Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thanks for that
for discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us at Facebook and In contact with

Detective series with their intriguing plots full of secrets and mysteries not only surprise with their endings, but also perfectly train the brain. Today's editorial website I have compiled a selection of the most interesting for you.

Trick me

Dr. Lightman can easily recognize a liar, for this he only needs a couple of minutes to communicate with a person. In the series, Dr. Lightman's team, using their abilities, helps to solve various crimes.

Castle

Richard Castle, a successful detective writer, helps detective Kate Beckett solve crimes. True, Beckett herself is not happy with such a partner, who explains every incident with marginal scientific concepts, the intervention of supernatural forces and aliens, as well as conspiracy theories.

How to Get Away with Murder

How to Get Away with Murder

At one of the American universities, Annalize Keating, a brilliant lawyer, teaches the discipline "How to get away with murder." None of the students who signed up for the course suspect that soon some of them will have to apply their knowledge in real life.

MosGaz

The film is based on real events that took place in Moscow in 1962.
In one of the Moscow apartments, detectives find the body of a murdered schoolboy. No one can understand who could have dealt so cruelly with a defenseless child. Soon the offender returns to his crime scene.

4isla

Poirot Agatha Christie

Series based on the works of the queen of detectives Agatha Christie. The protagonist is the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who, together with Captain Hastings, takes on the most complicated cases.

Death Rooms: Dark Origins
Sherlock Holmes

Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes

British detective-biographical 5-episode film, which is a kind of precursor to the creation of Sherlock Holmes. Its main characters are Arthur Conan Doyle himself and Dr. Joseph Bell (the prototype of Sherlock Holmes), who developed an innovative method of criminal investigation.

Murder

The police are investigating the murder of a young woman. Later, Detective Sarah Lund deduces that this crime may have something to do with candidate for mayor of Copenhagen.

Bridge

On the Øresund Bridge, which links Denmark and Sweden, the lights suddenly turn off, and after turning it on, a woman's corpse is found lying exactly on the border between these countries. Swedish and Danish police launch a joint investigation, during which it turns out that this murder is connected to crimes that began more than a year ago and are still ongoing.

Possessed

A series of mysterious murders of "moths" take place in the city on the Neva. Nikolai Troitsky takes over the case, who soon discovers a strange similarity between the details of these crimes and the London events of 120 years ago, the main figure of which was Jack the Ripper.

Wallander

A detective series based on the works of the Swedish writer Henning Mankell. The story revolves around Ystad Police Commissioner Kurt Wallander, whose methods of solving crimes are not always standard, but lead to excellent results.

Purely English murders

Midsomer Murders

A purely English series with a purely English atmosphere. The prim inhabitants of Midsomer County commit the most sophisticated crimes, elegant detectives follow them in detail, and green lawns and shady alleys, gloomy studies and cold bedrooms remain the background for these restrained passions.

Secrecy of the investigation

A detective series that tells about the difficult everyday life of prosecutors. Every day they come face to face with very sophisticated criminals who carefully think through every step.

Commissioner Rex

One of the most popular detective series of the 1990-2000s about the chief officer of the homicide department Vienna Criminal Police - a German Shepherd named Rex. A sensitive nose, fearlessness and devotion to his fellow police officers made him a real thunderstorm in the Austrian underworld.

Owl cry

1957 City Ostrov, Pskov region. During the operation to capture the bandits who robbed a grocery store, police captain Yuri Sirotin was seriously wounded. In the hospital, being in an unconscious state, he begins to speak in the purest German and quote Goethe. This delusional stream of consciousness alarms the surgeon Frison, who turns to the State Security Committee with the appropriate signal. The surgeon is later found hanged.

This story was recently discovered by researchers of the work of Conan Doyle. One translator, who wished to remain anonymous, carefully translated the story, which allowed you and me, friends, to enjoy the detective mystery again.

The living room at 221b Baker Street was warm and cozy. Birch chips crackled merrily in the fireplace, and two classic Victorian armchairs stood a meter away. It would be strange if these chairs were empty at the hour when lunch was over and fresh newspapers had just been delivered by messengers. Nothing strange happened today: two well-known gentlemen around the world, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, were comfortably seated in the chairs. The gentlemen were reading the morning papers. The gentlemen smoked pipes stuffed with Turkish tobacco, and held sheets reeking of fresh ink in their hands, turning them over from time to time.

