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. R

    Engineering Employers' thoughts on B.S. in Physics/M.S. in Electrical Engineering?

    What do employers generally think of someone with a B.S. in Applied Physics and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering? Do employers see it as a negative that the person didn't get his/her B.S. also in EE?
  2. M

    Thoughts on Space/Time and Gravity

    Some of my thoughts on space theory. I see many similarities between space/time and water. Just how they both move and flow. Only one thing is faster than light and that is the expansion of space/time it self. We have discovered that space is expanding faster and faster. This is the reason why...
  3. C

    My random thoughts about the sun, black holes, and gravity.

    I'm a huge noob and I don't know much about physics and space and stuff, but I was thinking about this in the shower today.. Anyone care to comment? Or correct me on anything? Ok, so I was talking about to Daniel about Gravity, the Sun, and Black Holes.. (Yes we are ghetto nerdy xD) And i...
  4. H

    Thoughts on nuclear power and disasters [long, rant/tangenty]

    I would describe myself as a "layperson plus" who enjoys reading on topics such as nuclear engineering, but definitely do not possesses genuine physics nor engineering expertise beyond high school advanced placement courses (which were twenty years ago anyway, and much of what I learned then has...
  5. ThomasT

    Random thoughts on Maxwell's demon

    This just came into my head. I don't think I really understand the significance of Maxwell's demon. Please don't try to explain it to me. It's just a random thought.
  6. T

    Having thoughts about my future for a change

    Hello everyone, I don't usually post such personal matters but I feel like I really need an objective, professional opinion regarding my dilemmas... A few months ago I started my Masters in Physics in Potsdam University, Germany. I did my Bachelor in Israel. I'll try and make it short...
  7. K

    Your thoughts on a bs in mechE with a ms in petE?

    Is it possible if you just take the prerequisites at your grad school to hop from mechE to petroleum? I'm thinking if I go for mechE instead of aero for a broader job market that specializing my ms in petE might be a good idea.. What do you think?
  8. C

    New thoughts during my second read of The Origin of Species

    New thoughts during my second read of "The Origin of Species"... On humans. Every time I read this book I have new ideas and this one came to me after a second read of Darwin, and another look into the documentary "Homo Futurus". For those of you who have not seen this documentary...
  9. Drakkith

    Stargazing Your Thoughts on a High Altitude Telescope

    Hey PFers. I'm just wondering what your thoughts on a High Altitude Telescope are. What I mean is pretty much a telescope on a platform suspended in air on balloons at 40,000+ feet. The whole thing would be solar powered, with a couple of engines capable of station keeping, with the appropriate...
  10. D

    A question with a purpose for other thoughts.

    Could matter be a smaller reality than what we live in now. If so or not why? or why not?
  11. J

    This axiomatic system seems contradictory. Any thoughts?

    Homework Statement edit: WHOOPS. Almost forgot to The Attempt at a Solution Ok. So I began with the line l_1 with exactly 6 points on it, A, B, C, D, E, F. (Axiom 2). Now, by axiom 1, there must exist 2 additional points not on this line. So I formed those, G and H. No by Axiom 3, there...
  12. O

    General thoughts about learning

    Let me start with my experience from the past, 3 years ago, when I was still in high school. We had a very strong physics teacher then, who understood physics relatively deeply (at least compared to teachers of other subjects, like mathematics). He was famous for his extremely low marks. On a 10...
  13. A

    Courses Thoughts on MIT OpenCourseWare

    Hey all, I've had some posts in the past related to pursuing a MSME or MSEE after receiving a BSMET. I've met with the ME and EE departments at my undergrad and they've given me a good idea of the course deficiencies I would need to make up. Since my BS was in Engineering Technology, I'm in...
  14. mrspeedybob

    Thoughts on the value, or lack thereof, of astrology.

    I recently came across the following quote... This was in a work of fiction. I'm not sure if the author meant it to be a thought provoking statement or not, but I found it to be so. Considering the existence and persistence of not only astrology but a whole host of other pseudo-sciences I...
  15. T

    I love physics but having second thoughts on becoming a physicist- Need guidance

    I started having an interest in physics when I was in grade 10 (or Year 11 for the UK). Back then, I considered myself "gifted" in physics. I spent time reading books on popular physics, and spent very little time studying at all for the school's physics materials, but I would always get top...
  16. 1

    Math professors thoughts on pure vs applied

    Paraphrased something like (this is an early proof based class) "I hear engineering majors and physics majors say that they like math as long as it can applied to something. So these folks won't take any upper level pure mathematics courses. It's useless. Is it? Did you know that (something...
  17. mrspeedybob

    Thoughts on electrically charged black holes

    Suppose there exists a black hole with a large + electrical charge. The escape velocity for any given particle will depend on the net force on it, gravitational + electrical. It seems logical that the more positive a particles charge the lower its escape velocity will be from any given point. If...
  18. E

    Working towards BS General Chemistry, having second thoughts x:

    Hi guys- I hope this is the right place to put this... I kind of want objective feedback, even if I don't like it c: I am currently in my 3rd year, 1st semester of college, and since high school, I have been stuck in the mindset that I will major in chemistry. I really wanted and still...
  19. D

    What are the thoughts on New Mexico Tech as a graduate school option?

