What Einstein Can Teach You About Critical Thinking
Einstein has been proved right—again. The gravitational waves that he predicted as part of his 1916 Theory of General Relativity—one of the towering achievements of critical thinking in history—were finally detected. Find out how you can grasp Einstein’s thinking power and apply it to your professional or personal life in this presentation. It’s fair to say that Einstein was using critical thinking during the 10 years that it took him to create his Theory of General Relativity. Other physicists assumed that the differences in the ways that bodies fall were too small to be of significance, but Einstein—a 28-year-old clerk at a patent office—could see that these details deserved further investigation. He had to come up with another, more creative, solution. “Suddenly a thought struck me,” he recalled. “If a man falls freely, he would not feel his weight… This simple thought experiment… led me to the theory of gravity.” From this he predicted the existence of gravitational waves, which control how every sun, planet, and object in our universe behaves. And last week the LIGO collaboration proved him right: they announced their first direct detection of gravitational waves in “the scientific breakthrough of the century.” Professor Stephen Hawking said the discovery has “the potential to revolutionize astronomy.” Learn how to think like Einstein (and 9 other Earth-shattering critical thinkers).
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What Einstein Can Teach You About Critical Thinking
- 1. HOW TO THINK LIKE EINSTEIN (AND 9 OTHER EARTH-SHATTERING CRITICAL THINKERS)
- 2. Einstein has been proved right—again. The gravitational waves that he predicted as part of his 1916 Theory of General Relativity—one of the towering achievements of critical thinking in history—were finally detected. Find out how you can grasp Einstein’s thinking power
- 3. “Being bold enough to let your mind go where good arguments take you, even if it’s to places that make you feel uncomfortable, may lead you to discoveries about the world and yourself.” (Critical Thinking: The Art of Argument, by George W. Rainbolt and Sandra L. Dwyer)
- 4. Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity places him among the most influential nonconformists, mavericks, and free-thinkers in history. We know them as geniuses, eccentrics, independent spirits, or even rebels. But what they all have in common is the ability to think creatively, putting aside their peers’ ignorance or assumptions to see new connections and change our view of the universe. THEY ARE CRITICAL THINKERS. Discover more...
- 5. ALBERT EINSTEIN If you take one critical thinking tip from Einstein, make it… If something looks wrong, then it’s probably worth finding out why. Trust your own judgement based on the facts, not the assumptions of others, and look for a solution within the details. Read more...
- 6. MARIE CURIE If you take one critical thinking tip from Marie Curie, make it… Critical thinking is nothing to do with negativity or nitpicking. It’s about asking questions—the right questions. It’s about not accepting things on trust. Read more...
- 7. CHARLES DARWIN If you take one critical thinking tip from Darwin, make it… Sometimes the most profound discoveries are hidden in seemingly unlikely places; look where others don’t, and enjoy the sense of discovery and excitement. Read more...
- 8. SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR If you take one critical thinking tip from de Beauvoir, make it… Don’t be afraid to think differently, even if that means challenging the basis of society itself. Read more...
- 9. GALILEO GALILEI If you take one critical thinking tip from Galileo, make it… Great critical thinkers evaluate arguments to see how they stand up, putting to one side the conclusions and assumptions of others—and filter for themselves what resonates as right or wrong. Read more...
- 10. EDWIN HUBBLE If you take one critical thinking tip from Edwin Hubble, make it… Evidence, evidence, evidence. The more you have, and the more you can filter it to get to what’s really going on, the better your conclusion will be. Read more...
- 11. W.E.B. DU BOIS If you take one critical thinking tip from Du Bois, make it… Critical thinking is important because it is what makes us adaptable, enables us to act independently, and allows us to move beyond what we already know or guess. Read more...
- 12. LOOKING FOR MORE LESSONS ON CRITICAL THINKING FROM HISTORY’S BRIGHTEST MINDS? From Plato to Piketty, Macat curates and explains the most important books ever written in a way that helps you become a smarter thinker. Start your FREE trial