You have missed the point entirely! The issue was NOT settled decades ago! In the experiment the monkeys picked the green M&M 2/3 of the time - exactly what statistics predicts assuming that a monkey has no preference and thus will switch M&Ms 1/2 of the time. Therefore, the researchers only proved the laws of statistics, not the theory of cognitive dissonance.
I agree that Hawking's books are excellent. For anyone interested in particle accelerators, The God Particle by Leon Lederman is an interesting read. Also, Steven Weinberg's Dreams of a Final Theory discusses some of the implications of modern physics. The New World of Mr. Tompkins by George Gamow and Russell Stannard is the tale of a layman on a quest for knowledge of modern science - funny and informative.
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You have missed the point entirely! The issue was NOT settled decades ago! In the experiment the monkeys picked the green M&M 2/3 of the time - exactly what statistics predicts assuming that a monkey has no preference and thus will switch M&Ms 1/2 of the time. Therefore, the researchers only proved the laws of statistics, not the theory of cognitive dissonance.
I agree that Hawking's books are excellent. For anyone interested in particle accelerators, The God Particle by Leon Lederman is an interesting read. Also, Steven Weinberg's Dreams of a Final Theory discusses some of the implications of modern physics. The New World of Mr. Tompkins by George Gamow and Russell Stannard is the tale of a layman on a quest for knowledge of modern science - funny and informative.