Frank Keil

Frank Keil, a professor at Yale specializing in psychology and linguistics, dives into the importance of causal thinking. He explains how children naturally ask numerous 'why' questions, which dramatically decline as they grow older, leading to a shallow understanding of the world. Keil warns that this decline makes society vulnerable to misinformation and stresses the need for deeper, mechanistic knowledge. He also emphasizes encouraging curiosity and critical thinking in children to combat the superficial grasp of complex modern topics.

Psychology professor Frank Keil discusses the development of causal thinking and explanation in developmental psychology. He explores the relationship between causal thinking and mechanistic thinking, the impact of technology on children's understanding of mechanisms, and the question of whether humans are truly Bayesian reasoners. He also delves into how developmental research can inform the study of cognition in adults, including insights into brain architecture and changes in cognitive function throughout lifespan.