    I just received my acceptance letter from NMT last Friday. I just want to know what others think about it. I got in as an electrical engineer, but if I go, I will double major or at least take more computer science classes. It supposedly is #15 in producing science PhDs. Top 50 Schools That...
  20. S

    Programs What careers are available for math majors with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD?

    I really enjoy math (when I understand it), and am now going towards a Bachelor's degree in mathematics. I've read up on possible career options, but I was hoping to get more insight on here. So, what are the types of careers that a math major can get with a bachelors, masters, and Phd? Also...
  21. M

    Gravity, information, and cosmology (was Thoughts about the universe )

    Gravity, information, and cosmology (was "Thoughts about the universe") There was a thread here a few minutes ago, posted by a new user, called "Thoughts about the universe". It contained reflections about gravity, information, and the universe, that were probably inspired by the holographic...
  22. S

    Programs Enrolled as a freshmen and am having second thoughts on my major

    Enrolled as a freshmen in engineering transfer program (need some help) Hi, I have been lurking this forum for sometime, and absolutely think its an amazingly helpful place. Regarding the topic. I enrolled in a college to study computer engineering, but sadly, in my sophmore year in hs I...
  23. 1

    Professors thoughts on wikipedia

    Today was my first day in astronomy. My professor, going over the general syllabus and what we'd be doing during the course, asked about good and bad sources for learning. Naturally, the responses for good materials included textbooks, science articles, etc. Bad sources were 'the internet'...
  24. J

    Schools Thoughts on math education - From a young college student.

    I am a second year student of engineering at a Canadian university and am very interested in mathematics and education. I feel like the methods of teaching math in high school and early university (I have no experience with senior university classes) are not only an inefficient use of the...
  25. A

    More thoughts on the twin paradox. One persons view has to be an illusion?

    Everyone knows the situation. The one twin takes off in a rocket, and both twins see the others clock as running slow. Upon the return, its the one who has experienced acceleration that ends up being incorrect. So at some point, the "moving" twins view must show time on his brothers Earth clock...
  26. L

    News Some thoughts from Warren Buffet

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=general
  27. C

    Is Energy Finite? thoughts ideas

    As I understand Energy is finite. This is a problem for me tho as I can see one way to create energy. In fact in my eyes energy is created everyday in are very own solar system. Anyway I want to get some points of view on the subject from others before I make my self a fool because maybe you...
  28. C

    Thoughts travelling faster than c

    I was watching a program, Through the Wormhole. They were saying thoughts can travel faster than c, I thought information couldn't even travel faster than c. I don't know how this could be true?
  29. A

    Thoughts on Stirling engines as source of electrical power in space

    Curious your thoughts about the use of a Stirling engine to power a space station, auxiliary power for space ships inside the inner solar system, and power for space colonies in the inner solar system. I think a Stirling engine would be great to generate an electrical field, and thus provide...
  30. R

    Medical Are thoughts self contained, or do they emit indications of their production?

    let me preface: i know nothing about neuroscience. it seems that at a fundamental level, everything is either detectable, or you can theorize about ways to detect it. shouldn't particles (neurons or whatever) in the brain emit waves, or any kind of signal, that indicate their interactions...
  31. J

    Thoughts on realistic model of electon Zitterbewegung

    Thoughts on "realistic" model of electon Zitterbewegung Several researchers, for example David Hestenes, have a physical model of electron Zitterbewegung as a massless particle traveling at the velocity of light, c, around a circle of radius r. This is my take on what this might imply...
  32. E

    Park's Introduction to Quantum Theory (Thoughts? I'm not a fan but I'm still reading)

    I own a copy of Griffith's Quantum Mechanics and I like how it is written very much but while skimming through Griffith's Particle book I saw a reference that said "at the level of Park" and I decided to investigate. I started to read through it and the text is structured the way most books...
  33. clope023

    Thoughts on these ideas to improve education?

  34. W

    Will the Expanding Universe Eventually Become Invisible?