Watson! - Holmes's raspy voice cut through the silence of the living room. - Pay attention to the last column of the Chronicle.
“You mean the classifieds section, of course?” asked the doctor, and took the already cut Daily Chronicle from the table. Everything seems to be the same as always. Nothing unusual.
- Nu as same, Watson! Holmes grimaced in annoyance. - An ad at the very bottom, surrounded by a curly frame.

And what? The doctor shrugged his shoulders in disbelief and looked inquiringly at his friend. - In my opinion, a mentally ill person wrote. This is not my profile, Holmes, I do not deal with brain disorders.

The detective took out his notebook and pencil from his breast pocket and quickly drew something.

Here, look, - he handed the doctor a notebook, - I think now the diagnosis will be somewhat different.
- Yeah ... - Watson mumbled. - It's so obvious!
- On it also counted criminals, placing the announcement. The obvious usually goes unnoticed.

The bell rang downstairs, and a minute later Inspector Lestrade burst into the room.

Holmes ... - he began, then turned to Watson, - and, doctor, you are here too ...
Hello, Inspector! Holmes chuckled.
- Yes, yes, of course, hello, gentlemen! Imagine what a story. We went on the trail of one gang, learned the secret password ... - Lestrade sighed - so much effort was spent.
- And what about it, Inspector? Holmes asked.
- And the fact that now we need to introduce our man there. But they, such brats, change the password every week. I don't know what to do. All we know is that the password is posted in the classifieds section, I think the Chronicle or the Daily News.
“So you thought the doctor and I could help you?” Holmes squinted slyly and winked imperceptibly at Watson.
- Well, out of old friendship... maybe some thoughts...
“Let me help you, Inspector,” Watson intervened.
- How, doctor? Do you know the password or the criminals themselves? he asked mockingly.
- Of course I know! - Watson stood up and handed the inspector Holmes' notebook.
- So what? Some nonsense! the Inspector growled angrily.
- It's elementary, Lestrade! Watson said triumphantly. Let's take a closer look...

* * *

Now it's up to you, my friend. Name the password and help Inspector Lestrade infiltrate your man into the gang. To do this, you have to become Holmes or, at worst, Watson.
To view the advertisement better, click on it with the mouse.

Answers will open at 22:00 Moscow time.

The effectiveness of the activities of law enforcement officers largely depends on the formation and development of professionally significant cognitive qualities. Along with others, they include professional sensitivity, perception, observation, thinking, imagination. The purposeful development of these qualities with the help of practical exercises and special trainings can improve their development indicators several times.

The detective tasks presented here, previously published in the journals "Science and Life", "Shield", "Tasvir", "World of Crime", etc., allow to develop attention, observation, intelligence and resourcefulness to a certain extent ...

These tasks are loved by everyone and at all times. Some see them as a kind of "mind gymnastics", a means of satisfying the natural need for every thinking person to experience and exercise the power of their own mind. Others are attracted by the elegant literary shell: the plot of logical problems is often very entertaining. Still others consider the main advantage of this type of tasks to be their accessibility: one can often hear that solving logical problems does not require special knowledge, but only a certain level of development, the ability to think logically, acquired and developed, like any other skill, by persistent exercises.

Naturally, when solving such tasks, you will not master the skills of solving and investigating real crimes, but these tasks will help you develop, to a certain extent, observation, logical thinking, which are so necessary in practical activities, and in the everyday life of every person.

Crime tasks with the participation of Inspector Varnike

These tasks were published in the journal "Science and Life" in the 60-70s of the last century. They taught readers not only to think and reason correctly, but also to be observant. Therefore, the tasks about Inspector Varnike have not lost their relevance today.

This inspector became famous on the pages of the German magazine "Eulenspiegel" for the fact that he immediately uncovered the most complex and intricate crimes. His sharp mind, insight and memory can only be envied.

Will you be able to unravel crimes as brilliantly as Inspector Varnicke does it?! Check it out yourself!

The Adventures of Detective Ludovic

The brilliant detective Ludovic is a rustic-looking detective who easily unravels all sorts of complex mysteries and crimes. For several decades now, he has been a regular hero of the French magazine PIF. The authors of Ludovic's adventures are the journalist A.Kresley and the artist M.Moalik.

When investigating crimes and mysterious cases, Louis uses his powers of observation, logic and ingenuity. Try to take part in his investigations and guess how Louis comes to his conclusions.

