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How does one get better at noticing that something is "off" like this sword not matching its claimed origin? To me, it took more than student being an expert he

How does one get better at noticing that something is "off" like this sword not matching its claimed origin? To me, it took more than student being an expert here. Experts often miss things like this in my experience if they're not paying attention for it. I'm assuming that the student was the a tour not in her capacity as a Bronze age weapons specialist, so if that's true then this wasn't necessarily something she would be paying attention for. When I notice that something is off, it's usually a fleeting thought that quickly passes. Sometimes when I notice that something is off a second time, I'll realize that I didn't "catch" the thought the first time. I think I've been getting better at catching those thoughts and writing them down. I'm also confident that there are methods to increase the frequency by which one catches these things, though I'm not certain how.

brailsafe 7y ago
It seems like in this case, there was a vague description that didn't align with her acute knowledge of a very specific/esoteric subject. Her father was an archival researcher at the monastery. So to get better at this, a good path would probably be to develop general critical observation skills, as well as a deep understanding of particular subjects that you'd be exposed to.
- ForHackernews 7y ago
  I think you may be misreading the term "father" in this context. It's not that the grad student's literal biological father is a researcher at the monastery. One of the priests/monks, who carry the honorific title Father[0], is an archival researcher in the monastery. [0] https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d003rpHowToAddressClergy.html https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d003rpHowToAddre...
  - brailsafe 7y ago
    Woops, looks like you're right about that.
Cthulhu_ 7y ago
I'm making a guess here, but mindfulness and being 'awake' (bit vague terms I know) would do it I think; I believe so many people walked past that sword without really paying much attention to it - oh it's an old sword in a display case (I think?), neat. In a place like that, and I get the same thing in historical museums, you get so much things coming at you that it's hard to take it all in - let alone think critically about it. I'm guessing she took more than a quick glance at the sword and the blurb.
goodcanadian 7y ago
Well, in this case, I don't think it was a subtle "something is off." The sword matched a specific pattern that she was very familiar with from her studies. She recognised it.

brailsafe 7y ago

It seems like in this case, there was a vague description that didn't align with her acute knowledge of a very specific/esoteric subject. Her father was an archival researcher at the monastery. So to get better at this, a good path would probably be to develop general critical observation skills, as well as a deep understanding of particular subjects that you'd be exposed to.

ForHackernews 7y ago
I think you may be misreading the term "father" in this context. It's not that the grad student's literal biological father is a researcher at the monastery. One of the priests/monks, who carry the honorific title Father[0], is an archival researcher in the monastery. [0] https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d003rpHowToAddressClergy.html https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d003rpHowToAddre...
- brailsafe 7y ago
  Woops, looks like you're right about that.

Cthulhu_ 7y ago

I'm making a guess here, but mindfulness and being 'awake' (bit vague terms I know) would do it I think; I believe so many people walked past that sword without really paying much attention to it - oh it's an old sword in a display case (I think?), neat. In a place like that, and I get the same thing in historical museums, you get so much things coming at you that it's hard to take it all in - let alone think critically about it. I'm guessing she took more than a quick glance at the sword and the blurb.

goodcanadian 7y ago

Well, in this case, I don't think it was a subtle "something is off." The sword matched a specific pattern that she was very familiar with from her studies. She recognised it.