    Hello. I've been having some thoughts about the universe and I want to share them. If we consider a couple of facts; 1) The Universe haven't been here forever. (It had a beginning) 2) The speed of light is NOT infinite but have a speed at 3x10^5 km/s With those two facts we get an "edge" of...
  35. S

    Thoughts on Alien weapons' technology in Crysis

    The http://crysis.wikia.com/wiki/Weapons#Aliens" - are they theoretically possible? The weapon "Molecular Arrestor" is basically a freeze ray, is this thermodynamically possible? Freezing something would require removing energy - how something have its energy removed that rapidly makes it...
  36. fluidistic

    Your thoughts on this saxophonist

    This guy used to play the saxo in the street 1 block away from my apartment so I could listen to him quite a few times. Each time I walked there I was blown off due to his play. It's the best saxo I've ever heard live (ok I didn't hear a lot but still). He's simply awesome in my opinion, what...
  37. V

    Einstein thoughts on the quantum

    To those very familiar with Einstein. Why couldn't he agree with Bohr. Was it because Einstein rejected indeterminism or was it because QM rejected realism? But I have problem believing in the latter. Einstein 4-dimensional spacetime is just pure mathematic. 4-D objects are stationary.. and...
  38. K

    News Collateral murder: your thoughts?

    I invite you to watch a video. However, I warn you that it is extremely disturbing. Do NOT watch this if you are extremely sensitive to violence. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/CollateralMurder.ogv This is a video that was leaked from combat in the middle-east. The...
  39. G

    Welding Thoughts (Relationship of Current and Arc Temperature)

    Common Temperature ranges from a welding arc can range from 3000-8000 Degrees Celsius. I would like to know the direct relationship of a resultant arc temperature based on the amount of current (amps) flowing. Let's say common steel for the base metal (Electrical Resistivity: 1.74e-005...
  40. D

    Lingusitics Are thoughts necessary for language?

    Based on the theory that language is determined by thought, I was wondering if it is possible for a person to have absolutely no thoughts (while retaining consciousness) and be able to speak. Dee
  41. V

    Can a magnetic flux travel through space without an electric component?

    Maxwell says that electromagnetic energy traveling through space has a electric and magnetic component at right angles. That is what the measurements prove but... what about electromagnet energy that travels through space unhindered? The permitivity and permiability of space seems to be...
  42. V

    Your thoughts on conic sections

    I need some feedback about something that does not make sense. The parabola and hyberbola can be found in the conic sections. These curves are seen if one looks at right angles to the plane of the section (cut surface if you will).. All math books also say that the ellipse is a result of a...
  43. K

    Exploring Light: Thoughts on Its Speed and Perception

    Hello all, this will be my first post on these forums though I've been lurking about for a while. I was thinking to myself about light and the maximum speed of light, and I thought of the following: A photon travels at 'c', the speed of light, in a vacuum. If it were possible to be there...
  44. I

    Surviving the event horizon: some thoughts

    So, I remember once watching a lecture series on relativity. In one of the lectures which discussed black holes, the lecturer spoke of what it would be like to actually fall into the black hole. Of course, he did the whole talk about the outside observer seeing the person falling in slowing to a...
  45. A

    Uncovering the Fundamental Nature of Velocity: Exploring Beyond the Definition"

    Yes,I do know that the definition of velocity is rate of change of displacement, but I sometimes wonder if there is something more fundamental to velocity. Is there a funamental change in an object or the space around it that enables the object to cover a greater distance in a certain time...
  46. L

    Exploring the Fascinating World of Black Holes: Thoughts and Questions

    Hello there, I am new to the forums, and relatively new to physics. Please bear with me as I am still learning the intricacies of the subject. I have always been fascinated with science, but I missed several opportunities to study it academically. Most of my knowledge is self-learned through...
  47. W

    Physics Thoughts on a merged career of IT/physics

    I started doing a BSc in Computer Science last year and its great . What I would like to know is if there is a career path for someone who has a keen interest in merging the two fields such as going into research for a physics career path BUT using the knowledge from a IT degree to create the...
  48. S

    Heat-death hypothesis thoughts

    Ok, I neglected the forum rules for my first post. Hopefully I got it right this time. Here are a few ideas I have about the so-called heat-death hypothesis. First, if we take the wikipedia entry as a description, it's inherently false. It suggests that the universe reaches maximum entropy...
  49. Simfish

    What are your thoughts about reddit? (specifically the science subreddits?)

    And how would you compare it to forums like this?
  50. W

    Does consciousness cause thoughts?

    Does consciousness cause thoughts? This question is central to the debate concerning free will. 1. Effect ( by definition) cannot precede cause. 2. It is impossible to be conscious of a thought before you think it. 3. Therefore, it is impossible for consciousness to cause thoughts.
Back
Top