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.

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  1. J

    News Notable People's Thoughts on the Federal Reserve System

    So, what are your thoughts on the Federal Reserve? I'll start the thread with some notable people's opinions on the Fed, and related to the Fed. “I sincerely believe ... that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by...
  2. F

    Designing Digital Circuit to Determine Frequency of Incoming Signals

    Need to design a digital circuit that determines the frequency of incoming signals. Incoming signals will vary, but all will be converted to a 0-5 V square wave before going to the digital portion of the circuit. The current idea is to have a counter to count the edges for a certain period of...
  3. cronxeh

    Your thoughts on this well video

    http://www.filecabi.net/v/file/insanetargetpractice/wmv I, uhh, don't even know what to think :rolleyes:
  4. J

    Medical Earworms & Other Thoughts Stuck in the Head

    According to wikipedia, earworm, a literal translation of the German Ohrwurm, is a term for a song stuck in one's head, particularly an annoying one. Use of the English translation was introduced by James Kellaris, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati. His studies...
  5. cronxeh

    What Does the Phrase 'Stop Rape' Really Mean?

    Brazilian cops shoot unarmed, subdued man http://www.m90.org/view_image.php?image_id=8282
  6. honestrosewater

    Can we send positive vibes to Gokul for his upcoming PhD candidacy exam?

    I hear he has a 5 week PhD candidacy exam beginning next week, which sounds pretty intense. So I think we should give him some happy thoughts! Account no man happy till he dies. - Euripides Er, wait, I can do better. We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees. - Jason Kidd, upon...
  7. O

    News Thoughts on a second American Revolution

    Why i think this IS possible: Classes The polarization of classes in this country has become an increasingly large issue; http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/pove...04/pov04hi.html poverty was 12.7% in 2004, i don't have 2005 figures. So it is evident that the middle class is disappearing, which...
  8. N

    Medical Electronic device read their thoughts

    Could those chips which they can put in the brains of quadripletics (sorry, spelling mistake probably) which allow them to move objects by having an electronic device read their thoughts be used in other people (At a cost) for example those who wish to improve their relationships with others or...
  9. N

    Thoughts on Einstein’s Theories

    I believe Einstein said, 1.There are four dimensions to space, the normal three plus time. 2. Speed of light cannot be obtained due to an object traveling at such speeds gaining mass. The faster it goes, the more mass gained, until it reaches “infinite mass”. 3. Mass and Energy are pretty much...
  10. M

    More Thoughts on lift generation

    I recently read an article where the author stated that the momentum transferred to the air by a passing wing will eventually strike the earth, even from a high cruise altitude (in other words, out of ground effect) I have a problem with this for the following reasons, feedback would be...
  11. M

    Dark Sun: Has Anyone Read It? Share Your Thoughts

    Has anyone read Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes? If so what did you think of it? ~Kitty
  12. L

    What Did Einstein Mean by 'I Want to Know God's Thoughts'?

    "God's Thoughts" Does the physics community agree on what A. Einstein meant by "I want to know God's Thoughts" and I'm hoping this was somehow a comment/question from Einstein concerning actual science, (physics, mathematics...) Thank you, If this has been gone over many time here on PF...
  13. S

    Chemical Engineering: Advice from Those Who Have the Degree

    I am currently thinking about choosing Chem Eng. as a major. I am very interested in what those who have this degree think about it. why is it a good/bad choice? what were some hard classes/subjects? where you plan on taking this degree? what are salaries like? I am interested in everything...
  14. G

    Why doesn’t anyone study thoughts today like physicists study their particles?

    The answer is supremely simple; so simple that there is no ego simple enough to understand it. The answer: If we studied thoughts the same way physicists study their particles there would be no physics or anything else to study. This might sound supremely insane but only to the...
  15. fuzzyfelt

    Kumon Reviews: Is it Helpful & Best Age Group?

    Not sure if this is the right place to post, but wonder what thoughts there are on kumon- helpful, demanding?... and if good, best for which age group? My 4 year old starts school in Sept.
  16. W

    Your thoughts about these books?

    Your thoughts about these books? Hello there, I am on the brink of buying some books from amazon.com and I would like to have your opinions on some of them. Feynman Lectures and QED are sure to be bought. The others are listed below. Riemann's Zeta Function Prime Obsession What Do You Care...
  17. P

    My thoughts on Space-Time and Matter-Gravity

    Let me start by saying that I’m a novice when it comes to various theories in Physics and what I write below are my attempts to visualize the concepts behind what I learned. It’s more or less for my enjoyment in trying to understand Nature. Many concepts I present may be borrowed from existing...
  18. Lisa!

