mental functions as memory, learning, symbolic thought, and language acquisition -- the functions in which the human mind most closely resembles a computer. But humans are more than computers, and the cutting-edge research in cognitive science is increasingly focused on the more mysterious, creative aspects of the mind. The Way We Think is a landmark synthesis that exemplifies this new direction. The theory of conceptual blending is already widely known in laboratories throughout the world; this book is its definitive statement. Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner argue that all learning and all thinking consist of blends of metaphors based on simple bodily experiences. These blends are then themselves blended together into an increasingly rich structure that makes up our mental functioning in modern society. A child's entire development consists of learning and navigating these blends. The Way We Think shows how this blending operates; how it is affected by (and gives rise to) language, identity, and concept of category; and the rules by which we use blends to understand ideas that are new to us. The result is a bold, exciting, and accessible new view of how the mind works.
Download or read book How the Body Shapes the Way We Think written by Rolf Pfeifer and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2006-10-27 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of embodied intelligence and its implications points toward a theory of intelligence in general; with case studies of intelligent systems in ubiquitous computing, business and management, human memory, and robotics. How could the body influence our thinking when it seems obvious that the brain controls the body? In How the Body Shapes the Way We Think, Rolf Pfeifer and Josh Bongard demonstrate that thought is not independent of the body but is tightly constrained, and at the same time enabled, by it. They argue that the kinds of thoughts we are capable of have their foundation in our embodiment—in our morphology and the material properties of our bodies. This crucial notion of embodiment underlies fundamental changes in the field of artificial intelligence over the past two decades, and Pfeifer and Bongard use the basic methodology of artificial intelligence—"understanding by building"—to describe their insights. If we understand how to design and build intelligent systems, they reason, we will better understand intelligence in general. In accessible, nontechnical language, and using many examples, they introduce the basic concepts by building on recent developments in robotics, biology, neuroscience, and psychology to outline a possible theory of intelligence. They illustrate applications of such a theory in ubiquitous computing, business and management, and the psychology of human memory. Embodied intelligence, as described by Pfeifer and Bongard, has important implications for our understanding of both natural and artificial intelligence.
Download or read book Good Thinking written by Denise D. Cummins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-16 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you know what economists mean when they refer to you as a "rational agent"? Or why a psychologist might label your idea a "creative insight"? After reading this book, you will know how the best and brightest thinkers judge the ways we decide, argue, solve problems, and tell right from wrong.
Download or read book The Way We Think What We Are written by Mohd Faisal Dad Khan and published by Faisal Dad Khan. This book was released on 2019-12-08 with total page 53 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is about our personality, The way we think what we are is the way we become in our life. All of us have looked at others and wished we could be like them. We wished we could have what they have. But you can’t be someone else. You are you. You are unique and have your own talents and experiences. You can use those talents and experiences to get what you want, but you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself to do so. Many of us also act like someone we are not. Whether you did it to impress a love interest, your boss, or someone else, we have all not been ourselves because we believed it would get us what we wanted. But when you are not yourself, you change. You change who you are and what you are about.
Download or read book Why You Think the Way You Do written by Glenn S. Sunshine and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2009-08-30 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we come by our worldviews and philosophies? What impact did Christianity have on the worldviews that are common to Western civilization? Why You Think the Way You Do traces the development of the worldviews that underpin the Western world. Professor and historian Glenn S. Sunshine demonstrates the decisive impact that the growth of Christianity had in transforming the outlook of pagan Roman culture into one that—based on biblical concepts of humanity and its relationship with God—established virtually all the positive aspects of Western civilization. The two-pronged assault in our time on the biblically based worldview by postmodern philosophy and the writings of neo-atheists has made it even more crucial that we acknowledge and defend its historical roots. This authoritative, accessible survey discusses Western worldviews as a continuous narrative rather than as simply a catalogue of ideas. Why You Think the Way You Do: Traces the effects that changes in worldview had on society. Helps you understand your own worldview and those of other people. Helps you recognize the ways that your worldview, philosophies, beliefs, and presuppositions affect the way you think about everything.
Download or read book What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming written by Per Espen Stoknes and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2015 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Today, about 98 percent of scientists affirm that climate change is human made, and about 2 percent still question it. Despite that overwhelming majority, though, about half the population of rich countries, like ours, choose to believe the 2 percent. And, paradoxically, this large camp of deniers grows even larger as more and more alarming proof of climate change has cropped up over the last decades. This disconnect has both climate scientists and activists scratching their heads, growing anxious, and responding, usually, by repeating more facts to 'win' the argument. But, the more climate facts pile up, the greater the resistance to them grows, and the harder it becomes to enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for the inevitable change ahead. Is humanity up to the task? It is a catch-22 that starts, says psychologist and climate expert Per Espen Stoknes, from an inadequate understanding of the way most humans think, act, and live in the world around them. With dozens of examples, he shows how to retell the story of climate change and apply communication strategies more fit for the task."--Publisher's description.
