Hot Thought

Emotion Regulation

Is the Universe Trying to Tell You Something?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on March 20, 2023

Some people take surprises or coincidences as signs that the universe is communicating with them, but other explanations are more plausible.

Some people take surprises or coincidences as signs that the universe is communicating with them, but other explanations are more plausible.

Cognition

Why Is ChatGPT So Smart and So Stupid?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on February 23, 2023

ChatGPT is sometimes stupid because it is purely predictive, lacks accuracy goals and ethical values, and fails to disclose and evaluate its sources.

ChatGPT is sometimes stupid because it is purely predictive, lacks accuracy goals and ethical values, and fails to disclose and evaluate its sources.

Bias

What Systemic Racism Is and How to Overcome It

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on January 9, 2023

Systems consist of compositions, environments, structures, and mechanisms, so systemic change is more than individual change.

Systems consist of compositions, environments, structures, and mechanisms, so systemic change is more than individual change.

Sleep

Why Do We Dream?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on December 1, 2022

Dreams have been explained as divine communications, wish fulfillments, emotional regulations, or cognitive explorations. But dreams may just be neural byproducts.

Dreams have been explained as divine communications, wish fulfillments, emotional regulations, or cognitive explorations. But dreams may just be neural byproducts.

Trust

8 Principles of Emotional Software Design

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on November 1, 2022

Software applications and other technologies work better if they are tuned to the emotional needs of the people who use them.

Software applications and other technologies work better if they are tuned to the emotional needs of the people who use them.

Creativity

Leonardo’s Analogies and Creativity

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on October 19, 2022

Leonardo da Vinci used analogies to generate new insights in fields from anatomy to architecture to painting. But not all of his favorite analogies were always useful.

Leonardo da Vinci used analogies to generate new insights in fields from anatomy to architecture to painting. But not all of his favorite analogies were always useful.

Resilience

Metabalance: How to Combine Balance with Imbalance

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 24, 2022

In art, music, economics, and everyday life, we can enrich experience by combining desirable balance with the excitement of imbalance, requiring metabalance.

In art, music, economics, and everyday life, we can enrich experience by combining desirable balance with the excitement of imbalance, requiring metabalance.

Motivation

Motivated Reasoning: A Brief History

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on May 25, 2022

The influence of Ziva Kunda's concept of motivated reasoning continues to spread. What are its origins?

The influence of Ziva Kunda's concept of motivated reasoning continues to spread. What are its origins?

Media

Social Media Promote "Information Incontinence"

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on April 8, 2022

Misinformation and disinformation are spreading indiscriminately because of a lack of constraints on the generation and transmission of fake news.

Misinformation and disinformation are spreading indiscriminately because of a lack of constraints on the generation and transmission of fake news.

Philosophy

Lost in a Metaverse of Virtual Reality

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on March 10, 2022

Could we be living in a simulation? Is virtual reality a reality?

Could we be living in a simulation? Is virtual reality a reality?

Unconscious

The Real Problem of Consciousness

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on February 14, 2022

Anil Seth provides an excellent characterization of the real problem of consciousness as finding mechanisms, but his solution based on predictive processing is implausible.

Anil Seth provides an excellent characterization of the real problem of consciousness as finding mechanisms, but his solution based on predictive processing is implausible.

Cognition

Fascism Thrives on Misinformation

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on January 21, 2022

Retaining democracy and fighting fascism depend on combating misinformation, using critical thinking, motivational interviewing, and political action.

Retaining democracy and fighting fascism depend on combating misinformation, using critical thinking, motivational interviewing, and political action.

Philosophy

Fallacious Reasoning About Reality Leads to Bad Theories

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on December 10, 2021

A Personal Perspective: The claims that reality is mental, empirical, mathematical, or social rest on fallacious reasoning.

A Personal Perspective: The claims that reality is mental, empirical, mathematical, or social rest on fallacious reasoning.

Unconscious

Regaining Consciousness

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on November 23, 2021

Understanding of consciousness is impeded by dualists, exaggerators, deniers, obscurers, and underraters, but can be regained by neural mechanisms.

Understanding of consciousness is impeded by dualists, exaggerators, deniers, obscurers, and underraters, but can be regained by neural mechanisms.

Empathy

Steven Pinker on Rationality

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on October 18, 2021

Pinker’s book on rationality has valuable observations on good and bad reasoning, but emphasizes critical thinking over limiting irrationality by political action and empathy.

Pinker’s book on rationality has valuable observations on good and bad reasoning, but emphasizes critical thinking over limiting irrationality by political action and empathy.

Cognition

You Are Not a Computer Simulation

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on September 17, 2021

The hypothesis that you are just a computer simulation is far less plausible than that you operate in reality via your senses.

The hypothesis that you are just a computer simulation is far less plausible than that you operate in reality via your senses.

Relationships

Relationship Metaphors: Helpful or Toxic?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on August 19, 2021

Metaphors provide concise and vivid depictions of aspects of romantic relationships that are difficult to express literally. They vary from helpful to toxic.

Metaphors provide concise and vivid depictions of aspects of romantic relationships that are difficult to express literally. They vary from helpful to toxic.

Coronavirus Disease 2019

What Is Misinformation?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on July 22, 2021

Commentary: Misinformation results from defective processes of representing, collecting, storing, retrieving, evaluating, transforming, sending, and receiving information.

Commentary: Misinformation results from defective processes of representing, collecting, storing, retrieving, evaluating, transforming, sending, and receiving information.

Education

Intelligence Requires More Than Reward

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 28, 2021

DeepMind researchers claim that reward learning is enough for general intelligence. But this claim ignores the contribution of creative generation of recursive representations.

DeepMind researchers claim that reward learning is enough for general intelligence. But this claim ignores the contribution of creative generation of recursive representations.

Career

Is Writing Agony or Ecstasy?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on May 20, 2021

The pain of writing is balanced by the joy of creation and communication.

The pain of writing is balanced by the joy of creation and communication.