    Thoughts For Those Who Take Life So Seriously

    Thoughts For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously My favorites are: 12.The early bird may get the worm,but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.(I can't stand being number 2 :devil: ) 14.Support bacteria.They're the only culture some people have. 28.When everything is coming your...
  19. Ivan Seeking

    Deep Thoughts: New & Used Thoughts to Ponder

    A thread for new or used Deep Thoughts. Here are a few from my collection; not in the true tradition of Deep Thoughts, but it's a start. - Unknown – an ancient Chinese proverb. - some guy's shirt on TV - Robert Stack; Airplane. - Carol OConner; All in the Family – unknown biologist -...
  20. quasar987

    Why does a spring exert a force -kx on a block?

    Why is it that a spring exerts a force -kx on a block? Is it because the atoms making the spring themselves are in a stable equilibrium when the spring is at its relaxed lenght, but as soon as it is stretched, for small displacement around the equilibrium position, a "locally hookian"...
  21. V

    Is It Normal to Feel Uncertain About My Future Career Path in University?

    I entered university fall 2004 to study engineering physics. The course program was quite interesting and I am pretty satisfied with what I`ve learned so far. But i think i don't have that much interest in all sorts of machines and stuff like that. I could say i like calculus and pure math more...
  22. D

    What are your thoughts about physics forums compared to other forums?

    What are your thoughts about physics forums compared to other forums? I'd just like to state that compared to other forums, the level of discussion and intelligence presented here on these forums by its members is really extraordinary (granted, this is a science forum). Whenever I check these...
  23. T

    Thoughts on visualizing the 4th dimension

    Just an idea: It occurred to me that people can't see the fourth dimension because, in reality, we can't even see the third. Think about it. When you're looking at something, each of your eyes registers a 2D image, and the sense of depth (the third dimension) is inferred from the two 2D...
  24. N

    Calculating Voltage Across Capacitors in Series and Parallel

    My question is: A 3.00 uF and a 5.00 uF capacitor are connected in series across a 30.0 V battery. A 7.00 uF capacitor is then connected in parallel across the 3.00 uF capacitor. Determine the voltage across the 7.00 uF capacitor. Ok, there are two situations, one with the 7 capacitor...
  25. Pengwuino

    Personal thoughts on best ways to deal with wackos

    Im sure we've all run into people who claim the US never went to the moon and point out things like "why can't you see the stars" or "its too cold!" or whatever or people who think some big corporation runs the world or a group of 12 elders from switzerland dictate the world or that nuclear...
  26. A

    Overcoming Negative Thoughts While Studying

    Well while studying i frequently have negative thoughts like i cannot do it, i don't have time , and feel low in confidence it has caused much trouble to me what should one do if he has this problem. Thank You
  27. J

    A compilation of The Good Mans thoughts: Time

    Hi, I have some different ideas that I feel belong in this particular forum. Instead of making a new topic for each separate idea, I decided it might be easiar on everyone if I just posted them all in the same thread. This way if/when my ideas aren't appreciated by someone then they don't...
  28. M

    The Big Bang & Its Mysterious Origins: Seeking Thoughts & Ideas

    There was a section in Greene's book that actually helped me form a curious idea about the origins of the universe and I wanted anyone's thoughts on it. If there was only one Big Bang, then shouldn't there be a concentration of matter/gas in the region of the center as everything spreads in all...
  29. D

    Non-linear universe and thoughts on conciousness

    Now this next post is actualy connected to my previous post about light speed. Now what the light speed is infinite also shows is that there is no external time what so ever. What i mean is the big bang is happening right now just as the possible end of the universe is happening right now...
  30. O

    Is Morality Supernatural, Superrational, and Personal?

    Submitted, for your consideration, three thoughts regarding the concept of morality: 1) Morality is not defined by what is natural. Since many natural occurrences are morally wrong, morality must be a concept apart from nature. Further, since some natural processes are morally right, we...
  31. Arctic Fox

    Nuclear Material Temperatures - RTG Thoughts

    Are there any charts or information on how temperature-hot each nuclear material gets along with it's half-life and the type of radiation it releases (a, b, g)? Thought about this from one of the nuclear meltdown threads...
  32. B

    Our freedom at risk…your thoughts please

    A lot of my friends seem to be concerned about the government interfering and watching over our daily lives, but what was surprising to me was to find out (through a new documentary) that major news organizations are also playing a part, though much less publicized (because ironically...
  33. D

    Your thoughts on a proof of Matrix Operations

    Greetings! I am asked to do the following: Simplify (A^{-1}B)^{-1}(C^{-1}A)^{-1}(B^{-1}C)^{-1} for (n x n) invertible matrices A B and C. You see, I was able to show that the result of this is simply the identity matrix I_n by selecting 3 (2x2) matrices A B and C that were invertible...
  34. Gara

    Some thoughts I've been thinking about.