Download or read book How To Think written by John Paul Minda and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2021-04-29 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book will get you thinking about thinking. We understand more about the brain than ever before and we also have more tools than ever before to help us think. This book will show you how your brain works, how your mind works, why we all make certain mistakes in thinking and why that's not always a bad thing. In order to understand how people behave, you need to understand how people think. And if you want to understand how people think, you need to have a basic understanding of cognitive psychology, cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience. This book explains cognition and the links between the brain, the mind and behaviour in a clear and straightforward way. Through interesting case studies and research examples, Minda shows how the brain is involved in mental activity, how memory works, how language affects thought, how good (and bad) decisions are made, and why we make predictable errors in our thinking. With practical applications for everyday life, this a book that helps us become better thinkers, better learners and better problem-solvers. In the current era of big data, algorithms and AI, Minda argues that knowing about how humans think-how you think-is more important than ever before.
Download or read book EcoMind written by Frances Moore Lappe and published by Bold Type Books. This book was released on 2013-04-23 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In EcoMind, Frances Moore LappÑa giant of the environmental movementÑconfronts accepted wisdom of environmentalism. Drawing on the latest research from anthropology to neuroscience and her own field experience, she argues that the biggest challenge to human survival isnÕt our fossil fuel dependency, melting glaciers, or other calamities. Rather, itÕs our faulty way of thinking about these environmental crises that robs us of power. Lapp dismantles seven common Òthought trapsÓÑfrom limits to growth to the failings of democracyÑ that belie what we now know about nature, including our own, and offers contrasting Òthought leapsÓ that reveal our hidden power. Like her Diet for a Small Planet classic, EcoMind is challenging, controversial and empowering.
Download or read book Richard Dawkins written by Alan Grafen and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2007 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published to coincide with the 30th anniversary of 'The Selfish Gene', this collection explores the impact of Richard Dawkins as scientist, rationalist, and one of the most important thinkers alive today.
Download or read book Mind Code written by Charles E. Bailey and published by . This book was released on 2013-05-01 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mind Code describes how we know the world we live in and how language and semantics shape this knowledge by influencing the way we think, feel, and behave - how we relate to that world and to others. Mind Code puts life as we know it into a coherent, systematic perspective that explains functional relations and processes across biological organisms, natural language, brains, and the physical world. The concept of a mind code comes from deciphering and understanding the key to the natural language code. Thus we have the key for understanding the how and why of human thought. We hold the key that can enhance our harmonious interaction with nature and the practical application of cooperative behavior across humanity.
Download or read book 101 Essays written by DiAnn Gilbertson and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2021-09-13 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her second compilation of published writing, Brianna Wiest explores pursuing purpose over passion, embracing negative thinking, seeing the wisdom in daily routine, and becoming aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. This book contains never before seen pieces as well as some of Brianna's most popular essays, all of which just might leave you thinking: this idea changed my life.
Download or read book Why We Work written by Barry Schwartz and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An eye-opening, groundbreaking tour of the purpose of work in our lives, showing how work operates in our culture and how you can find your own path to happiness in the workplace. Why do we work? The question seems so simple. But Professor Barry Schwartz proves that the answer is surprising, complex, and urgent. We’ve long been taught that the reason we work is primarily for a paycheck. In fact, we’ve shaped much of the infrastructure of our society to accommodate this belief. Then why are so many people dissatisfied with their work, despite healthy compensation? And why do so many people find immense fulfillment and satisfaction through “menial” jobs? Schwartz explores why so many believe that the goal for working should be to earn money, how we arrived to believe that paying workers more leads to better work, and why this has made our society confused, unhappy, and has established a dangerously misguided system. Through fascinating studies and compelling anecdotes, this book dispels this myth. Schwartz takes us through hospitals and hair salons, auto plants and boardrooms, showing workers in all walks of life, showcasing the trends and patterns that lead to happiness in the workplace. Ultimately, Schwartz proves that the root of what drives us to do good work can rarely be incentivized, and that the cause of bad work is often an attempt to do just that. How did we get to this tangled place? How do we change the way we work? With great insight and wisdom, Schwartz shows us how to take our first steps toward understanding, and empowering us all to find great work.
