How The Witness Teaches Scientific Thinking | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The Witness is a non-sponsored, puzzle-solving game that cleverly teaches scientific thinking skills without using any words.

Key Insights

• 🤔 The Witness is a non-sponsored game that enhances scientific thinking skills through puzzles without using words.
• 😀 The game challenges players to find creative solutions by putting constraints on the problems they face.
• 🛩️ Changing even a small element can require players to completely rethink their approach to a puzzle.
• 😷 The Witness subtly inserts dogma into players' minds and asks them to break through it to overcome new challenges.
• 🤔 The game encourages systematic thinking and the elimination of solutions to find the correct one.
• 🏑 The concept of challenging and overcoming dogma is crucial for improvement in any field.
• 🥰 The teachings in The Witness align with the principles discussed in "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin.

Transcript

Dear Fellow Scholars, I'd like to draw your attention to The Witness, which is a computer game that helps you improve your scientific thinking and reasoning skills. It is a first person game and if you like solving puzzles, well, it has them in abundance. Before we start, I'd like to note for transparency, that if you're worried about spoilers, eve... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How does The Witness teach scientific thinking without using words?

The Witness guides players through appropriate puzzles and constraints, forcing them to think outside the box and find creative solutions. It never explicitly teaches, but allows players to learn through trial and error.

Q: Can you give an example of how the game challenges players to rethink their approach?

In one puzzle, changing the position of the exit completely changes the previous plans, requiring players to completely redesign their strategy. The game shows how the slightest change can lead to a need for a new perspective.

Q: How does The Witness use dogma to teach players?

The game subtly inserts dogma in players' minds, making them believe certain principles about the puzzles. However, players must break through these assumptions and overcome the challenges by thinking differently. It parallels the concept discussed in "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin.

Q: How does The Witness enhance scientific thinking skills?

By systematically putting constraints on the problem and eliminating a large number of solutions, players develop the kind of critical thinking and problem-solving skills required for scientific breakthroughs.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Witness is a first-person game that teaches scientific thinking and reasoning skills through puzzles.

• The game challenges players to find creative solutions to reach the exit by putting constraints on the problem.

• As the game progresses, players learn to systematically eliminate solutions by challenging their assumptions and dogmas.