1. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 1
Introduction
Management
Information Systems
Please discontinue use of cell
phone and turn off ringer
2. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 2
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
3. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 3
• The sensory limitations
• Eyesight
• Hearing
• Touch
• Taste
• Smell
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
The limitations of the human being
4. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 4
The whole continuum of light size, frequency, and energy is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light is only a very tiny part of that spectrum - about one-thousandth of 1
percent (1% x 10-3).
Booker, R. and Boysen, E. (2005). Nanotechnology for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p. 49.
The limitations of the human being
5. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 5
The limitations of the human being
The whole continuum of light size, frequency, and energy is called the
electromagnetic spectrum.
Visible light is only a very tiny part of that spectrum - about one-thousandth of 1
percent (1% x 10-3).
Booker, R. and Boysen, E. (2005). Nanotechnology for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p. 49.
6. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 6
The illusion of White
The limitations of the human being - Eyesight
See: http://www.techno-science.net/?onglet=news&news=10235
A
B
7. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 7
The limitations of the human being - Eyesight
YouTube (Jan 27, 2017). Better world for Blind People, Tech Insider, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6GvsXJl2xY, last
accessed Feb 4, 2017.
0:59
8. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 8
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• Eyesight
• Hearing
• Touch
• Taste
• Smell
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
12. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 12
The limitations of the human being - Hearing
1:5
9
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsDwFGz0Okg, last accessed Jan 28, 2019.
13. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 13
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• Eyesight
• Hearing
• Touch
• Taste
• Smell
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
14. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 14
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
The limitations of the human being
15. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 15
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perception
• Reasoning
The limitations of the human being
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
16. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 16
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perception
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
The limitations of the human being
17. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 17
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality
Aristotle thought that heavy objects fell faster than lighter
objects, it took a millennium before Galileo proved otherwise.
S = g x t
(where g is 9.81 m/s2)
18. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 18
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
Imagine that I give you TD 200.
Source: Dawes, R.M. (1988). Rational Choice in an Uncertain World, (Editor-Jerome Kagan) Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Imagine that I give you TD 200.
I now offer you more, in the form of one of two options:
Imagine that I give you TD 200.
I now offer you more, in the form of one of two options:
Option 1: I will give you an additional TD 100.
Imagine that I give you TD 200.
I now offer you more, in the form of one of two options:
Option 1: I will give you an additional TD 100.
Option 2: I will toss a coin. If it lands heads, I will give you
an additional TD 200; if it lands tails, I will give
you no additional money.
19. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 19
Imagine that I give you TD 400.
Imagine that I give you TD 400.
You must choose one of the following two options:
Imagine that I give you TD 400.
You must choose one of the following two options:
Option 1: You must give me back TD 100.
Imagine that I give you TD 400.
You must choose one of the following two options:
Option 1: You must give me back TD 100.
Option 2: I will toss a coin. If it lands heads, you must give
me back TD 200; if it lands tails, you may keep
all the money I gave you.
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
20. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 20
Risk-seeking
(Certainty-averse)
Gaining money
Risk-averse
Losing money
Risk-seeking
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
21. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 21
In the last century, humans have
landed a man on the moon,
sequenced the genome, and
created the Internet — but,
surprisingly, we may be slowly
evolving to be less intelligent
than our ancestors.
Source: Koebler, J. (2012). Dumb and Dumber: Study Says Humans Are Slowly Losing Their Smarts - Stanford geneticist says
humans evolving into dumber species, November 13, U.S.News & World Report,
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/13/dumb-and-dumber-study-says-humans-are-slowly-losing-their-smarts, last
accessed on Mar 12, 2013.
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
22. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 22
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
Bratsberg, B. and Rogeberg, O. (11 June 2018). Flynn effect and its reversal are both environmentally caused, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the Unites States of America (PNAS), http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/06/05/1718793115,
last accessed July 1, 2018.
23. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 23
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
Fish, I. (12 June 2018). Young people really ARE getting more stupid: IQs have started to fall by seven points per generation in 'pretty
worrying' trend, scientists discover, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5832789/Young-people-really-getting-stupid-IQs-
falling-seven-points-generation.html, last accessed July 1, 2018.
