Monday, September 30, 2013

Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow





Provocative. Makes you think about how you think. I'm making my way through this one consciously and slowly, going back to re-read certain sections and skipping ahead to others.

Here are three quick puzzles that may tell you something about yourself.

1
A bat and ball cost $1.10.
The bat costs one dollar more than the ball.
How much does the ball cost?

2
If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
100 minutes   OR  5 minutes

3
In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half the lake?
24 days          OR    47 days




These questions are part of a Cognitive Reflection Test, and they are chosen because they evoke an immediate intuitive answer that is incorrect.  Here are the correct answers: (1) the ball cost 5 cents; (2) 5 minutes and (3) 47 days.

Most people are guilty of 'Intellectual Sloth'... being satisfied with the first answer that comes to mind.



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