Monday, January 11, 2016

Metacognition?

“We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world. We give little thought to the machinery that generates the sunlight that makes life possible, to the gravity that glues us to an Earth that would otherwise send us spinning off into space, or to the atoms of which we are made and on whose stability we fundamentally depend. Except for children (who don’t know enough not to ask the important questions), few of us spend much time wondering why nature is the way it is; where the cosmos came from, or whether it is always here; if time will one day flow backward and effects precede causes; or whether there are ultimate limits to what humans can know.”
-Carl Sagan from an introduction to A Brief History of Time By Stephen Hawking

After hearing and reading your peer's reactions during class about the listed quotation, what new insight can you add to this quotation analysis? Please respond. (Blog Response Due By Thurs., Jan. 14th at 2:30p.m.)

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not very many people look that deeply into things when we are young our minds work more like that then any other time in our lives. We are surrounded by all these things most explained but many unexplained so why dont we all wonder all the time question and try to figure out everything that that surrounds us in our every day lives.

Anonymous said...

I feel like most people don't think about things like gravity or why the universe exists because understanding those things won't change them. No matter what we do gravity will always exist and we can't change it. I think that's the case for a lot of things in life, once we understand that we can't change them or influence them, we lose interest in them and don't care enough about them to wonder why they are the way they are. This connects to our discussion about growth mindset versus a fixed mindset because when people have a fixed mindset and believe that they can't do anything then they never try to grow or expand their horizons.

Anonymous said...


People don't like to think and question these things because our minds can't comprehend the complexities of the world, that's why I turn to religion. Much like the ancient greeks turned to their religion, they turned to their gods to explain things that science couldn't factually answer. Much like modern religion, Christians turn to God and the bible to explain the world, why things are the way they are and how humans came to be. Faith can explain a lot.

Anonymous said...

Many people don’t think about the world this deeply. Many people just look at surface things, and instead of looking deeper, they just accept it and then move on. Learning about things that seem so simple like gravity and the sun take a lot of effort, which many people don’t want to give, especially if learning about this topic does not help them to achieve anything. Looking deeper into the world takes a very determined mind. It is very difficult to try to look past the everyday things that keep us alive.

Anonymous said...

There is much more to this life than paying bills and then dying. A lot of people don't really think about that, all they see is the daily schedule of waking up, working, paying bills, and going to bed. Its what you do on a more mental level or spiritual level if you're religious, that makes you feel like you're going to live forever. I personally love thinking about space a little odd considering I'm not a genius or anything like that but it's a fun shower thought.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree with everything about this quote. I think we accept what we don't know because we lack the resources or ability to seek and find more answers. If people are always worrying about gravity and how it works, then we miss little things that could be more important. I do agree that we live our lives very methodically and rarely change. We are creatures of habit and it's hard to think outside the box every now and then or do something worth while. For some the concept of space can be depressing, because it is so vast and unknown, while others find it inspiring. I think there are different levels of questioning and wonderment and at times we each find our own.

Anonymous said...

With the hustle and commotion of everyday life, no one has time to question our world anymore. Our lives are dictated by time, and people are more worried about where they have to be than why or how they are actually here on Earth. No one gives thought to how life as we know it is possible because the answer does not change how we live our lives. In school we learn the basics of how life is possible and what gravity is; however, outside of those classes it is not necessary that we understand it. Few people go out of their way to understand things they do not need to know for school, work, etc. As a result, people no longer ask why; they simply accept whatever answer is given to them. I also believe there is a slight element of “ignorance is bliss” to this quote and mindset. If people do not question how life is possible, then they do not have to consider the answer and the problems that may arise.

Anonymous said...

When we are young we are much more curious about the world and we ask the question "why?" When we grow older we pass by things with less focus and we do not wonder "why?" We tend to grow up thinking that when you are older we do not have to ask why and that question is used less and less often. We also do not go anywhere questioning the meaning behind gravity or things like heat or color. Instead we do not pay attention.

Anonymous said...