The investigation is led by Major Aniskin

Major Aniskin is a modest worker of one of the police units. Among his colleagues, he stands out for his insight, sound logic, and delicacy. He is very observant and not a single piece of evidence will hide from his eyes. All this allows him to successfully resolve various official and everyday situations. He has a lot to learn from his young colleagues.

From the adventures of Inspector Werner

An experienced criminologist - Inspector Werner, the hero of the Polish magazine "Pshekrui", brilliantly solves complex forensic tasks that now and then confront him in his official field. Sergeant Fitt, who accompanies him everywhere, is full of zeal, but cannot compete with the inspector in observation, so he often comes to hasty wrong conclusions.

Try and compete with the inspector in the ability to notice every little thing and draw a logical conclusion from the big picture.

The investigation is led by Major Seitimbetov

Investigator Seitimbetov is one of the best employees in his department. It is he who is entrusted with the investigation of the most complex and intricate crimes. His knowledge, erudition, professional experience, multiplied by strict logic, intuition and professional flair, allow him to unravel the most complex criminal knot and find the criminal. He is happy to share his experience with his young colleagues. He is always accompanied by an assistant - Lieutenant Gordeev, who really wants to be like his mentor and tries to imitate him in everything.

Dr. Meredith's Investigations

Dr. Meredith is not a professional detective, but enjoys great prestige among law enforcement officers, who very often turn to him for help in investigating complex and mysterious incidents. He earned this respect thanks to his insight and observation.

These tasks in the 90s of the last century gained great popularity due to publications on the pages of the newspaper "Abroad".

Sherlock Holmes is one of the enduring illustrations of the appeal of a sharp mind. The skills that this character possessed (and which he borrowed from his prototype Joseph Bell, a brilliant doctor and mentor to Conan Doyle), will be useful in any profession, from diagnostics to journalism. T&P drew up a rough outline for teaching his deductive method.

Thinking training

The most spontaneous answer to the question of how to become Sherlock could sound like this: "First, buy yourself a black coat." If you use the terminology of the American psychologist, Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, who published the book Think Slowly ... Decide Fast in 2011, this is the reaction of the so-called "fast thinking" - a system that is responsible for momentary knowledge of the world and cataloging instinctive sensations. "Fast thinking" reacts to circumstances instantly and very directly, as a result of which it is often wrong, forcing us to make irrational decisions.

But in order to think like Sherlock Holmes, you need to use a different system - "slow". It is she, according to Kahneman, who is responsible for the deliberate and conscious formation of thoughts, decisions, conclusions and assessments. Like any function of the human brain, the slow thinking system can be strengthened and developed.

As in sports, training should begin with light exercises in a small amount, gradually moving on to more complex and lengthy ones. To begin with, you can borrow several school textbooks from friends in various subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry and other disciplines that involve problem solving. This will help not only to train the system of slow thinking (after all, it is precisely this system that is used in the process of intellectual activity), but also to expand the horizons, restoring the knowledge lost since schooling and outlining interesting scientific areas for study.

Corrosion is another quality that a future master of deduction needs. To cultivate it in yourself, you need to find areas that truly arouse curiosity. What exactly they will be, by and large, does not matter: the emotional response always pushes a person to a deep study of the subject, makes him constantly increase the amount of knowledge, and with it the length of the border of contact with the unknown, the existence of which invariably prompts the mind to new searches.

Deduction and induction

When the mind is prepared and saturated with various useful information, you can move on to exercises for the development of logical thinking: deductive and inductive. After all, the character of Conan Doyle used both methods - which, alas, is shown in the BBC series Sherlock somewhat weaker than in the books of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Deduction is a method in which the particular is logically derived from the general: “All metals conduct current. Gold is a metal. So gold conducts current. Induction, on the contrary, deduces the general from the particular: “I am a Muscovite and I remember that it snowed every winter. So it always snows in Moscow in winter.” Sherlock Holmes, examining the crime scene or evaluating those around him, often went from the particular to the general and back, moving freely in both logical directions: “John has a military bearing, tan on his hands only to the sleeves, psychosomatic lameness, which means he went to war. Where have the military operations been lately? In Afghanistan. So, in the war in Afghanistan.

