Quite regularly my theoretical work on AI throws up or suggests ideas that are applicable to other areas of study. A detail in a structure I am investigating will spark across to another field and form an idea that is not directly relevant to what I am doing, but interesting none the less.

A recent example of this is the idea that beliefs in people become entrenched over time. Any belief, whether it be about the state of the world, a behaviour, a good way to do things or even muscle memory. When learning to type or changing a password how often do you find yourself making the same mistake each time, until it slowly gets unlearnt?

Beliefs seem to be most malleable when they are first formed. Before any reinforcement has strengthened and solidified the belief.  As such the best time to correct an incorrect belief is as soon as it is formed.

Some lifestyles tend to lend themselves to an easier engagement with modification of personal beliefs. Typically where incorrect beliefs get challenged and can be shown to be wrong in a way that the individual can accept. Research science is a prime example.

Where an individual encounters no challenges to their belief set, or the beliefs are of a form that have no obvious mechanism to prove them right or wrong, then an incorrect belief once formed is likely to linger for a long time.

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Under pressure / Queen and David Bowie