What is Thoughts: Definition and 362 Discussions

Thought (or thinking) encompasses a flow of ideas and associations that can lead to logical conclusions. Although thinking is an activity of an existential value for humans, there is still no consensus as to how it is adequately defined or understood.
Because thought underlies many human actions and interactions, understanding its physical and metaphysical origins and its effects has been a longstanding goal of many academic disciplines including philosophy, linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, biology, sociology and cognitive science.
Thinking allows humans to make sense of, interpret, represent or model the world they experience, and to make predictions about that world. It is therefore helpful to an organism with needs, objectives, and desires as it makes plans or otherwise attempts to accomplish those goals.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. A

    Courses Thoughts on Taking Statics, Physics, Calc 4 in one quarter

    Hey guys. I'm wondering if this is too heavy of a course load. I am studying construction management, but I'd like to minor in mathematics. I really enjoy math and science, and do well in all my classes. I want to finish the calculus series, but after this quarter I will not have the time. To...
  2. S

    Other Success in high energy theory - supervisors' thoughts

    This question is directed to all the professors who have supervised PhD students in high energy theoretical physics. What attributes have you noticed (during your years as a supervisor) among PhD students who later went on to have great careers in high energy theoretical physics and made a name...
  3. K

    Programs Thoughts on Cornell's Applied and Engineering Physics

    I've been accepted to Cornell Engineering, and am thinking about doing AEP. I really like physics and math and was just wondering what people thought of it. Yeah I know I should ask people at Cornell, but they're just going to tell me that it's awesome and I should do it. I want to get a more...
  4. T

    Thoughts on rejecting a program after their deadline

    I was fortunately accepted to a strong graduate program today. It really is a great program (e.g. top 25 ranking in Physics/Astronomy) but was largely a secondary plan. I will call this option Program B. My main goal has always been to pursue a career in a very different field and I am still...
  5. B

    Thoughts on Newton's Bucket and the relativity of rotation

    Isaac Newton imagined a bucket of water suspended on a fine (ideally torsionless) rope, set spinning. Friction eventually causes the water to rotate along with the bucket. The surface develops a dip in the middle and rises at the edges owing to the water's inertia. (You see this effect every...
  6. fluidistic

    Computer Building a PC, give me your thoughts please

    It's been years I don't have a desktop pc and now is the time I "need" one. My use will be numerical simulations, compiling general programs as well as latex documents, some lightweight/middleweight programming, using a virtual machine and use another OS's this way. I'll be using Linux only. My...
  7. R

    Neil deGrasse Tyson -- Thoughts on this video?

    Had not seen this before. Yeah he is a bit of a showman but I have seen a lot worse.
  8. K

    Thoughts Experiment about Frame of References

    Homework Statement The Observer (me) is at Inertial Frame of Reference: 1) I am sitting at a car moving east v=30 km/h relative to earth A bird flying east v = 10 km/h relative to earth What is the speed of bird for me? 2) I am sitting at a car moving east v=30 km/h relative to earth A bird...
  9. Thomas McGuigan

    Any thoughts on natural selection?

    I have been in a heated discussion with my acquaintance about natural selection. Anyone who thinks natural selection is a real thing any links would be helpful
  10. G

    I Thoughts on Breakthrough Starshot?

    Now in the pop science news is about how "disco balls" could be the key to interstellar travel. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2108650-disco-ball-sail-propelled-by-laser-could-fly-to-a-nearby-star/ What do you guys think of this project? Its feasibility, cost, usefulness etc..
  11. I

    Does procedural memory include learning complex thoughts?

    Hello, I've heard about "H.M." and similar patients that lost the ability to create declarative memories, but can still create non-declarative memories. I was wondering, since one in this condition can for example, develop a habit of drawing complex shapes, and not know they did it, can they...
  12. kuan9611

    Engineering Engineering Enrollment Statistics - Thoughts?

    Hi all! I'm an undergrad sophomore in engineering trying to decide on which major to pursue (namely civil/mechanical). Recently I came across this fascinating piece of publication, which contained a massive amount of data regarding engineering enrollments by major, demographic, and school...
  13. T

    Prob/Stats Thoughts on "Weighing the Odds" by David Williams?

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/052100618X/?tag=pfamazon01-20 The full title is: Weighing the Odds: A Course in Probability and Statistics I was interested in using this book as an undergraduate text for learning probability/statistics. I am almost completed my BSc in Physics and have taken other...
  14. RaijuRainBird

    Redesigning Mathematics Curriculum, thoughts?