O'Neill, N. (12 June 2018). Millennial men are getting dumber by the year, https://nypost.com/2018/06/12/millennial-men-are-getting-
dumber-by-the-year/, last accessed July 1, 2018.
24. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 24
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
Bratsberg, B. and Rogeberg, O. (11 June 2018). Flynn effect and its reversal are both environmentally caused, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the Unites States of America (PNAS), http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/06/05/1718793115,
last accessed July 1, 2018.
25. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 25
The limitations of the human being – Limited
rationality-Framing effects
Bratsberg, B. and Rogeberg, O. (11 June 2018). Flynn effect and its reversal are both environmentally caused, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the Unites States of America (PNAS), http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/06/05/1718793115,
last accessed July 1, 2018.
26. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 26
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perception
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
27. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 27
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
Pos Country Area (km²)
83 Laos 236.800
84 Guyana 214.970
85 Belarus 207.600
86 Kyrgyzstan 198.500
87 Senegal 196.190
88 Syria 185.180
89 Cambodia 181.035
90 Uruguay 176.220
91 Tunisia 163.610
92 Suriname 163.270
93 Bangladesh 147.570
94 Nepal 147.181
95 Tajikistan 143.100
96 Greece 131.940
Wikipedia (17 August 2016). List of countries by area, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_area, last accessed Jan
09, 2017.
Is Tunisia a particularly small country?
28. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 28
Pos Country Area (km²)
83 Laos 236.800
84 Guyana 214.970
85 Belarus 207.600
86 Kyrgyzstan 198.500
87 Senegal 196.190
88 Syria 185.180
89 Cambodia 181.035
90 Uruguay 176.220
91 Tunisia 163.610
92 Suriname 163.270
93 Bangladesh 147.570
94 Nepal 147.181
95 Tajikistan 143.100
96 Greece 131.940
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
Is Tunisia a particularly small country?
29. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 29
Pos Country Area (km²)
1 Russia 17.098.246
2 Canada 9.984.670
3 China 9.572.900
4 USA 9.525.067
5 Brazil 8.515.767
6 Australia 7.692.024
7 India 3.287.263
8 Argentina 2.780.400
9 Kazakhstan 2.724.900
10 Algeria 2.381.740
11 Congo (Dem.) 2.345.410
12 Mexico 2.210.583
13 Saudi Arabia 2.149.690
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
Is Tunisia a particularly small country?
30. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 30
Pos Country Area (km²)
186 Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines 389
187 Grenada 340
188 Malta 316
189 Maldives 300
190 Saint Kitts and
Nevis 261
191 Marshall Islands 181
192 Liechtenstein 160
193 San Marino 61
194 Tuvalu 26
195 Nauru 21
196 Monaco 2
197 Vatican City 0.5
Is Tunisia a particularly small country?
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
31. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 31
There are 90 countries that are larger than Tunisia, but Tunisia is
larger than 106 countries.
In fact, Tunisia (163.610 km²) is
Remarks made by Haithem Kchaou on his Facebook wall (https://www.facebook.com/haithem.k/posts/10211793632135802) on Jan
6, 2017 about the illusion that Tunisia is a “small” country.
There are 90 countries that are larger than Tunisia, but Tunisia is
larger than 106 countries.
In fact, Tunisia (163.610 km²) is
4 times larger than Denmark (43.094 km²).
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
32. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 32
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
Source: The True Size:
http://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTUxMDA2Njk.MTAxOTM1MTA*MjYyODEzNDE(MTIzNjgyNTU~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTY0
NDUyNQ.OTg1NDM3MA(MTc1)MA
33. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 33
There are 90 countries that are larger than Tunisia, but Tunisia is
larger than 106 countries.
In fact, Tunisia (163.610 km²) is
4 times larger than Denmark (43.094 km²).
4 times larger than Switzerland (41.277 km²).
Remarks made by Haithem Kchaou on his Facebook wall (https://www.facebook.com/haithem.k/posts/10211793632135802) on Jan
6, 2017 about the illusion that Tunisia is a “small” country.
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
34. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 34
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
Source: The True Size:
http://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTUxMDA2Njk.MTAxOTM1MTA*MjYyODEzNDE(MTIzNjgyNTU~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTY0
NDUyNQ.OTg1NDM3MA(MTc1)MA
35. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 35
There are 90 countries that are larger than Tunisia, but Tunisia is
larger than 106 countries.