However, his main conclusions were deductive and appeared in the head of the great detective when he tormented his violin or meditated while smoking his pipe. At these moments, Sherlock Holmes turned to his phenomenal knowledge of history and forensics and classified the case, based on the "family tree of crimes." He assigned him a place in the group: "Murder because of the inheritance", "Murder out of jealousy", "Theft of the will", etc. That gave the motive, and the motive gave the suspects. This was the essence of the deductive method of Sherlock Holmes. Induction gave him food for thought, while deduction provided the answer.

There are many exercises to train logical thinking. For example, "Concepts in order", within which it is necessary to arrange several words from private to general meanings or vice versa. Chess or poker may also be useful. In addition, it is important to learn how to avoid logical errors in judgments, having studied them, for example, according to the book by Avenir Uemov “Logical errors. How do they interfere with correct thinking.

How to develop a detective in yourself

To learn to notice details, interpret them correctly and not be distracted during observations and analysis, you will need exercises to develop voluntary and involuntary attention, as well as training in thinking flexibility.

Involuntary attention is a system of reaction to stimuli, a kind of "peripheral vision" in terms of the perception of reality. To develop it, you can make it a rule to observe familiar objects and places with a lack of lighting and different sound backgrounds (in natural conditions, with pleasant music and with sharp unpleasant sounds), and also learn to notice details that attract attention when moving from one view to another. activities to others. This allows you to cultivate sensitivity to the fluctuations of reality and learn not to miss curious details that may be the key to a situation or a person’s character.

Voluntary attention, or, simply, concentration also plays a huge role in cultivating the ability to think clearly. On average, thanks to an effort of will, a person is able to maintain attention on an object for only 20 minutes. To increase this figure, training with the so-called "Entertaining Table" and its analogues are suitable. Each such table is a structure with randomly arranged and differently depicted numbers from 1 to 35 or from 1 to 90. The task is to find all the numbers in ascending or descending order, spending the least amount of time on this.

You can also train attention to detail by making it a habit of observing strangers: at work, on the street, on social networks. In this case, it is important to evaluate a person from different angles, giving several answers to questions about what profession he can engage in, what his marital status, character and habits are. This will allow you to develop flexibility of thinking and stop being satisfied with the only answer each time, which may turn out to be wrong with a greater degree of probability.

However, the main secret of diabolical observation seems to lie not in the amount of training, but in the presence of a strong interest. After all, with an increase in the emotional value of the subject of study and the emergence of work experience sufficient to automate actions, a person develops the so-called post-voluntary attention, the focus of which may not weaken for hours. It was post-arbitrary attention that allowed Sherlock Holmes to solve crimes. It also helps scientists make discoveries, writers find the best formulations, and so on. In addition, the presence of post-voluntary attention is still pleasant: it unloads the psyche, since the brain stops wasting energy on maintaining focus and can throw energy into solving the tasks.

Maria Konnikova,

Sherlock Holmes doesn't just think slowly - he understands the need to separate objective and subjective thinking. When you see a person, you inevitably have associations with them, and you quickly decide whether they are good or bad. An exercise Sherlock would use to combat this is to ask, “What is my subjective evaluation of what I think and feel? I'm just going to keep that in mind when making up my real opinion."

In addition, if we want to assess the surrounding reality more objectively, it is necessary each time to realize why we made this or that judgment, and check ourselves, finding out from the person himself, his acquaintances or on the Internet whether we were right or not. This is not always possible, so for training, you can use the video courses posted on the network. Within their framework, you can observe the participants in special scenes, evaluate whether they are lying or not, and then find out the correct answer.

Doctors and lawyers use the skills of logical thinking and the habit of being constantly focused, but such abilities are useful in any profession. Even for writers, it is important to understand people and be able to focus on work without constantly checking email or social networks. While working on the book The Outstanding Mind, for example, I realized that I do not have the habit of holding the focus of attention. I tried to force myself not to be distracted by the Internet, but it was incredibly hard. Then I installed the Freedom program on my computer, which blocks the global network for a specified time: from two minutes to eight hours. This helped me a lot. We can remember that Sherlock Holmes also deliberately created conditions for the thought process: he played the violin, smoked his pipe, and even kicked out Dr. Watson so that he would not interfere with him.

But what about when we cannot isolate ourselves from external conditions? Conan Doyle seems to help answer that question as well. Many say that Sherlock Holmes was cold, but this is not true: he has all the same emotions as any other person, but he knows how to push them aside and perceive the situation without a subjective assessment. Such a skill must be cultivated in oneself specially. To do this, you can start a notebook with two or three columns: "Objective Observations", "Subjective Estimates", and "What Might Be Subjective Evaluations". Holmes kept all this in mind, but we need to take notes before it becomes a habit.

