FUN FACT! When you feel cold it’s because your brain tells you to!

Brain Functions: Ways of thinking

It takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets. How long does it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets? ANSWER: It takes 5 minutes!

Our complex, multi-layered brains engage in two distinct ways of thinking, called "System 1" and "System 2"

intuitive unconscious easy quick emotional associated with the "older" brains System 1 thinking is:

requires attention is effortful is analytical is slow is multi-step associated with the "newer" brain System 2 thinking is:

System 1 tends to be our default way of thinking, and System 2 is usually only engaged when we perceive a need to do so. System 1 is always on the lookout System 2 thinking is usually on the couch

Examples System 1System = ?27 x 14 = ? orient to noisedetermine the cause of noise read a billboardread a paragraph in a text recognize a trianglesolve an algebraic equation yell at someonemake an argument recite the Pledge of interpret the Bill of Rights Allegiance

Using System 2 requires slowing down and exerting effort, and thus burns more calories, but with repetition becomes easier to do.

System 1 thinking relies on mental shortcuts, known as heuristics, to make things easier.

Sometimes heuristics can lead to incorrect conclusions.

EXAMPLE: The “availability” heuristic If something comes to mind easily, it must be important. This shortcut allows people to make decisions about complex issues based on relatively little information. "Mike ate the tuna casserole and then had to go throw up. I think I'll avoid the tuna casserole for the rest of my life."

"After reading the third news story about a company's bank account being hacked through their online banking system, I cancelled my online banking and went back to traditional banking.” Actually, traditional banking systems store your money as computerized data too! more heuristic (shortcut) thinking...

"Terrorists fly airplanes into buildings. There’s no way I’m going to fly again." another example of heuristic thinking...

Actually, in the three months following 9/11, there were about 1,000 more traffic deaths on the road than in the previous year, as more people chose driving instead of flying.

A bat and a ball together cost $1.10 The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? ANSWER: The ball costs $0.05!

ballbatball + bat $0.05$1.05$1.10 $0.10$1.10$1.20 x x x = x = 0.10 x = 0.05 System 2 thinking to the rescue!