THUNK

Delving into the meaning of games and Flow theory, the podcast explores Monopoly's political symbolism, challenges norms in gaming, and discusses the impact of games and flow states on society. It questions the deeper messages conveyed by games beyond mere entertainment and highlights the role of flow state in enhancing player engagement.

Maintenance is often ignored, minimized, or portrayed as being inferior to creative/productive work, but it’s really the most fundamental activity of life itself, & it can teach us a lot about the world. Video: http://youtu.be/7pFrhsC2I7Q Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/09/07/243.-Maintenance.html

Everyone’s heard of the infamous “Tragedy of the Commons,” but the real tragedy is that Elinor Ostrom’s work refuting it isn’t just as widely-known. Video: http://youtu.be/9h0iidPzMXE Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/08/10/242.-The-'Tragedy'-of-the-Commons.html

Children can be impressively ingenious when given enough time to work thru a problem, but we tend to judge their mental prowess by how quickly they figure things out - is mental speed really the best yardstick for intelligence? Video: http://youtu.be/ONpydsGW3Tg Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/07/13/241.-Mental-Speed.html

Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow” has become a popular reference in public discussions of cognition and the dangers of impulsive decision-making, but many researchers think it might be wrong, or even damaging to the field at large. Video: http://youtu.be/-UVoAYFYtoM Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/06/01/240.-Dual-Process-Theory-and-The-Mythical-Number-Two.html

Reading nonfiction can be an enjoyable, leisurely hobby, but sometimes you just need to ASSIMILATE KNOWLEDGE. Video: http://youtu.be/u7EiDwPCb7M Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/05/10/239.-How-to-Read-a-Book.html

Exploring how organizational structures influence technology creation, the importance of breaking down complex problems, discussing Conway's Law impact on team dynamics, the evolution of system architecture, addressing engineering failures, and fostering collaboration through flexible organizational structures.

Machine learning algorithms are in the spotlight right now, leading some to worry about them remaking the world into something alien, but there’s another, less popular concern: what if they make it into exactly what we think it is? Video: http://youtu.be/vuyaZtBSV1w Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/03/31/237.-Machine-Learning-Models-and-Reification.html

Acting against our better judgment is a bit of a puzzle: if we know what’s “best,” and nothing is preventing us, why don’t we do it? Who is it that’s doing the controlling or being controlled in “self-control?” Video: http://youtu.be/jHGFlyHnhFQ Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/02/24/236.-Self-Control,-Akrasia,-and-Multiple-Self-Theory.html

As global warming taxes the structures supporting our towns and cities, the technical standards that define the operation of those structures will be tested…but who decides what those standards should be? Are they equal to the task? Video: http://youtu.be/64sVW1naQN0 Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2023/02/06/235.-Infrastructure-and-Standards.html