I think in today's world of Sherlock Holmes investigations there is less because of the dominance of technology. Instead of using logic to try to figure out if the suspect is lying, we try to estimate the speed of his heartbeat or analyze the work of the brain. However, in my opinion, we know too little about the brain to fully rely on existing technologies for analyzing its reactions.

Add your price to the database

Comment

Deduction (lat. deductio - inference) is a method of thinking, the consequence of which is a logical conclusion, in which a particular conclusion is derived from a general one. A chain of inferences (reasoning), where the links (statements) are interconnected by logical conclusions.

The beginning (premises) of deduction are axioms or simply hypotheses that have the character of general statements (“general”), and the end is consequences from premises, theorems (“special”). If the premises of a deduction are true, then so are its consequences. Deduction is the main means of logical proof. The opposite of induction.

An example of a simple deductive reasoning:

1. All people are mortal.
2. Socrates is a man.
3. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

The method of deduction is opposed to the method of induction - when the conclusion is made on the basis of reasoning going from the particular to the general.

For example:

• the Yenisei Irtysh and Lena rivers flow from south to north;
• the Yenisei, Irtysh and Lena rivers are Siberian rivers;
• therefore, all Siberian rivers flow from south to north.

Of course, these are simplified examples of deduction and induction. Inferences should be based on experience, knowledge and concrete facts. Otherwise, it would not be possible to avoid generalizations and draw erroneous conclusions. For example, "All men are deceivers, so you are a deceiver too." Or "Vova is lazy, Tolik is lazy and Yura is lazy, so all men are lazy."

In everyday life, we use the simplest variants of deduction and induction without even realizing it. For example, when we see a disheveled person who rushes headlong, we think - he must be late for something. Or, looking out the window in the morning and noticing that the asphalt is strewn with wet leaves, we can assume that it was raining at night and there was a strong wind. We tell the child not to sit up late on a weekday, because we assume that then he will oversleep school, not have breakfast, etc.

History of the method

The term "deduction" itself was first used, apparently, by Boethius ("Introduction to the categorical syllogism", 1492), the first systematic analysis of one of the varieties of deductive reasoning - syllogistic reasoning- was carried out by Aristotle in the "First Analytics" and significantly developed by his ancient and medieval followers. Deductive reasoning based on the properties of propositional logical connectives, were studied in the school of the Stoics and especially in detail in medieval logic.

The following important types of inferences have been identified:

• conditionally categorical (modus ponens, modus tollens)
• divisive-categorical (modus tollendo ponens, modus ponendo tollens)
• conditionally divisive (lemmatic)

In the philosophy and logic of modern times, there were significant differences in views on the role of deduction in a number of other methods of cognition. Thus, R. Descartes contrasted deduction with intuition, through which, in his opinion, the human mind "directly sees" the truth, while deduction provides the mind with only "mediated" (obtained by reasoning) knowledge.

F. Bacon, and later other English "inductivist logicians" (W. Whewell, J. St. Mill, A. Bain and others), emphasizing that the conclusion obtained by deduction does not contain any "information" that would not be contained in the premises, on this basis they considered deduction a “secondary” method, while, in their opinion, only induction gives true knowledge. In this sense, deductively-correct reasoning was considered from the information-theoretic point of view as reasoning, the premises of which contain all the information contained in their conclusion. Proceeding from this, not a single deductively correct reasoning leads to the receipt of new information - it only makes the implicit content of its premises explicit.

In turn, the representatives of the direction, coming primarily from German philosophy (Chr. Wolf, G. W. Leibniz), also proceeding from the fact that deduction does not provide new information, it was on this basis that they came to the opposite conclusion: the obtained through deduction, knowledge is “true in all possible worlds”, which determines their “enduring” value, in contrast to the “actual” truths obtained by inductive generalization of observational data and experience, which are true “only due to a combination of circumstances”. From a modern point of view, the question of such advantages of deduction or induction has largely lost its meaning. Along with this, a certain philosophical interest is the question of the source of confidence in the truth of a deductively correct conclusion based on the truth of its premises. At present, it is generally accepted that this source is the meaning of the logical terms included in the argument; thus deductively correct reasoning turns out to be "analytically correct".