In fact, Tunisia (163.610 km²) is
4 times larger than Denmark (43.094 km²).
4 times larger than Switzerland (41.277 km²).
4 times larger than the Netherlands (41.543 km²).
Remarks made by Haithem Kchaou on his Facebook wall (https://www.facebook.com/haithem.k/posts/10211793632135802) on Jan
6, 2017 about the illusion that Tunisia is a “small” country.
The limitations of the human being: Abstractions
There are 90 countries that are larger than Tunisia, but Tunisia is
larger than 106 countries.
In fact, Tunisia (163.610 km²) is
4 times larger than Denmark (43.094 km²).
4 times larger than Switzerland (41.277 km²).
4 times larger than the Netherlands (41.543 km²).
larger than England (130.395 km²) by 30.000km².
There are 90 countries that are larger than Tunisia, but Tunisia is
larger than 106 countries.
In fact, Tunisia (163.610 km²) is
4 times larger than Denmark (43.094 km²).
4 times larger than Switzerland (41.277 km²).
4 times larger than the Netherlands (41.543 km²).
larger than England (130.395 km²) by 30.000km².
larger than North Korea (120.538 km²) by 40.000km².
etc.
37. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 37
The limitations of the human being – Imagination &
creativity
“PRACTICALLY EVERY WORD we use to describe a computer is
a metaphor. “File,” “window,” even “memory” all stand in for
collections of ones and zeros that are themselves representations
of an impossibly complex maze of wires, transistors and the
electrons moving through them.”
Greenberg, A. (2016). Forget Software—Now Hackers Are Exploiting Physics, Wired, Aug 31, https://www.wired.com/2016/08/new-
form-hacking-breaks-ideas-computers-work/?CNDID=, last accessed Sept 1, 2016.
38. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 38
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perception
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
39. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 39
Environmental
stimuli
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Sensory memory
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Long-term
memory
(LTM)
Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
The limitations of the human being – Memory limits
Inspired by BBC (2011). The brain and memory,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr/brain_mind/memoryrev1.shtml
40. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 40
Long-term
memory
(LTM)
Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
7±2 symbols
The limitations of the human being – Memory limits
42. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 42
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Translated from: http://www.asslema.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2686
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Snow White and the 7 dwarves
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Snow White and the 7 dwarves
7 Wonders of the World
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Snow White and the 7 dwarves
7 Wonders of the World
7 Deadly Sins
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Snow White and the 7 dwarves
7 Wonders of the World
7 Deadly Sins
7 years is the age of reason
7 days of the week
7 verses in the Fatiha chapter of the Koran
The rose with 7 petals according to the Bible
7 colors of the rainbow
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Snow White and the 7 dwarves
7 Wonders of the World
7 Deadly Sins
7 years is the age of reason
7 days of the week
7 verses in the Fatiha chapter of the Koran
The rose with 7 petals according to the Bible
7 colors of the rainbow
7 as the neutral level of the pH
7 rays of the crown of the Statue of Liberty that represent the 7
seas and continents
What the number 7 may remind you of:
Snow White and the 7 dwarves
7 Wonders of the World
7 Deadly Sins
7 years is the age of reason
7 days of the week
7 verses in the Fatiha chapter of the Koran
The rose with 7 petals according to the Bible
7 colors of the rainbow
7 as the neutral level of the pH
7 rays of the crown of the Statue of Liberty that represent the 7
seas and continents
7 ages of life (Shakespeare: 1. An infant crying, 2. A complaining school boy, 3. A lover, 4.
A bearded soldier, 5. A wise justice, 6. An old man, and 7. Second childhood)
The limitations of the human being – Memory limits
43. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 43
The limitations of the human being – Memory limits
0:1
2
From: Déjà vu — we've all had it before. But what exactly is it? Everything Explained
44. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 44
Environmental
stimuli
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Sensory memory
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
Long-term
memory
(LTM)
Processing
Rehearsal
Not coded while
in STM
Forgotten
Short-term
memory
(STM)
Environmental
stimuli
Sensory memory
Not attended to
Forgotten
Environmental
stimuli
Touch
store
Hearing
store
Vision
store
Sensory memory
Processing
The limitations of the human being – Memory limits
Inspired by BBC (2011). The brain and memory,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr/brain_mind/memoryrev1.shtml
46. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 46
The MyLifeBits project
Gordon Bell saves all his memories on an
electronic medium:
Voir http://research.microsoft.com/users/GBell/
articles that he reads,
Web sites that he visits,
mail,
phone calls,
conferences that he attends,
travels,… EVERYTHING.
