Ockham's Razor vs Hanlon's Razor vs Chesterton's Fence Explained
Expert-written explanation of three classic reasoning heuristics with when to apply each, common misapplications, and decision examples.
April 2026
First Principles Thinking vs Systems Thinking: When to Use Each
Expert-written comparison of first principles thinking and systems thinking with decision criteria for when each produces better results.
First Principles Thinking: The Method and Where It Originally Came From
First principles thinking explained from Aristotle to Elon Musk. The five-step method, real examples from SpaceX battery costs to pharmaceutical...
February 2026
First Principles Thinking Explained
First principles thinking means breaking problems to fundamental truths, then building solutions from scratch.
November 2025
What Is Critical Thinking: The Skill That Makes Everything Else Better
Critical thinking is the systematic evaluation of information and reasoning to reach better conclusions.
August 2025
Learning Projects for Critical Thinking
Critical thinking projects: comparative analysis of competing approaches, reverse engineering successful systems, assumption mapping.
July 2025
What Is Critical Thinking? Beginner Explanation
Question assumptionsis this really true? Evaluate evidence for quality and relevance. Consider alternative explanations.
May 2025
Moral Intuitions vs. Moral Reasoning
Intuitions come firstgut reactions precede logical justification. Reasoning often rationalizes feelings rather than generating moral conclusions.
November 2024
Confirmation Bias: Why We Find What We're Looking For
In 1960, Peter Wason showed subjects the sequence 2-4-6 and told them it followed a rule. To discover the rule, they proposed triples. Almost universally, subjects proposed triples that fit their hypothesis — 4-6-8, 10-12-14 — and almost never proposed triples that could disprove it. The rule was simply 'any ascending sequence.' Confirmation bias: the systematic tendency to search for, favor, and remember information that confirms what we already believe.
October 2024
What Is Critical Thinking: How to Reason More Clearly
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively, evaluate arguments carefully, and reach well-reasoned conclusions rather than...
May 2024
Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories: The Psychology Behind Them
The psychology of conspiracy theories, from the three core needs they fulfill to pattern detection, proportionality bias, social identity, and what...
March 2024
What Is Epistemology: How We Know What We Know
Epistemology is the philosophy of knowledge: what it means to know something, how knowledge differs from belief, and why it matters for everyday reasoning.
December 2023
How to Think More Critically: The Science and Practice of Better Reasoning
What cognitive science, forecasting research, and epistemic psychology reveal about why reasoning fails and how to actually improve it.
March 2023
What Is Critical Thinking: Skills, Barriers, and How to Improve
Critical thinking explained: the definition, Bloom's taxonomy's 6 levels, common logical fallacies, cognitive barriers, and practical exercises to...
December 2022
What Is Deductive vs Inductive Reasoning
Deductive reasoning moves from general principles to specific conclusions. Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to general principles.