27 APR 2012 by ideonexus
Analytical Thinking Reduces Religiosity
Some have argued that belief in God is intuitive, a natural (by-)product of the human mind given its cognitive structure and social context. If this is true, the extent to which one believes in God may be influenced by one’s more general tendency to rely on intuition versus reflection. Three studies support this hypothesis, linking intuitive cognitive style to belief in God. Study 1 showed that individual differences in cognitive style predict belief in God. Participants completed the Cogni...Three studies using math questions written to evoke an intuitive answer, a survey of cognitive styles, and using analytical thinking exercises to reduce the belief in god demonstrate analytical thinking reduces religion in the individual.
03 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Focusing Light Increases Heat Where Focused
The sun's rays proceed from the sun along straight lines and are reflected from every polished object at equal angles, i.e. the reflected ray subtends, together with the line tangential to the polished object which is in the plane of the reflected ray, two equal angles. Hence it follows that the ray reflected from the spherical surface, together with the circumference of the circle which is in the plane of the ray, subtends two equal angles. From this it also follows that the reflected ray, t...Alhazan's famous observations on reflecting the sun's rays and bending light.