Download or read book How the Body Shapes the Way We Think written by Rolf Pfeifer and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2006-10-27 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of embodied intelligence and its implications points toward a theory of intelligence in general; with case studies of intelligent systems in ubiquitous computing, business and management, human memory, and robotics. How could the body influence our thinking when it seems obvious that the brain controls the body? In How the Body Shapes the Way We Think, Rolf Pfeifer and Josh Bongard demonstrate that thought is not independent of the body but is tightly constrained, and at the same time enabled, by it. They argue that the kinds of thoughts we are capable of have their foundation in our embodiment—in our morphology and the material properties of our bodies. This crucial notion of embodiment underlies fundamental changes in the field of artificial intelligence over the past two decades, and Pfeifer and Bongard use the basic methodology of artificial intelligence—"understanding by building"—to describe their insights. If we understand how to design and build intelligent systems, they reason, we will better understand intelligence in general. In accessible, nontechnical language, and using many examples, they introduce the basic concepts by building on recent developments in robotics, biology, neuroscience, and psychology to outline a possible theory of intelligence. They illustrate applications of such a theory in ubiquitous computing, business and management, and the psychology of human memory. Embodied intelligence, as described by Pfeifer and Bongard, has important implications for our understanding of both natural and artificial intelligence.
Download or read book How Literature Changes the Way We Think written by Michael Mack and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The capacity of the arts and the humanities, and of literature in particular, to have a meaningful societal impact has been increasingly undervalued in recent history. Both humanists and scientists have tended to think of the arts as a means to represent the world via imagination. Mack maintains that the arts do not merely describe our world but that they also have the unique and underappreciated power to make us aware of how we can change accustomed forms of perception and action. Mack explores the works of prominent writers and thinkers, including Nietzsche, Foucault, Benjamin, Wilde, Roth, and Zizek, among others, to illustrate how literature interacts with both people and political as well as scientific issues of the real world. By virtue of its distance from the real world-its virtuality-the aesthetic has the capability to help us explore different and so far unthinkable forms of action and thereby to resist the repetition and perpetuation of harmful practices such as stereotyping, stigma, exclusion, and the exertion of violence.
Download or read book The Science of Being Human written by Marty Jopson and published by Michael O'Mara Books. This book was released on 2019-10-17 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offering a unique insight into human behaviour, this book explains why we behave the way we do and what happens when humans interact with the world and each other. Starting with evolutionary biology and what it physically means to be a human being, this book moves on to include a wide range of topics such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and how we are evolving as we interact with new technology. There will be sections on how we perceive the world, such as why our brains - rather than our senses - can tell us about the world around us; crowd behaviour and more everyday things we can relate to, such as why your queue is mathematically proven to always be slower. The Science of Being Human explains all these human phenomena and how science, maths, psychology and other disciplines play their part.
Download or read book 1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think written by Robert Arp and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-06-07 with total page 960 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trace the progress of humanity—from prehistoric times to the present day—through 1,001 ideas that changed how we connect to each other and the world around us. From the ability to control fire to augmented reality, the power of humanity’s ideas has revolutionized how we live and experience the world around us. 1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think looks at the innovations and concepts that have played a key role in our progress since before recorded history. Covering a wide range of topics—from political and religious ideas to modern innovations such as social media and clean energy—this captivating volume offers a comprehensive look at how human ideas have evolved over the millennia.
Download or read book The Celtic Myths That Shape the Way We Think written by Mark Williams and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh and revealing look at the stories at the heart of Celtic mythology, exploring their cultural impact throughout history up to the present day. The Celtic Myths That Shape the Way We Think explores a fascinating question: how do myths that were deeply embedded in the customs and beliefs of their original culture find themselves retold and reinterpreted across the world, centuries or even millennia later? Focusing on the myths that have had the greatest cultural impact, Mark Williams reveals the lasting influence of Celtic mythology, from medieval literature to the modern fantasy genre. An elegantly written retelling, Williams captures the splendor of the original myths while also delving deeper into the history of their meanings, offering readers an intelligent and engaging take on these powerful stories. Beautiful illustrations of the artworks these myths have inspired over the centuries are presented in a color plates section and in black and white within the text. Ten chapters recount the myths and explore the lasting influence of legendary figures, including King Arthur, the Celtic figure who paradoxically became the archetypal English national hero; the Irish and Scottish hero Finn MacCool, who as “Fingal” caught the imagination of Napoleon Bonaparte, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Felix Mendelssohn; and the Welsh mythical figure Blodeuwedd, magically created from flowers of the oak, who inspired W. B. Yeats. Williams’s mythological expertise and captivating writing style make this volume essential reading for anyone seeking a greater appreciation of the myths that have shaped our artistic and literary canons and continue to inspire today.
