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Brain areas necessary for reasoning identified

A team of researchers at UCL has identified key brain regions essential for logical thinking and problem-solving. They used lesion-deficit mapping to study patients with brain lesions caused by stroke or tumors and found that damage to the right frontal lobe impaired reasoning skills.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalBrain·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 15, 2025

AI makes human-like reasoning mistakes

Large language models (LMs) exhibit human-like reasoning flaws, particularly in tasks requiring semantic content and believability. LMs struggle to distinguish between valid and invalid arguments, mirroring human errors, especially when semantic content is sensical and believable.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateJul 16, 2024

An algorithm predicts the academic performance of distance education students

A University of Córdoba team developed an algorithm that predicts student performance in online education, dividing students into four categories and providing personalized assistance. The algorithm uses ordinal classification and fuzzy logic to make more accurate predictions than previous models.

SourceUniversity of Córdoba·JournalApplied Intelligence·DateOct 20, 2023
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Overcoming nuke stigma through critical thinking

A nine-year study led by Kyoto University found that critical thinking and logical decision-making promoted intelligent attitudes and risk literacy, reducing anxiety and food avoidance among citizens in Tokyo and Kansai regions.

SourceKyoto University·JournalJournal of Risk Research·DateMay 23, 2023

Rats! Rodents seem to make the same logical errors humans do

Researchers found that rats, like humans, tend to overestimate the likelihood of two events occurring together. This study suggests a shared cognitive mechanism between humans and animals, which could have implications for understanding psychopathological conditions.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalPsychonomic Bulletin & Review·DateApr 4, 2023

Americans’ IQ scores are lower in some areas, higher in one

A new study found evidence of a reverse 'Flynn effect' in the US, with declines in verbal reasoning, matrix reasoning, and letter/number series scores, but an increase in 3D rotation scores. The study suggests that changing values and motivation may be contributing factors.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalIntelligence·DateMar 19, 2023

Clinicians grapple with decisions in crisis-care simulation

A simulated crisis-care event revealed the moral distress experienced by triage team members who had to prioritize patients for scarce resources. The study aimed to operationalize a process for making life-and-death patient decisions, but triage-team members struggled with balancing individual patient needs with fair resource allocation.

SourceUniversity of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine·JournalJAMA Network Open·TypeSurvey·DateApr 18, 2022
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

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Logical reasoning: An antidote or a poison for political disagreement?

A new study explores ideological belief bias, where people judge logical arguments based on their believability rather than sound premises. Liberals and conservatives showed varying levels of ability to identify flawed arguments supporting opposing views. The findings suggest that being open to the other side can lead to a better under...

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateApr 17, 2019

To track how students ace the LSAT, watch their eyes

A study by UC Berkeley researchers found that tracking students' eye movements can reveal more about their understanding of complex material than neuroimaging technology. By analyzing ocular activity, the team detected improvements in reasoning skills after intensive practice for the logic games section of the LSAT.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalJournal of Science Learning·DateOct 18, 2018

High cognitive ability not a safeguard from conspiracies, paranormal beliefs

A new study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that high cognitive ability is not a safeguard against believing in conspiracy theories and paranormal phenomena. People with strong motivation to form rational beliefs can still fall prey to these unfounded ideas.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Chicago·JournalPersonality and Individual Differences·DateNov 13, 2017

Reliance on reason, evidence as a moral issue measured in study

A new report from psychologists suggests that people can come to see a reliance on reason and evidence as a moral issue, leading to harsher judgments of those perceived as less rational. Individuals who moralize rationality view others as less moral and prefer to distance themselves.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Chicago·JournalPLOS ONE·DateNov 21, 2016

Identifying problems with national identifiers

Researchers from Harvard University found that Resident Registration Numbers in South Korea can be easily decrypted using computation and logical reasoning. The study reveals vulnerabilities in the encoding system, compromising individual privacy and urging a more robust redesign.

SourceHarvard University·JournalTechnology Sciences·DateSep 28, 2015
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

Does the ambulance service need more training in mental health issues?

The article highlights the need for a national 'Mental Health Pathway' to enable paramedics to provide appropriate care for patients with mental health issues. The proposed pathway aims to reduce admissions and re-attendance while improving care for patients.

SourceUniversity of Huddersfield·JournalJournal of Paramedic Practice·DateAug 1, 2013

Contraband tobacco use hinders smoking cessation

A study published in CMAJ found that people who smoke contraband cigarettes are less likely to stop smoking compared to those who smoke premium or discount cigarettes. Contraband cigarettes are widely available and significantly cheaper than legitimate options.

SourceCanadian Medical Association Journal·JournalCanadian Medical Association Journal·DateMar 4, 2013

Fish can determine their social rank by observation alone, study finds

In a groundbreaking experiment, researchers found that fish can use transitive inference to understand their place in the pecking order. By observing rival males fight and watching which rival they spent more time near, bystander fish could infer their relative strength and navigate social hierarchies.

SourceStanford University·JournalNature·DateJan 24, 2007