The SenseCam
48. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 48
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perception
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
50. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 50
The limitations of the human being – Attention &
concentration
Source: Wikipedia (2011). Attention Span, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_span, and Dukette, D. and Cornish, D. (2009). The
Essential 20: Twenty Components of an Excellent Health Care Team. RoseDog Books. pp. 72–73
Most people are unable to sustain attention on one thing for
more than about 20 minutes at a time, although they can
choose repeatedly to re-focus on the same thing. This ability
to renew attention permits people to “pay attention” to things
that last for more than a few minutes, such as long movies.
51. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 51
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perceptions
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
57. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 57
The Hummingbird, “nature’s helicopter”
Helicopter
The limitations of the human being – Imagination &
creativity
58. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 58
• In fact, a vast majority of human inventions are akin to
lucky finds due to serendipity or the fruit of chance than of
creative imagination.
Serendipity: a propensity for making
fortunate discoveries while looking for
something unrelated (Wikipedia).
The limitations of the human being – Imagination &
creativity
59. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 59
• In fact, a vast majority of human inventions are akin to
lucky finds due to serendipity or the fruit of chance than of
creative imagination.
• The origins of nuclear physics go back to the
completely fortuitous discovery of radioactivity by
Henri Becquerel in 1896.
• No theory, genius, or imagination led to the
discovery of superconductors at high
temperature by J.G. Bednorz and K.A. Muller,
but their perseverance and their
stubbornness to make experiments
using various materials.
The limitations of the human being – Imagination &
creativity
60. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 60
• Thomas Edison suggested that the genius was composed of
95% of perseverance and 5% of inspiration.
The limitations of the human being – Imagination &
creativity
61. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 61
Albert Einstein often repeated that
imagination was more important
than knowledge. In fact, he
attributed his discoveries more to
his imagination and his intuition
than to his intelligence.
“I never discovered anything with my
rational mind”
Albert Einstein1
1 As reported by Peter Senge, in The Fifth Discipline, p. 169.
The limitations of the human being – Imagination &
creativity
62. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 62
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perception
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
64. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 64
The limitations of the human being – Selective
Perception (The Change Blindness)
The Monkey Business Illusion
0:48
65. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 65
We all perceive the world differently.
Of all the manifestations of the outside world, we only select
those that we like.
When we hear a conversation, we retain only what we would
have liked to hear.
People put more trust in what they already “know” than in what
they really see or hear.
To judge the reliability of a piece of information, an individual
will consider the degree of respectability of the source. One has
more trust in what is printed in a book than in what is said by a
friend. One has less trust in what is said than in the way in
which it is said.
66. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 66
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perceptions
• Reasoning
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
67. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 67
The limitations of the human being – Reasoning
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• Alternatively, that something must be false for the simple
reason that nobody proved that it is true.
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• Alternatively, that something must be false for the simple
reason that nobody proved that it is true.
• The two reasoning modes are equally invalid, even if,
occasionally, or accidentally, they lead to truth.
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• Alternatively, that something must be false for the simple
reason that nobody proved that it is true.
• The two reasoning modes are equally invalid, even if,
occasionally, or accidentally, they lead to truth.
• Another reasoning leads to the assertion that something
is true because everyone believes in it (or says it). Thus in
Tunisia, some traffic red lights are not used simply
because “nobody stops there”.
68. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 68
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• Alternatively, that something must be false for the simple
reason that nobody proved that it is true.
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• Alternatively, that something must be false for the simple
reason that nobody proved that it is true.
• The two reasoning modes are equally invalid, even if,
occasionally, or accidentally, they lead to truth.
• One of the most disastrous reasoning is when one posits
that something must be true for the simple reason that
nobody proved that it is false (argumentum ad
ignorantiam).
• Alternatively, that something must be false for the simple
reason that nobody proved that it is true.
