" After 1970, the number of think tanks exploded, as many smaller new think tanks were formed to express various partisan, political, and ideological views. Etymology and usage Until the 1940s, most think tanks were known only by the name of the institution . During the Second World War, think tanks were referred to as "brain boxes" after the slang term for the brain or skull. The phrase "think tank" in wartime American slang refered to rooms in which strategists discussed war planning. The first recorded use of the phrase to refer to modern think tanks was in 1959, and by the 1960s the term was commonly used to describe RAND and other groups assisting the armed forces. In recent times, the phrase "think tank" has become applied to a wide range of advice-giving institutions, and there are no precise definitions of the term. Marketing or public relations organizations, especially of an international character, sometimes refer to themselves as think tanks, for example. Religious Thought Of The Day Types of think tanks Some think tanks are clearly aligned with conservative or pro-market approaches to the economy, while others, especially those with an emphasis on social welfare, social equity or environmental outcomes, are viewed as more liberal or left-of-center. American think tanks Think tanks in the United States play an important role in forming both foreign and domestic policy. "

" Aids/pitfalls to thinking Use of models, symbols, diagrams and pictures Use of abstraction to simplify the effort of thinking Use of metasyntactic variables to simplify the effort of naming Use of iteration and recursion to converge on a concept Limitation of attention to aid concentration and focus on a concept. Use of peace and quiet to aid concentration. Goal setting and goal revision. Simply letting the concept percolate in the subconscious, and waiting for the concept to re-surface. Talking with like-minded people. Resorting to communication with others, if this is allowed. Working backward from the goal. Motivational Thought For The Day Fashion of thinking. Desire for learning. "