Chapter 6. Thinking Smart
This chapter concentrates on hacks that help you to think more clearly, cleverly, or creatively. Start out by using the rules of probability and proving yourself smarter than a superhero [Hack #61]. Keep feeling smart by mastering statistical shortcuts [Hack #66] and the ability to detect fraud [Hack #64].
Continue impressing yourself and others by tapping into your skeptical side: demystify amazing coincidences [Hack #62] and hack your way to the truth about weird phenomena [Hack #63]. After disproving (or perhaps proving) the existence of ESP [Hack #68], your friends will be amazed when you read their minds [Hack #67].
Finally, wrap up your self-improvement course by learning to avoid a common illogical trap [Hack #69].
Now that you are so smart, it should be a breeze to notice things around you that others do not. You can master the fine art of the traffic jam [Hack #74], explore your connections to Kevin Bacon and everybody else [Hack #72], and spot bogus election systems [Hack #73] known only to political scientists.
Round out this chapter by expanding your horizons. Try out different exciting professions such as espionage and code breaking [Hack #70], and discover new species [Hack #71] and, perhaps, even life on other planets [Hack #75].
Outsmart Superman
Lightning can strike twice in the same place, but it is very unlikely. The laws of probability allow us to calculate the likelihood of a series of rare occurrences happening all in a row. ...
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