Michael Silber is conducting research on human memory and cognition. He observed a trivia night where he saw large variations in people's abilities to recall trivial facts. He hypothesizes that our conception of humanity is changing as technology enhances logical and data processing abilities. Our identity may become more aligned with creative and emotional thinking. He aims to better understand thinking and memory to maximize human potential.

1. THESIS ONE
Triangulation Experiment
Thesis, Pony Idea, Ethnographic Research
Michael Silber | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

2. THESIS
Defining Humanity as Technology Blurs the Boundaries
Between Man and Machine.
PONY IDEA
Capturing Fleeting Ideas, Enhancing Memory Recall, and
Harnessing the Full Potential of the Brain’s Ability.
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
Observation of Trivia Night
Memory, Reasoning, and Recall.
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

3. I hypothesize that data processing computers are altering our
conception of selfhood and humanity through a rebalancing
of the sensory framework towards our right-brain functions,
creating a desire for expression over rational thought.
We have historically identified our ability to reason as the
marker of our humanity, differentiating us from all other
animals. But how do we now distinguish ourselves from
intelligent machines? Our exaltation of rational thought has
led us to build computers that far surpass our capabilities in
structured logic, effectively externalizing the left-hemisphere
of the brain.
Such a hypothesis suggests that a next-generation human
will be changed to be less serious and analytical, and
instead become more attuned to the creative associative
thinking of humor.
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

4. PONY IDEA
Capturing Fleeting Ideas, Enhancing Memory Recall, and
Harnessing the Full Potential of the Brain’s Ability.
My best ideas often come to me when I’m not working:
• Before Falling Asleep
• While on a Walk
• During my Commute
How can I encourage these productive revelations?
What is the best way to grasp these ideas when they arrive?
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

5. ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

6. ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
Trivia Night: Memory, Reasoning, and Recall.
I observed/participated in a pub quiz event at Bar4 in Brooklyn.
People gathered and competed in teams in a contest of trivial
knowledge. They attempt to access and harness their stored knowledge
on a wide range of topics, apply practical logic, and in some cases
attempt to ascertain whether the question provided any clues or hinted
at the correct answer.
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

7. HOW DO WE SEEK AND FIND ANSWERS?
• Some people are very good at this activity, while others struggle
to retain such inane facts, names, song titles, etc.
• In many questions, the participant will have a eureka moment
and arrive at the answer immediately and with certainty.
• In other cases the participant knows that he/she has vague
knowledge of the subject, but cannot pinpoint the answer.
• What are the best techniques to pull out that specific piece
of information?
• Are pub quiz and games like jeopardy an accurate measure of
intelligence or I.Q?
• How do the group dynamics enhance our recall skills?
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

8. WHAT COGNITIVE PROCESSES ARE INVOLVED?
• What is occurring in the brain when a person is scanning their
memory for the right specific information?
• What cognitive skills are involved in retaining these facts?
• How is short term memory involved?
• What is the process as short term memory evolves into long
term memory?
• Are there significant differences between men and women in
this type of knowledge retention?
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

9. Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

10. UNDERSTANDING THINKING TO MAXIMIZE OUR POTENTIAL
Aggressively Seeking Answers vs. Passively Waiting for Illumination
When I have difficulty remembering a name, I close my eyes and run
through the alphabet, testing out sounds until I reach my answer.
I have read that students who train to remember a series of playing
cards will develop a long story relating to the cards... in this way, they
are somehow able to retain and recall the entire sequence.
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

11. VARIABLES IN MEMORY AND SENSE SPECIFIC MEMORY
• Are there different processes involved between remembering
information, a song, a smell, an odor, or a taste?
• What role does adrenalin play in memory and recall?
• Can small amounts of alcohol actually improve performance?
• How do programs like Watson (of Jeopardy fame) and
google search scan for information and is it similar to our
own brain functions?
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein

12. • Do machines and people think in the same way?
• What lessons can we learn from machine thinking?
Michael Silber | Thesis One | Professor Tom Klinkowstein