Important Terms

deductive reasoning- a conclusion that ensures the truth of the conclusion with the truth of the premises and the observance of the rules of logic. In such cases, deductive reasoning is considered as a simple case of proof or some step of proof.

deductive proof- one of the forms of proof, when the thesis, which is any single or particular judgment, is brought under the general rule. The essence of such a proof is as follows: you need to get the consent of your interlocutor that the general rule, under which this single or particular fact fits, is true. When this is achieved, then this rule also applies to the thesis being proved.

deductive logic- a branch of logic that studies methods of reasoning that guarantee the truth of the conclusion when the premises are true. Deductive logic is sometimes identified with formal logic. Outside the limits of deductive logic are the so-called. plausible reasoning and inductive methods. It explores ways of reasoning with standard, typical statements; these methods take the form of logical systems, or calculi. Historically, the first system of deductive logic was Aristotle's syllogistic.

How can deduction be applied in practice?

Judging by how Sherlock Holmes unravels detective stories with the help of the deductive method, investigators, lawyers, and law enforcement officers can use him. However, the possession of the deductive method is useful in any field of activity: students will be able to understand the material faster and better remember the material, managers or doctors - to make the only right decision, etc.

Probably, there is no such area of ​​human life where the deductive method would not serve. With its help, you can draw conclusions about the people around you, which is important when building relationships with them. It develops observation, logical thinking, memory and simply makes you think, preventing the brain from growing old ahead of time. After all, our brain needs training as much as our muscles.

Attention to the details

As you observe people and everyday situations, notice the smallest cues in conversations so you can be more responsive to events. These skills have become trademarks of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the heroes of the TV series True Detective or The Mentalist. The New Yorker columnist and psychologist Maria Konnikova, author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, says that Holmes' method of thinking is based on two simple things - observation and deduction. Most of us do not pay attention to the details around, and meanwhile outstanding (fictional and real) detectives have a habit of noticing everything down to the smallest detail.

How to train yourself to be more attentive and focused?

1. First, stop multitasking and focus on one thing at a time. The more things you do at the same time, the more likely you are to make mistakes and miss important information. It is also less likely that this information will be stored in your memory.
2. Secondly, it is necessary to achieve the correct emotional state. Worry, sadness, anger, and other negative emotions that are processed in the amygdala disrupt the brain's ability to solve problems or absorb information. Positive emotions, on the contrary, improve this brain function and even help you think more creatively and strategically.

Develop memory

Having tuned in the right way, you should strain your memory in order to begin to put everything observed there. There are many methods for training it. Basically, it all comes down to learning to give importance to individual details, for example, the brands of cars parked near the house and their numbers. At first you have to force yourself to memorize them, but over time it will become a habit and you will memorize cars automatically. The main thing when forming a new habit is to work on yourself every day.

Play more often memory and other board games that develop memory. Challenge yourself to memorize as many items as you can in random photos. For example, try to memorize as many items from photographs as you can in 15 seconds.

Memory competition champion and author of Einstein Walks on the Moon, a book on how memory works, Joshua Foer explains that anyone with an average memory ability can greatly expand their abilities. Like Sherlock Holmes, Foer is able to memorize hundreds of phone numbers at once by encoding knowledge into visual pictures.

His method is to use spatial memory to structure and store information that is relatively difficult to remember. So numbers can be turned into words and, accordingly, into images, which in turn will take a place in the memory palace. For example, 0 could be a wheel, a ring, or a sun; 1 - a pillar, a pencil, an arrow, or even a phallus (vulgar images are remembered especially well, Foer writes); 2 - a snake, a swan, etc. Then you imagine some space you are familiar with, for example, your apartment (it will be your “memory palace”), in which there is a wheel at the entrance, a pencil lies on the bedside table, and behind it is a porcelain swan. Thus, you can remember the sequence "012".

Doing"field notes"

As you begin your transformation into Sherlock, start keeping a diary of notes. According to the Times columnist, scientists train their attention in exactly this way - by writing down explanations and fixing sketches of what they observe. Michael Canfield, a Harvard University entomologist and author of Field Notes on Science and Nature, says this habit "will force you to make the right decisions about what's really important and what's not."

Keeping field notes, whether during the next working meeting or a walk in the city park, will develop the right approach to the study of the environment. Over time, you begin to pay attention to the little details in any situation, and the more you do it on paper, the faster you will develop the habit of analyzing things on the go.

