Week 1: Focused versus diffuse thinking

Question 1

learning: what are the two modes of thinking?

Answer 1

Focused & diffused mode

Question 2

Learning: what is diffused mode?

Answer 2

Type of thinking when you are trying to understand something new. The diffuse mode could be thought of as a flashlight set so that it casts its light very broadly, but not very strongly in any one area. (As opposed to the focused mode, which would have its light cast very strongly in a single area, but very weakly everywhere else.)

Question 3

Learning: How many items can you keep in your working memory at once? How do you keep stuff in your working memory?

Answer 3

• Only 4…

- repetition.

Question 4

Learning: sleep is an important part of learning. How can you increase the odds that you dream about something, to further ingrain it into your brain?

Answer 4

You set it in your mind, that you want to dream about it.

Question 5

Learning: a rich environment & interaction is needed to create new neurons, and learn better (instead of locking yourself into a room). What is an alternative?

Answer 5

Exercise.