The Human Mind is a Bayes Logic Machine

lexxyz writes "Apparently the human mind can predict the distribution type for a given sample of results. A study found in The Economist has shown that a group of minds working on single pieces of data, can together generate the statistical model used to represent a given sample. Note that it takes a group of people to be able to accurately predict the behaviour of something, not a single individual"

Comments

the answer is statistically probably 42

[yagu]

From the fine article:

They suggest that the Bayesian capacity to draw strong inferences from sparse data could be crucial to the way the mind perceives the world, plans actions, comprehends and learns language, reasons from correlation to causation, and even understands the goals and beliefs of other minds.

Phew! Once I read that, I realized I didn't have to read the rest of the article having now taken a large enough "sparse" sample.

An added benefit, I already know what all of the posts are going to say, including this one!

Re:the answer is statistically probably 42

[The-Bus]

Phew! Once I read that, I realized I didn't have to read the rest of the article having now taken a large enough "sparse" sample.

Careful. That's the kind of attitude that could put you in charge of editing Slashdot!

Re:Prediction

[Tomun]

Furthermore, there is actually no solid evidence that the future exists

There is now.