Behind the Mind: The Science of Bias

Have you ever watched MacGyver? And have you ever wanted to be more like him? And how might the problem relate to the saying “When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail”?   In less than 4 minutes, learn how to master the generic parts technique.

Have you ever found yourself worrying about a rare disease after reading a sensational news story, or buying a lottery ticket only because of the jackpot amount? Or maybe you've had a 99% chance of success and worried about that 1%?   In less than 4 minutes, learn how to become more fearless.

Have you ever wondered why you keep ordering the same dish at your favorite restaurant, even when you're tempted to try something new? Or why companies sometimes stick with outdated technology, even when better options exist? In less than four minutes, learn why we're not constantly improving ourselves.

You often hear the question “Do we live in a simulation?” More importantly, is it even worth asking?   In less than 4 minutes, learn how to make more streamlined decisions.

Does the jack of all trades really have to be master of none? Does being friends with more people mean you have weaker connections with each? What's the science behind sibling rivalry?   In less than 4 minutes, understand how pies and friendships may or may not be comparable.

Secretly, we all think we would be able to outsmart being influenced by messages that would affect the average person, as if we're some sort of superhero that could resist a potent brainwashing ray. But is reality really like fiction?   In less than 4 minutes, learn how to really be resistant to these messages.

We all have heard of the sayings “comparison is the thief of joy”, “quality over quantity”, and “less is more”, but what if science could connect these three sayings together and back them up?   In less than 4 minutes, discover the science behind sayings.

What if the success stories we celebrate are just the tip of the iceberg? How many people fail for every one person that succeeds? And what if this is blocking our real understanding of a situation?   In less than 4 minutes, learn how to avoid one of the most elusive statistical mistakes.

Since AI has started to further and further develop, the most crucial question has been: how much should society be relying on AI? Many also worry that AI is going to be replacing many jobs, but is it less prone to mistakes than humans?   In less than 4 minutes, learn how to make the best of AI.

When was the last time you changed your morning routine? Are you missing out on better options? Or are you rejecting upgrades in your life without even knowing it?   In less than 4 minutes, figure out why you do things the way you've always been doing them.

Can you really accurately read animal expressions? When they copy your actions and habits, are they mocking you or admiring you? Do we really know our pets as well as we think?   In less than 4 minutes, learn why your pets act they way they do.

How much of an impact can our egos have? Will you ever be able to beat a chess grandmaster? And why do so many men believe they can beat a professional woman athlete at her own game?    In less than four minutes, learn how to better understand your abilities.

Imagine two people, one of which lives in a country where you must opt out of being an organ donor, and another where you must opt in. The first person chooses to opt out of this program, while the second doesn't opt in. Which is worse? Is one person less moral? In less than 4 minutes, learn how doing nothing is doing something.

Why do people say they knew the winner of the election would win from the beginning? Why do sports commentators say they knew the winning team would win all along? Why do we say “hindsight is 20/20”?    In less than 4 minutes, learn how to be a better forecaster.

Why do we agree to email subscriptions? What are the benefits of a public social media account? Are you an organ donor?   In less than four minutes, you can discover how easily you can be influenced.

Why is it hard to objectively judge an argument for something we disagree with? Is it harder for arguments we do believe in? And do we focus more on the thought process or the outcome?   In less than four minutes, discover a better way to get your point through to others.

Imagine you're playing a board game with your friends that involves rolling a die. So far, your friend has rolled the die a dozen times and it has not yielded a six yet. They claim, “One sixth of die rolls are a six, so I'm definitely due to roll a six or two soon!” Are they right?   In less than four minutes, discover one of the biggest mistakes we make on probability.

Why did every high school class seem to have an assigned class clown? Why might someone be described as “always happy” even when that's near impossible? What do archetypes in literature reveal about how we perceive others?   In less than four minutes, learn how to grasp how complex people are.

Why do some people stay in relationships simply because of how long they've been together? Why might someone keep pursuing a major they are no longer interested in? What is a bias that can make us prone to scams?   In less than four minutes, discover how to become more efficient.