• The two reasoning modes are equally invalid, even if,
occasionally, or accidentally, they lead to truth.
• Another reasoning leads to the assertion that something
is true because everyone believes in it (or says it). Thus in
Tunisia, some traffic red lights are not used simply
because “nobody stops there”.
The limitations of the human being – Reasoning
70. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 70
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perceptions
• Reasoning
األصلو يرجع كسكسلو
71. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 71
Source: Wikipedia (2011). Regression toward the mean, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regression_toward_the_mean, and Stigler, S.
M. (1997). Regression toward the mean, historically considered. Statistical Methods in Medical Research, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 103–114.
The limitations of the human being – Regression to
the mean
In statistics, regression toward the mean is the
phenomenon that if a variable is extreme on its first
measurement, it will tend to be closer to the average on a
second measurement, and
If it is extreme on a second measurement, it will tend to
be closer to the average on the first measurement.
73. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 73
In statistics, regression toward the mean is the
phenomenon that if a variable is extreme on its first
measurement, it will tend to be closer to the average on a
second measurement, and
If it is extreme on a second measurement, it will tend to
be closer to the average on the first measurement.
Regression to the mean might explain why rebukes can
seem to improve performance, while praise seems to
backfire1.
1. According to psychologist Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2002 Nobel prize in economics.
Source: Wikipedia (2011). Regression toward the mean, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regression_toward_the_mean, and Stigler, S.
M. (1997). Regression toward the mean, historically considered. Statistical Methods in Medical Research, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 103–114.
The limitations of the human being – Regression to
the mean
74. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 74
• Probability and future
events
• Regression toward
the mean
• Association & causality
• Mathematics
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
• Limited rationality
• Levels of abstraction
• Memory limits
• Attention & concentration
• Imagination & creativity
• Selective perceptions
• Reasoning
75. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 75
There still are people who would swear that:
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
Children with bigger feet spell better.
Source: Paulos, J.A. (1992). Beyond Numeracy, First Vintage Books Eds and A. Bogomolny, Correlation and Causation: Misuse and
Misconception of Statistical Facts from Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/do_you_know/misuse.shtml, last accessed 30 May 2011 .
Children with bigger feet spell better because they are older, their
greater age bringing about bigger feet and, not quite so certainly,
better spelling.
Older
Bigger feet Better spelling
76. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 76
There still are people who would swear that:
In areas of the South those countries with higher divorce
rates generally have lower death rates.
Those couples who are older are less likely to divorce and more likely to
die than are those from counties with younger demographic profiles.
Younger age
Higher
divorce rates
Lower death
rates
Source: Paulos, J.A. (1992). Beyond Numeracy, First Vintage Books Eds and A. Bogomolny, Correlation and Causation: Misuse and
Misconception of Statistical Facts from Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/do_you_know/misuse.shtml, last accessed 30 May 2011 .
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
77. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 77
Harvard University economics professor Sendhil
Mullainathan showed that the number of Google searches for
the phrase “iPhone slow” increased by up to three times
immediately following a new launch from Apple.
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
78. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 78
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
Maloney, A. (2014). Big Data: Correlation Does Not Equal Causation, September 2, http://www.letitrain.com/blog/big-data-correlation-
does-not-equal-causation, last accessed Sept. 22,2014.
79. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 79
Harvard University economics professor Sendhil
Mullainathan showed that the number of Google searches for
the phrase “iPhone slow” increased by up to three times
immediately following a new launch from Apple.
By comparison, searches for “Samsung Galaxy slow” were
unaffected by a new Samsung release. And unlike Apple,
Samsung does not also make the software used by its
phones.
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
80. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 80
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
Maloney, A. (2014). Big Data: Correlation Does Not Equal Causation, September 2, http://www.letitrain.com/blog/big-data-correlation-
does-not-equal-causation, last accessed Sept. 22,2014.
81. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 81
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
Mullainathan, S. (2014). Hold the Phone: A Big-Data Conundrum, The New York Times, July 26, 2014,
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/upshot/hold-the-phone-a-big-data-conundrum.html?abt=0002&abg=1, alst accessed July 30,
2014.
SENDHIL MULLAINATHAN
82. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 82
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality – What do we make of this?
83. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 83
The limitations of the human being – Association &
causality
Fact 1: The population of the state of Florida is mainly
composed of senior citizens
Fact 1 Fact 2 ?
Fact 1: The population of the state of Florida is mainly
composed of senior citizens.
Fact 2: There is considerable funding for Alzheimer’s
decease research
Is it:
Or:
Fact 2 Fact 1 ?
84. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 84
Before concluding about cause-effect relationships:
We humans, find it more difficult to establish a cause from an
effect than to predict an effect from a cause.
This is what has come to be known, in quantum theory, as
causal asymmetry.
85. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 85
The limitations of the human being
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
Very dull
(0-75)
Dull
(76-90)
Normal
(91-110) Bright
(111-125) Very bright
(126+)
86. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 86
• The sensory limitations
• The mental limitations
• The exceptions
95%
The limitations of the human being
87. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 87
Young gifted virtuosos can distinguish up to 50 or 60 different
simultaneous sounds.
The limitations of the human being – The exceptions
Jonah Ho (7 years old) playing “Moonlight Sonata” Op. 27 No. 2 (3rd mov.) – Beethoven
88. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 88
Young gifted virtuosos can distinguish up to 50 or 60 different
simultaneous sounds.
Some have a ceiling of abstraction so high that it becomes
impossible for them to communicate easily with common
people.
Some others can memorize a matrix of 50 numbers in 3
minutes.
Very few people have the same kind of intelligence as
Descartes, Copernicus or Albert Einstein.
The limitations of the human being – The exceptions
90. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 90
• The first class of tools
• The second class of tools
This class is made up of tools that help humans to do what they cannot
do themselves.
This class is made up of tools which help humans to do what they can
do but more quickly, more economically or more effectively.
• the saw assists them in cutting wood properly,
• the wheel assists them in moving heavy objects,
• the plane enables them to fly (inspired, obviously from birds), etc.
• the car allows them to move more quickly,
• the hammer allows them to drive in nails without making holes in
their fingers,
• the lever enables them to raise weights which would have
required the strength of several men, etc.
Resorting to tools
91. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 91
• What the computer can do better than
humans
A particular tool: The computer
• What the computer cannot do (yet)
92. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 92
• What the computer can do better than
humans
• What the computer cannot do (yet)
• It can carry out an almost infinite number of repetitive
and tedious tasks.
• It can store and process data in large quantities.
• It can assist in complex tasks such as the optimal design
of an architectural structure.
• It cannot imagine, think, create, have intuition, dream,
etc.
• It cannot handle information which was not provided to it
beforehand.
A particular tool: The computer
93. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 93
1. Actively. This does not include losing their keys, forgetting their password or being distracted by others.
What humans can do1
What humans cannot do
Compute
Draw/Paint
Imagine
Love
Decide
Fly
Dive deep
Build
Cure illnesses
Read/Write
Manage/Optimize
Apply expertise
Think
Make precise
measurements
Dream
Move at the
speed of light
Travel the
galaxy(ies)
Procrastinate
Play music
Write novels/poems
Read emotions
Store data in
vast quantities
Some inspired from Elder, J. (n.d.). Reading Selection: What Computers Can, Cannot and Should Not Do,
Communicate
with the past
Communicate
with the future
Time travel
Communicate
with the after-life
Telepathy
94. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 94
What humans can do
What humans cannot do
What humans cannot
do but know how to do
What humans
can do and
know how to do
Compute
Draw/Paint
Imagine
Love
Decide
Fly
Dive deep
Build
Cure illnesses
Read/Write
Manage/Optimize
Apply expertise
Think
Make precise
measurements
Dream
Move at the
speed of light
Travel the
galaxy(ies)
Procrastinate
Play music
Write novels/poems
Read emotions
Store data in
vast quantities
Communicate
with the past
Communicate
with the future
Time travel
Communicate
with the after-life
Telepathy
1. Actively. This does not include losing their keys, forgetting their password or being distracted by others.
Some inspired from Elder, J. (n.d.). Reading Selection: What Computers Can, Cannot and Should Not Do,
95. Mohamed Louadi mlouadi@louadi.com 95
Bain, R. (1937). Technology and State Government. American Sociological Review. Vol.2, No. 6, pp. 860-874.
A tool or a technology?