Younger people are more capable of critical thinking and being imaginative since their brains are not fully developed yet. Therefore it leads to being curious and make stupid choices. But on the other hand, younger people tend to come up with great ideas and show off creativity. Also, they tend to question more about what we call “normal phenomenon” because they don’t have much common sense or basic knowledge of how things work and were made.

Anonymous said...

When we were younger nothing mattered to us except a new power ranger toy or barbie or whatever. We grew up and we were given responsibilities and chores that shape our development as human beings. Most adults don't care about the universe and how the cosmos were formed they care about paying bills and supporting a family. Life will just pass us by and we wont notice until we are on our death bed

Anonymous said...

When we were younger we were more curious about how things worked and how the world was the way it was. As we grew older our desires changed and we began to no longer question reality and began to accept things the way they were. As time progresses, we begin to believe that we understand what we think we need to know and cease to actively deepen our knowledge of the world around us.

Anonymous said...

I thinks it's a good point that kids tend to be more curious about the world than we are. People grow up and become so secluded in their own worlds that they never stop to think why. Very few think about it, even fewer pursue it. Most people don't feel that they need to know, and they would be right. It's not everybody's duty to ask why, but it sure is nice when we have a few bright minds out there continuing to ask why, because those are the people who discover, lead, and evolve society as we know it.

Anonymous said...

Children tend to be more curious because they don't have as much reference with the world around them, so they feel the need to discover. That is why you see kids touching hot stoves and eating things on the ground.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

The fact that curiosity continues throughout our entire lives is what grabbed me most about the entry. Although our questions grow less and less our wonder about the world stays the same. I agree with Michael because it is very true; those who ask questions and continue to wonder at those who make a difference.

Anonymous said...

I believe that it is a positive that children are naturally curious. They discover what they are interested in, and this develops from a young age. When I was young, I asked many questions that allowed myself to make sense of a new and interesting world. Without this basic level of curiosity, we would all grow up the same and end up doing the same things in life, without developing into an individual capable of making decisions. Once we get older, it is not necessary to question everything, as we already have a fundamental knowledge of the world.

Anonymous said...

To think about these questions can sometimes be overwhelming to the mind. Big questions such as “if time will one day flow backward” are just not in our realm of possibilities yet. We forget to think about things like gravity because, like other people here have said thinking about it will not change it and thus we choose to focus our time and energy on what we deem as meaningful thoughts. Although we need some people of our world to be thinking about things such as gravity all the time, for a society to function like it is most of us won't. At the same time though it is important to keep asking questions and to challenge the things we hear. Each person is just different in what they choose to challenge and this gives us a necessary diversity in thoughts.

Anonymous said...

These questions can often times be double sided in the sense that you are right and wrong no matter how you respond. Yes, most of us have no grasp of the greater things in life like atoms and string theory, but we all have a sense of how we can live in this world comfortably and understand what needs to be done in order to do so. As we grow older, the need to be inquisitive about our world diminishes, because we simply have run out of questions to ask. We already know why the sun appears and disappears, we do not need to ask the same question twice. What we rely are missing is the inquiry to know more than just the why.

Anonymous said...

If we thought about all of these things all the time, there wouldn't be time left to think about anything else in this world, and therefore progress. Children are ore curious because they don't know anything, and as a lot of people have been saying, we lose our curiosity as we grow older.

Anonymous said...

I disagree that children are more curious than adults about life but do think that children are more excited about figuring out the answers to these secrets. As you grow up, you begin looking at problems in a logical way. I think we give up on answering these questions when they come incomprehensible but we can never stop thinking about them. I don't agree with this statement because I do think children are very imaginative but at the same time as you get older and become aware of how little you know it feels like you know even less about life as you did as a child.

Anonymous said...

There is a lot more to life than what normal people think about everyday. There is more to life than our minds can comprehend. People In our society today chose not to think about things like how the world works because that is what's easiest for them. Children nowadays have less to worry about, so they let there minds think of things that a grown up wouldn't. But also as you get older your mind grows and allows you to think of more complex things in life. Overall I do believe people need to think more about there thinking and be more aware of it.

Anonymous said...

