Scott H Young Podcast (Ep 299) - The science of mental models
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May 10, 2024 
Scott H Young, author of 'Ultralearning' and founder of ScottHYoung.com, delves into the science of mental models on this episode. Topics include the structure and utilization of mental models in reasoning, dual processing theories of the mind, benefits of constructing multiple models, and practical insights for problem-solving and enhancing reasoning skills.
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Mental Models Are Structured Simulations
- Mental models are abstract, structured representations of possible situations we construct to reason through premises.
- We inspect and manipulate these static models, not images or movies, to draw conclusions.
System One Tempts, System Two Constructs
- Many reasoning failures occur when we default to a fast, intuitive response (system one) instead of constructing mental models (system two).
- Correct inference often demands effortful model construction to override tempting intuitions.
Complexity Grows With Alternative Models
- Difficulty scales with the number of distinct mental models required to represent all possibilities.
- Tasks needing three or more models often exceed typical working memory capacity.