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A Mentat is a fictional profession or discipline in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.

Following the Butlerian Jihad in the Dune universe's back story, it was forbidden to create machines "in the images of man's mind". Thinking machines were outlawed throughout the universe, and the mentat discipline was developed as a replacement. Mentats are humans trained to be able to mimic computers: human minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytic ability.

Ironically the first mentat originates from about 120 B.G. during the years leading up toward the Battle of Corrin, during the Butlerian jihad, by a thinking machine. Gilbertus Albans selected from the Corrin slave pens by the independant robot Erasmus, shows the first cognitive thinking and computer calculations equal to that of a mentat.

Unlike computers, however, mentats are not simply human calculators writ large. Instead, the exceptional cognitive abilities of memory and perception are the foundation for supra-logical hypothesizing. Mentats are able to sift large volumes of data and devise concise analyses in a process that goes far beyond logical deduction: Mentats cultivate "the naive mind", the mind without preconception or prejudice, that can extract the essential patterns or logic of data and deliver, with varying degrees of certainty, useful conclusions. They are not limited to formulating syllogisms; they are the supreme counselors of the Dune universe, filling roles as menial as archivists and clerks, or as grand as advisor to the Emperor.

The ability to be a mentat is a talent limited to a small number of people; thus, those with the discipline are prized in whatever role they choose. There are also varying degrees of ability. In Dune, Thufir Hawat is considered to be one of the best mentats known at the time.

A mentat's capabilities can be greatly increased by taking sapho juice, but using it leads to addiction. Sapho is extracted from the root of the Ecaz tree and its use doubles or even triples the Mentat's immense processing power. However, repeated use turns the user's lips a shade of red.

Being a mentat can be a profession in itself, or the discipline can be added to other roles. In Dune, Paul Atreides is a mentat duke (later emperor); in Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune, Miles Teg is a mentat bashar, or general, who is the most formidable military commander in the known universe. It's also possible to vary the discipline: In Dune, the Tleilaxu create 'twisted mentats' for the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen ( Piter de Vries being the most notable example), the purpose of which is a sociopathic mentat free from the usual constraints of human morality or instinctual considerations (de Vries is, among other things, an accomplished sadist, and acts as torturer for the Baron). In Dune Messiah, Duncan IdahoDuncan Idaho is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is a recurring character from the science fiction novel Dune and its five sequels, the only character to do so. At the time of Dune, Idaho is a swordmaster in the serv is recreated as a gholaA Ghola is a creature in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Gholas are created using a technological process known only to the Bene Tleilaxu. Gholas are essentially clones grown in axolotl tanks from the DNA of a subject (usually dead,, and trained as both a mentat and as a ZensunniZensunni in the Dune series is the belief that the Buddislamic belief was built on, before it evolved into the Fremen culture, who are supposedly the Buddislamic followers in the traditional sense. There have been popular to study old Buddislmic belifs si philosopherA philosopher is a person devoted to studying and producing results in philosophy. The word, "philosopher," literally means "lover of wisdom. Popular Western philosophers in (approximate) historical order Not listed above: (some of) The Presocratics Epicu; he then serves Paul Atreides as the house weapons master. In Children of DuneChildren of Dune is a Science Fiction novel by Frank Herbert, third in a series of six novels set in the Dune universe. It was originally serialized in Analog Science Fact and Fiction in 1976, and was the last Dune novel to be serialized before book publi, he marries the regent, AliaPrincess Alia Atreides is a fictional character featured in the Dune series by Frank Herbert. She was known to her followers as Lady Alia of the Knife the sister of Muad'Dib. She was an Abomination according to the Bene Gesserit; while in the later years, but is then instrumental in protecting the royal heirs from her, demonstrating that mentats are rarely simply disinterested observers and counselors.

In God Emperor of DuneGod Emperor of Dune is a Science Fiction novel by Frank Herbert, fourth in a series of six novels. 3,500 years have passed since Paul Atreides became the messiah of the Fremen and the Emperor of the universe. His son, Leto, seeing a different path than hi, Leto outlaws the practice and crushes renegade mentat schools where he finds them. Unlike his father's execution of historians for the purpose of controlling his legacy and symbolism, Leto never explicitly mentions why he suppresses mentats, leaving the reader to conclude that it simply plays a role in his larger purpose of oppressing humanity. The art is not eliminated, surviving through underground schools; notably, the Bene GesseritDune The Bene Gesserit are a key group from Frank Herbert's science fiction universe of Dune''. They are a secretive sisterhood of women who train their bodies and minds though years of physical and mental conditioning, attaining powers and abilities that preserve the art, assuming that Leto knows of this (through his prescience) and approves.

Mentat is the name given to a macro-dataflow extension of the C++ programming language. It was developed at the University of Virginia computer science Department by a research group led by Andrew Grimshaw . The combination of the ideas needed to implement the Mentat run-time with the ideas in CMU's Hydra distributed operating system led to the Legion distributed OS.