Concentrate attention through meditation

Many studies confirm that meditation improves concentration. and attention. It is worth starting to practice with a few minutes in the morning and a few minutes before bed. According to John Assaraf, lecturer and renowned business consultant, “Meditation is what gives you control over your brain waves. Meditation trains the brain so you can focus on your goals."

Meditation can make a person better equipped to receive answers to questions of interest. All this is achieved by developing the ability to modulate and regulate different brain wave frequencies, which Assaraf compares to the four speeds in a car gearbox: “beta” from the first, “alpha” from the second, “theta” from the third and “ delta waves" - from the fourth. Most of us function during the day in the beta range, and this is not to say that this is so terribly bad. But what is first gear? The wheels spin slowly, and engine wear is quite large. Also, people burn out faster and experience more stress and illness. Therefore, it is worth learning how to switch to other gears in order to reduce wear and the amount of “fuel” spent.

Find a quiet place where nothing will distract you. Be fully aware of what is happening and follow the thoughts that arise in your head, concentrate on your breathing. Take slow deep breaths, feeling the air flow from the nostrils to the lungs.

Think Critically and ask questions

Once you learn to pay close attention to detail, begin to transform your observations into theories or ideas. If you have two or three puzzle pieces, try to figure out how they fit together. The more pieces of the puzzle you have, the easier it will be to draw conclusions and see the whole picture. Try to deduce particular provisions from general ones in a logical way. This is called deduction. Remember to apply critical thinking to everything you see. Use critical thinking to analyze what you are closely following, and use deduction to build a big picture based on these facts. Describing in a few sentences how to develop critical thinking abilities is not so easy. The first step to this skill is to return to childhood curiosity and the desire to ask as many questions as possible.

Konnikova says the following about this: “It is important to learn to think critically. So, when acquiring new information or knowledge about something new, you will not just memorize and memorize something, but learn to analyze it. Ask yourself: "Why is this so important?"; “How do I combine this with the things I already know?” or "Why do I want to remember this?" Questions like these train your brain and organize information into a knowledge network.”

Give free rein to the imagination

Of course, fictional detectives like Holmes have a superpower to see connections that ordinary people simply ignore. But one of the key foundations of this exemplary deduction is non-linear thinking. Sometimes it’s worth letting your imagination run wild in order to replay the most fantastic scenarios in your head and sort through all the possible connections.

Sherlock Holmes often sought solitude to reflect and freely explore an issue from all angles. Like Albert Einstein, Holmes played the violin to help him relax. While his hands were occupied with the game, his mind was immersed in the scrupulous search for new ideas and problem solving. Holmes once even mentions that imagination is the mother of truth. Having renounced reality, he could look at his ideas in a completely new way.

Expand your horizons

Obviously, an important advantage of Sherlock Holmes is in his broad outlook and erudition. If you also understand with equal ease the work of Renaissance artists, the latest trends in the cryptocurrency market, and discoveries in the most progressive theories of quantum physics, your deductive methods of thinking are much more likely to succeed. Do not place yourself in the framework of any narrow specialization. Reach for knowledge and nurture a sense of curiosity in a variety of things and areas.

Conclusions: exercises for the development of deduction

Deduction cannot be acquired without systematic training. Below is a list of effective and simple methods for developing deductive reasoning.

1. Solving problems from the field of mathematics, chemistry and physics. The process of solving such problems increases intellectual abilities and contributes to the development of such thinking.
2. Expanding horizons. Deepen your knowledge in various scientific, cultural and historical fields. This will allow not only to develop a personality from different sides, but also help to gain experience, and not rely on superficial knowledge and conjectures. In this case, various encyclopedias, trips to museums, documentaries and, of course, travel will help.
3. Pedantry. The ability to thoroughly study the object of interest to you allows you to comprehensively and thoroughly gain a complete understanding. It is important that this object evokes a response in the emotional spectrum, then the result will be effective.
4. Mind flexibility. When solving a problem or problem, you need to use different approaches. To choose the best option, it is recommended to listen to the opinions of others, thoroughly considering their versions. Personal experience and knowledge, together with information from outside, as well as the availability of several options for resolving the issue, will help you choose the most optimal conclusion.
5. Observation. When communicating with people, it is recommended not only to hear what they say, but also to observe their facial expressions, gestures, voice and intonation. Thus, one can recognize whether a person is sincere or not, what his intentions are, and so on.