    I've had a pretty poor experience going through the standardized education system in California, and now that I'm in college, I'm really fed up with how mathematics is taught (even at the college level). With this said, I thought it would be fun for me to redesign the entire math education...
  15. J

    Preparing for Physics Praxis 5265 Exam: Tips & Advice

    I am taking the physics praxis (5265) in about a month so I can add to my bio/chem certifications. I'd actually prefer to teach physics even though I went to graduate school for environmental science. It has been fairly difficult to get good info on the test -- I've taken the practice exam...
  16. Evo

    What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

    Time to start a new thread. Here is the last page of part 5. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/random-thoughts-part-5.851969/page-134
  17. Sophia

    Random thoughts: computers, Internet, security and privacy

    I create this thread to continue discussion with @jim hardy and @WWGD started elsewhere https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/any-popular-non-biased-and-reputable-sources-of-politics.827409/page-4#post-5422569 Any topic concerning computers and internet can be discussed here I don't know, but...
  18. Averagesupernova

    Thoughts on Utility smart meters

    I had no idea how much B.S. was floating around out there about these meters. Do any regular posters on here actually know someone who buys into this? The claims run wild: Smart meters are spying on me! Smart meters are polluting my electricity! The radiation they spew is slowly killing me...
  19. Evo

    Random Thoughts Part 5: Time to Split Again

    Time to split the thread again. Here is the last page of part 4. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/random-thoughts-part-4.786642/page-201
  20. berkeman

    Thoughts on what this antenna structure is?

    I saw this antenna matrix on the north coast of California this week on vacation (a couple miles north of Half Moon Bay). It's located about 1/4 mile from the beach on Highway 1. There is a powerline running past it, but it looks to just be getting much of its power from a trickle charge from...
  21. K

    Some Thoughts on Atmospheric Systems

    Atmospheric sciences are—much like the sister science of astronomy—primarily observational sciences and not primarily experimental sciences. The atmospheric systems that we study are not well-defined systems under controlled conditions, but ill-defined systems under completely uncontrolled...
  22. DaveC426913

    Is the Celestron Omni XLT 120 Refractor Telescope worth the investment?

    I've got a 6" reflector, which I have fun with. I know just enough to get myself in trouble. My friend is eyeing a scope too. This looks like a pretty sweet setup. http://www.opticsplanet.com/celestron-omni-xlt-120-refractor-telescope-21090.html...
  23. RJLiberator

    Considering buying this computer monitor, your thoughts?

    Here is the computer monitor in question: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-25-led-hd-monitor-black/7503012.p?id=1219679624841&skuId=7503012 Here are my concerns: 1. It only has 5 reviews. All 5 of them are perfect 5/5, which is nice, but it only has 5 reviews in comparision to the 100+ reviews...
  24. M

    Linear Algebra Thoughts on Linear Algebra with Applications / 5e Bretscher

    Hey y'all! I am taking my first linear algebra course next semester and we are using Bretscher's book. I have heard some pretty awful things about the way it is laid out, so I would like to hear your thoughts on the text. For some background information I have completed Calculus 1-3 (using...
  25. WilkinsMicawber

    What are your thoughts on getting an EE degree?

    I'm interested in electronics and enjoy coding. I'm 25, have a bachelor's in marketing, and currently have a job that has nothing to do with my major. I'm tired of being unchallenged and want to do it right this time. I like to code, but I feel like getting a job with a bachelor's in coding is...
  26. JohnPrior3

    News My Thoughts on Deflategate - Share Yours!

    I'll start by saying I am a huge Patriots fan and I love Touchdown Tommy. I've read both the Wells Report and the Patriot's rebuttal to the report. I feel like this whole scandal is just a media plot for increased NFL revenue in the off-season and the Wells Report did everything they could to...
  27. newjerseyrunner

    Unpacking the Controversial EmDrive: Explanations and Implications

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EmDrive I've seen a lot in my news recently about it. Mostly written by people who obviously don't understand the physics (not that I do) but I'm curious about it. I'm always weary about weird research like this, but when three different experiments replicate the...
  28. Jimster41

    Alain homers with Ali and Slava on base : further thoughts

    Just some crazy talk... ...but I am curious if there may be testable expectations, at the end of the day, for quantization/discretization of classical entropies. If space-time geometry is made up of discrete spin foam, and 4d spacetime emerges from it's evolution, a fitness function based on...
  29. K

    Thoughts on Quantum Holonomy Theory?

    Quantum Holonomy Theory Johannes Aastrup, Jesper M. Grimstrup (Submitted on 27 Apr 2015) We present quantum holonomy theory, which is a non-perturbative theory of quantum gravity coupled to fermionic degrees of freedom. The theory is based on a C*-algebra that involves holonomy-diffeomorphisms...
  30. C

    Difference Between Two Thoughts on Wave Function Collapse?

    I've recently been reading the book The Dancing Wu Li Masters which is supposed to be a very basic introduction to quantum physics. I have a question on the following quote: "Up to now, we have said that the collapse occurs when somebody looks at the observed system. This is only one point of...
  31. D

    Schools Thoughts on religious versus non religious universities?

    My sister is going to college next year and is considering a non religious university (UC Merced) or Seattle U, a Catholic University. She is not religious and wants to go Seattle U because my aunt is in Seattle. My question is, do religious universities have the same or even better quality...
  32. H

    Is Open Access Publishing a Threat to Academic Integrity?