Why are anti-vaxxers so adamant in their position? Why might some parents strengthen their parenting style when offered evidence for other kinds? Why do people leave some arguments with a stronger opinion than before?   In less than four minutes, learn how to accept truths with open arms.

Why might someone avoid flying due to fear of plane crashes, rather than drive less, even if driving is more dangerous? Or why might someone eliminate tap water from their diet because of contaminants, rather than reduce fast food consumption, which poses more health risks? Lastly, why can changes in political legislation feel slow?   In less than four minutes, discover an avoidable mistake with percentages.

Can every college applicant truly stand out? Why do so many people think they listen to underground artists? Are we all really special in our own way?

Why do some goalkeepers miss the penalty? When might either buying or selling be the wrong option in the stock market? What is one major mistake made in crisis management?

Having listened to many of these episodes, do you think you have overcome these biases? Or do you think that these biases are built into the workings of our mind and that we cannot overcome them? Or rather, somewhere in between?

Ever found yourself completely convinced that you aced a test, only to find that you scored much lower than expected? Or have you ever been shocked to realize you were wrong on something you thought was an undeniable fact? Maybe it was even embarrassing to find out?

Ever wondered why a project might take longer when you allot time to individual tasks? Or why you buy more groceries when you make a list? Or how budgeting individual expenses may not turn out as expected?

Why do some of us believe in pseudosciences? Why do some horoscopes seem to be eerily accurate? Are all personality tests as objective and descriptive as we think?

Why do we always talk about “the good old days”? And why do we fear what the future holds for society? Why do we believe we are so much worse off than we were a few decades ago?

Why do we suddenly start seeing a particular car model on the road all the time after we've bought one? Why does a word we just learned seem to appear everywhere? Why are we surprised when we need to apply a concept we recently learned in another context?

The sound of the rhyme makes ideas stick, our judgments influenced, our choices quick. It's like the rhyme grants wisdom and sense, even when logic may be on the fence.

Why is repetition such an important literary device? Why does propaganda work better than it would seem to? Why do familiar statements feel more true than unfamiliar ones?

Why do some of us believe in tarot card readings and horoscopes? Why do some people only focus on the successful games of their favorite sports teams? Why do we feel a sense of validation when our already existing ideas are supported?

Why do we sign ourselves up for tasks we end up having difficulty completing? Why do we sometimes embarrass ourselves with seemingly easy tasks? Why do we overestimate our ability to complete challenging tasks and underestimate our ability to complete easy ones?

Why can some of our predictions be too specific? Why do we assign multiple probable traits to a person based on what we already know about them? What biases can we see in the courtroom?

Why don't movie characters prepare for impending disasters? Why do some people fail to react to catastrophes in time? Why does it seem like things will never happen until they finally do?

Why are some professors better at communicating their ideas than others? Why do people have trouble understanding topics you try to explain? Why can there be a disconnect in understanding between teacher and student?

Why do so many of us believe in conspiracy theories? Why do we shake the dice a special way before trying to roll a 6? Why are we surprised that a whole code can malfunction just because of one misplaced comma?

Why do we overestimate our abilities as protagonists in horror movies? Why do we impulse buy things we know we'll regret later? Have you ever made a decision in the past, but looking back, you don't even understand why you chose it?

Have you ever been to IKEA? And have you ever found it expensive? And what does the Swedish furniture brand and its prices possibly have to do with cognitive biases?

Why does the school or work week seem to pass by so quickly? Why do we find ourselves late even after taking a short and familiar route? And why does time seem to pass slower when we're visiting a new town?

Why are we surprised to learn that the other person doesn't agree with us on the subject of dogs or cats? Why do our favored politicians get less support than we expect? Why do less people turn out to share our hobbies than we assume?

Why do we keep some clothes even if we don't wear them? Why do we see some people sell their personal items online at such an expensive price?   Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?

Why are first impressions so important? Why does Costco put their most expensive items at the front?