    Predisposition's aside, I've been thinking about a whole bunch of stuff. I'm not even sure if they're questions. 1) If we assume when a spaceship is moving at the speed of light, it has infinite mass. In order for a ship with infinite mass to move, it would require infinite energy. Since the...
  35. N

    More thoughts on quantum eraser experiments

    Patrick posted the following interesting link in another thread: I'd like to discuss this some more. Whenever I have read about these experiments I have always hoped to see the results of one in particular but I have never found what I wanted. I can guess what the results would be, but...
  36. M

    Is Perpetual Motion Truly Impossible or Simply Misunderstood?

    First off, I don’t have a phd, I am not a scientist (hehe well I am a comp programmer and i know some of them to claim to be scientist) My skills and basic understanding physics, classical and quantum are weak compared to the people that frequent this forum. I actually found this forum while I...
  37. O

    Are Our Thoughts Real? Developing Manifestations

    Are our thoughts real? Often, I will be thinking of someone and then later bump into them. Or I will have a dream about something that actually happens the next day. Sometimes when I focus on my thinking long enough about someone or something coming into my life, it happens. Or even better...
  38. Arctic Fox

    Your Thoughts: speed of gravity

    I would like everyone to comment on this. What do you think is the speed of gravity? Some say it’s the same as the speed of light, others claim it might be 20 billion times faster than light. What is your idea? :)
  39. M

    Unraveling the Mystery of Interference in the Double Slit Experiment

    I suppose someone has thought of this but is the supposed "interference" of light particles in the double slit experiment actually only the apparent interference of light particles and actually an interference of paths open for the light particles to travel? I. e. it is something else creating...
  40. D

    What are everyones thoughts on UAVs?

    I recently graduated with my Physics degree and am now employed by a company that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles. I was just curious as to what some of you thought about the whole idea. Some of our vehicles are posted on our internet site incase you want more information...
  41. E

    What if people could hear your thoughts?

    What would you do if you couldn't stop poeple from hearing ALL your thoughts... and no.. you can't say I would stop speaking and just write things down... it is something you can't stop, unless you stop thinking =-P :eek:
  42. Q

    Bollywood Movies: Thoughts and Experiences

    Do you watch 'Bollywood' films? Do you think they're a rip-off? Or are they great for comedy value :smile: (whether intentionally or not :wink: ) ? If you've watched one, you've seen them all? :surprise:
  43. T

    Can Thoughts Create Their Own Consciousness?

    because a though is an individual inside itself could itself create its own consiousness?
  44. N

    News Saddam's Thoughts On The Palestinian Issue

    Saddam's Thoughts On The "Palestinian Issue" Just to highlight how "out of touch" the West is, I'm reproducing a certain speech from one Saddam Hussein. I know I've posted it before on this Forum, but it's VERY RELEVANT now! From...
  45. T

    How Does Space Stay Cold Without an Atmosphere?

    Sitting here on this cloudy, rainy day causes my mind to wander. In the voids of space, with no atmosphere, is it cold? If so, how? I thought cold was a measurment of AIR temperature; if no air, how could it be cold? Also, if Spring is nearing why don't I feel more enthusiastic about things...
  46. B

    Unlock Your Subconscious Mind - Explore Your Thoughts

    I think that subconscious minds are our minds that havn't been tainted by society and such. If you trust your subconscious mind, then usually you will do the "right" thing for you. Now, theoretically speaking, there has to be a way that you can, in a sense "open" your door into your...
  47. A

    My Thoughts On the Heritability of Intelligence and Eugenics

    Heritability increases from about 0.4 in childhood to 0.8 in later adulthood. The way these heritabilities are estimated is through numerous experiments on twins, adopted children, longitudinal studies, inbreeding depression research, etc. Nothing in science can be proven however. We know of...
  48. Ivan Seeking

    Transforming Thoughts Into Deeds

    http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,61889,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2
  49. R

    Thoughts on holographic universe and existence in general

    holographic universe and our very existence in general... One night i was in a strange mood and wrote this... i don't really remember writing most of it... but i thought i would share with the community here and i am definately searching for any feedback on my ideas that anyone might have! I...
  50. R

    Thoughts on holographic universe and existence in general

    Thoughts on holographic universe and existence in general... One night i was in a strange mood and wrote this... i don't really remember writing most of it... but i thought i would share with the community here and i am definately searching for any feedback on my ideas that anyone might have...
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