Science Fictions Episode 95: Critical thinking
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Feb 10, 2026 A lively dive into what “critical thinking” actually means and whether it can be taught. They examine studies from tree octopus hoaxes to large media-literacy trials and question claims that education alone fixes gullibility. The conversation covers teachability, surprising meta-analysis results, transfer limits, and practical tactics like lateral reading that show modest gains.
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What Critical Thinking Means
- Daniel Willingham defines critical thinking as open-minded, evidence-based reasoning and problem solving.
- The hosts accept these attributes as desirable components of critical thought.
Tree Octopus Hoax Test
- The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus website fooled many seventh graders into rating it credible in a classic study.
- Tom and Stuart describe replications and small-sample follow-ups showing similar gullibility in youth.
Mixed Evidence From Meta-Analysis
- A 2015 meta-analysis (Abrami et al.) found teaching critical thinking raised test scores by ~0.3 SD on average.
- Effects shrink with longer interventions and long-term real-world impact remains unclear.
