Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Learning path · Intermediate

Thinking clearly

Logic, statistics, biases and problem solving: tools for judging claims and making better decisions. 6 guides, about 45 minutes of reading.

  1. Logic and good reasoning

    Deduction, induction and the common fallacies that make weak arguments sound convincing.

    Step 1 · Philosophy · 8 min read
  2. Cognitive biases that distort your thinking

    Systematic errors everyone makes, why they exist, and how they show up in schoolwork and arguments.

    Step 2 · Psychology · 8 min read
  3. Statistics in everyday life

    Averages, samples, correlation and misleading graphs: the statistical ideas that help you read the news critically.

    Step 3 · Mathematics · 7 min read
  4. Probability and statistics, and how they get misused

    Averages, spread, probability rules, and the reasoning errors that appear constantly in real arguments.

    Step 4 · Mathematics · 8 min read
  5. How to solve a problem you have not seen before

    A general method for unfamiliar questions, and why practising retrieval beats rereading worked examples.

    Step 5 · Mathematics · 7 min read
  6. Theories of ethics: consequences, duties and virtues

    The three great approaches to right and wrong, what each gets right, and where each runs into trouble.

    Step 6 · Philosophy · 8 min read