What to do while noodling? [more inside]
posted on Jun 10, 2008 - 32 answers

Are there unhealthy thought processes that you've had that once you've dealt with them, had a discernibly positive effect on your life? If so, how did you go about changing them? And what kind of benefit did you see? [more inside]
posted on May 30, 2008 - 15 answers

20-something INTP, bored to death in his corporate gig, asks: What should I do with my life? [more inside]
posted on May 8, 2008 - 28 answers

When you hit your head, do you lose brain cells? If so, how many? Also can you get them back? If yes, how? [more inside]
posted on Mar 21, 2008 - 8 answers

Lately I have been playing many strategy board games and not winning that much. I feel I need to become a more adept strategic / tactical thinker. What books, mental exercises or other things could help me? [more inside]
posted on Mar 18, 2008 - 17 answers

Can you help me fix poor critical thinking in my high IQ but low education friends? [more inside]
posted on Feb 24, 2008 - 34 answers

Any tips on improving my abstract reasoning? [more inside]
posted on Nov 2, 2007 - 14 answers

If a man’s wit be wandering, let him post a question about mathematics and reasoning to MetaFilter. [more inside]
posted on Sep 25, 2007 - 20 answers

Critical Thinking Skills - Apparently, I don't have any. What exactly entails "having" this skill and is it something I can develop? [more inside]
posted on Sep 22, 2007 - 43 answers

will living at home for a semester revert me back into being a baby? [more inside]
posted on Sep 6, 2007 - 11 answers

Hangover question--why the "fuzzy" feeling? [more inside]
posted on Aug 26, 2007 - 7 answers

How can I become less of a pessimist and less of a negative thinker? [more inside]
posted on Aug 18, 2007 - 20 answers

What is the shortest sentence that would highlight differences in dialects and accents in the English language? [more inside]
posted on Jul 21, 2007 - 26 answers

Books/wares to help kids think like mathematicians? [more inside]
posted on Jun 27, 2007 - 22 answers

Is my knack for coming up with "revolutionary" social policy ideas independently of the thinkers who get a lot of media attention for them anything special? And what can I do with it? More explanation inside. [more inside]
posted on Jun 24, 2007 - 30 answers

Who are the writers and philosophers of today who are grounded and realistic but think outside the linear, relentless and monotonous data stream consciousness that pervades the internet and society at large? [more inside]
posted on Dec 7, 2006 - 26 answers

How to learn to break a problem down into manageable pieces and analyze a challenge logically and think under pressures? [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2006 - 12 answers

Help me get better at thinking on my feet in rugby. [more inside]
posted on Oct 11, 2006 - 15 answers

Why am I so scatterbrained? How can I get my brain back? [more inside]
posted on Aug 10, 2006 - 24 answers

Can someone help me find an article that defends american football NOT baseball as the thinking man's game? [more inside]
posted on Aug 9, 2006 - 14 answers

How does one go about "remembering how to think"? A good friend recently mentioned to me that she no longer has any motivation to think deeply about anything, be it religion, philosophy, or even which side of her toast to butter. Help me kick-start her curiosity by suggesting films and books. [more inside]
posted on Jul 31, 2006 - 28 answers

Are there any games or programs similar to Brain Age for Windows or OS X-based systems? I love the concept, but I can't see myself buying a Nintendo DS to play a single title.
posted on Jul 31, 2006 - 8 answers

Strategic thinking vs. Tactical thinking. Help me understand the difference and improve my abilities [more inside]
posted on Jul 26, 2006 - 18 answers

Thinking too much: I believe I have too many thoughts going on in my head almost constantly. How do I quieten my mind when it says - No! you have to finish this stream of thought or you will lose not coming to conclusion. [more inside]
posted on Jul 8, 2006 - 32 answers

Any thoughts on why we (humans) roll our eyes back while thinking. We also sometimes crunch our brows. I notice people, including myself, do this when no one is looking at them as well as a signifier during conversation. But it is the action acted out alone that interests me? Could this action actually improve the brains ability to think? What, if any, evolutionary advantage could this offer?
posted on May 5, 2006 - 15 answers

Why do we look upwards or into the distance when trying to recall something, answer a difficult question or solve a puzzle? This arose from a word game we were playing in the office, during which I pointed out that those taking part were all displaying this behavior. Best guess was that it was perhaps some instinctive thing - automatically scanning the horizon for predators or prey whilst engaged in another task.
posted on Feb 25, 2006 - 16 answers

Since we are nothing more than our synapses, do we have limited thoughts? [more inside]
posted on Jan 23, 2006 - 20 answers

How do you override gut emotional reactions? In other words, how can you bring your feelings into agreement with a conflicting conclusion you have reached via rational thinking?
posted on Jul 14, 2005 - 18 answers

Richard Feynman described thinking as basically just talking to yourself. Then a friend told him to picture a part of a car and then asked him how he explained to himself what the part looked like. He then realized that you can see when you think as well. Then later on he tried counting up to 60 and seeing how accurate his perception of time was. He usually counted to around 48 by the time 60 seconds had gone by. Then he figured that he could count pretty much all of the time and not get distracted, but he couldn't talk and count at the same time. (+) [more inside]
posted on Mar 6, 2005 - 37 answers