LIBS 136: Bad Decisions

Course Description

The course is based on a recent book by Daniel Kahneman, entitled "Thinking, Fast and Slow". The book is based on the premise that the human brain supports two different modes of thought: (a) a largely unconscious mode that is capable of processing large amounts of information quite quickly, and (b) a slower mode that operates more on the basis of logic. The goals of the course would be to (a) make sure students understand these two modes and the accompanying data and rationale that support the two modes, (b) understand and be able to apply the fairly simple methodology that underlies many of the related experiments, (c) improve one's own thinking by learning when to rely on each of the two systems and how to avoid the pitfalls associated with each, and (d) be able to extend the literature by performing novel follow-up experiments based on those already performed.