ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cognitive revolution

The cognitive revolution is like a big change in our understanding of how our brains work. It's like when you learn something new, and it makes you see the world in a whole new way.

Before the cognitive revolution, a lot of people thought that our brains worked like simple machines. They thought that we just respond to things in a reflex-like way, like when you touch something hot and pull your hand away really quickly.

But then some smart people started studying how we think and learn, and they found out that our brains are much more complex than we thought. They realized that we use our brains to imagine things, solve problems, and remember things, like what you did last weekend, or what your favorite toy is.

These things are called "cognitive" abilities, and they're what make us different from other animals. The cognitive revolution helped us understand how these abilities work, and how we can use them to do really cool things, like build buildings, write stories, and even go to space!

So, the cognitive revolution is like realizing that our brains are really powerful, and that we can use them to do amazing things. It's a bit like when you start learning how to read and write, and suddenly you realize that there is a whole world of books and stories out there waiting for you to explore.