    Is peer review legitament anymore? I was having a discussion with a friend of mine regarding academia. He was explaining to me why he left with a masters as opposed to a PhD (his original plan). One major reason he cited was how political and unscientific publishing in journals has become. I did...
  33. snatchingthepi

    Classical Thoughts on Lorrain & Corson wanted

    I am in a situation where I will be leaving my physics programme to pursue engineering studies, but I am looking to continue my formal physics education independently. I have decided that the next logical step is to pursue a more rigorous study of electromagnetism and am looking at different...
  34. Tm157

    Thoughts on A.I. and Self-Preservation

    As the title states, these are only thoughts; simple ideas I believe should be considered in the greater depth that become the events that revolve around arificial intelligence and its impact on mankind. The sole purpose of this is the exchange of ideas. I do not hold a degree on physics...
  35. C

    Is it possible to scientifically discuss the dream world?

    Science, unless I'm mistaken, tells us that electrochemical exchanges within our neural networks are what dreams and thoughts are manifested from. Problem is, to say that dreams are a manifestation of specific phenomena is to utterly refuse to say what the dreams literally are. How can science...
  36. mrnike992

    Schools Thoughts On University of Missouri Science and Technology?

    Here in Missouri, MST has a very good academic reputation, but it seems this is not true everywhere. This is all wildly imaginative at this point (HS Senior), but if I were to major in physics at MST, (assuming I made good grades), is it unreasonable to hope to get into grad school at some of...
  37. R

    How do random thoughts come to our mind?

    How we are able to recollect things and how random thoughts are generated in our mind? Is there any specific reason? As I can't edit my thread title, as I realize the topic should have been How random thoughts come to our mind?
  38. T

    Mechanical Engineering thoughts in college vs. reality?

    Hi everyone, I'm a sophomore in college and we have a project discussing mechanical engineering. I'd like to know what you thought your career would be like before you graduated and now that you're in your career what is the reality. Addition questions: How long after college did you wait for...
  39. I

    Einsteins thoughts behind c2 in E=mc2

    I've seen a previous threads where it was a mathematical consistency based on four-dimensions, and a host of other reasons. I'm currently trying to reconcile my belief that it has to do with time dilation and the observer effect.
  40. B

    Thoughts on Quantum Cosmology?

    I just finished reading a book called Three Roads to Quantum Gravity, and in it the author mentioned a few arguments surrounding quantum cosmology. He did not seem too fond of it, but to me (relatively inexperienced) combining the two makes a lot of sense. What are your thoughts on it?
  41. bohm2

    Einstein's later thoughts on EPR

    In re-discussing the EPR scenario in his autobiographical notes (1946), Einstein wrote: The first option (i.e. "telepathically changes the real situation") is just Einstein's unacceptability of non-locality as it goes against relativity but what does Einstein exactly mean by his unacceptability...
  42. Evo

    Random Thoughts Part 4 - Split Thread

    Time to split the thread again. Here is the link to the old thread. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/random-thoughts-part-three.745013/
  43. G

    Exploring a Theory for FTL Communication

    OK, just had a thought. And I would be grateful if someone could explain why this couldn't work:Place A is on a surface Place B in on the same surface but, say 10,000 miles away from Place A. Therefore communication between them is limited the speed of light . But what if, at Place A there was...
  44. BhreaghI

    Your Thoughts on the Most Sustainable 8x15 Trailer for Cold Climates

    I am trying to design an extremely efficient and sustainable, roadworthy, mobile house(on a trailer) for use in Canada's North. The climate this house will be located in is -50 degrees Celsius lows in the winter, and +30 Celsius highs in the summer. Very high wind all year round. 24 hr daylight...
  45. J

    What are peoples thoughts on the fact that at the exact limit of our universe.

    What are peoples thoughts on the fact that at the exact limit of our universe. the stars are moving at just less then the speed of light away from us. If there wasn't a limit to the speed of light , isn't that what we would be seeing but the real fact then would be that it isn't the boundaries...
  46. W

    Expanding universe - some thoughts

    I had some interesting ideas concerning the mechanics behind the space expansion and its acceleration. Here they are. I know you expect blunders, but I hope you will find something interesting. Starting with obvious:1. In the presence of strong gravitational field, time flows slower than in its...
  47. B

    Quantum physics doesen't say that our thoughts manifest in reality

    I just wanted a conformation of this sorry but I have bad ocd. If I could have some sci advisors help with this id really appreciate it.
  48. Bleakfacade

    Thoughts about Keith R Symon's textbook

    Hello there, I am an undergraduate student in my final year. I have been using classical mechanics by John R Taylor, which I should say I have absolutely enjoyed working through so far. I now feel I am prepared for a slightly more challenging set of problems and mathematical rigour. My professor...
  49. D

    Exploring Theories and Opinions on Dark Matter: A Community Discussion

    Most people come up with their own internal reasoning for things like this that have not been explained. I was curious on the community's various opinions and theories on this subject. I think it would be a fun exercise to help each other evolve our own theories on things like this. Standard...
  50. P

    Is Time Merely a Side Effect of Energy?

    Please realize I'm going to talk about random made up thoughts so don't take them too seriously, also I'm going to make a lot of wrong assumptions so be careful. Just a question, wouldn't it be OK to say time is a side effect of energy? It kind of makes sense because we humans really can...
Back
Top