I feel like many people go through life with a lot of different questions about why things are. But the thing is people have learned that unless you are interested in being a scientist there are more important questions to be asking or different things that you would rather focus on. But of course we still ask them anyway. Some days I ask questions about why things happen the way they do more than others. I take things day by day with a little planning in between. But others such as the Greeks were more interested in knowing a deeper meaning about why such things happen. It is a matter of opinion and interest.

Anonymous said...

I feel like this is a bit of a broad statement. I for one question why things work the way they do, how things came to be, and how crazy it is that everything is made of tiny atoms quite often. I think that a lot of people my age do that. It is understandable as to why some people don't like to think about it, though. Sometimes just the thought of space gives me a headache. There is so much out there that doesn't ever seem possible to understand, and for some it's simply easier to just not think about it.

Anonymous said...

I believe this quote is very broad. I go through life from a day to day basis, questioning the things in life. Why things are the way they are, how did the human race get on this earth. It's a proven fact that people are always thinking about something, no matter what it is. Thinking about the deep deep things can sometimes make us go crazy in all honesty, because we're thinking of the impossible, thinking of something that has no answer yet.

Anonymous said...

Man has always said that we must think before we speak or act but have never really followed that saying, We always think things no matter what but never stop to think if there is a consequence. If it will hurt people, If it can hurt ourself. The quote is telling us to be more aware of people and our thoughts and how they play out in every day life/

Anonymous said...

Man is always taught to think before we act. When children are young, they don’t really know this. That is why children end up being hurt so often. It’s not that they want to be, they just don’t know any better. People don’t tend to think about it until after the fact. But it is already too late because it only takes a second to hurt somebody, but hundreds to make them feel better about it.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more with Carl Sagan's quotation and I don't think the statement is to broad. We get to entangled in our everyday lives to not only appreciate but to also notice the value and importance. I know I go by day by day not recognizing the magnificence of gravity or constantly wondering about the workings of time. I don't necessarily think it is important to give every hour gratitude to the sun for example but I do find importance in giving appreciation frequently. The last line of the quote really stood out to me; " or whether there are ultimate limits to what humans can know." I think that we are beginning to put limitations on ourselves somewhat like "oh the car is already invented so there is no reason for any other transportation."

Anonymous said...

I think we don't know much about how the world works cause we are to busy actually living to spend time pondering such a broad question there are people who get paid to do this but i don't think id want to spend any extended period of time with them cause they're most likely not living to answer one of these questions can take a whole life of work and study and that's fine for some people but i think most of us would like to experience the world and ask questions later.

Anonymous said...

I agree with this quote because I think people are too caught up in every day life to see the future for others. every one is too focused on their lives to realize that there is an entire world around them and so much to see and preserve for the generations to come. People accept life how it is now, destroying the planet e and everyone says 'even if i change something its not enough to change the world" but if everyone who thought that actually changed something it might just be enough. The world will be here longer than we all will be and I think that there is more knowledge than ever possible to assimilate into mans mind, but people will never give up trying and eventually we may know everything.

Anonymous said...

I believe that people truly know nothing about what we live in, where it came from, and how it works. I am always hearing about all of these crazy space expeditions we are sending satellites on to journey deeper and deeper into the unknown. Even after that we still know the smallest fragment of a fragment of what we call home. What really boggles my mind is if there is an end to what we know as space or not. Is it never ending or is there some kind of wall. If so, what is beyond that wall? Where does it end?

Anonymous said...

The world we live in is very crazy. No one ever thinks about why we come back the the ground after jumping, or why we get hungry. The world is no where near being fully discovered and it is crazy to think about. Today with all this technology in our world, we still don't know everything. Many creatures or ideas are yet to be found. The amount of discoveries this world has is endless and will never be completely solved.

Anonymous said...

We live in a world where people make their own reality and say that it's the truth even when it might not be. We go about life thinking that if we ask questions about things people might judge us, so we just keep it to ourselves. The people who go out and find new things in the world are the only ones truly learning new and exciting things while the rest of the world is still learning the things everyone already knows.