Neil deGrasse Tyson: How science literacy can save us from the internet

If you understand when and how to ask questions, you possess an effective inoculation against charlatans.

  • The internet has become a tool to tribalize us, a place where opinions become identities in a fight to the death of who's right and who's wrong.
  • As information continues to flow in, many of us lack the training to effectively sort opinion from fact. This leads to widespread disinformation.
  • We need science literacy. With an understanding of how things work, or how to question how things work, we empower ourselves to discover the truth.
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internet science learning decision-making intelligence personal growth speech news journalism media education

Second-guessing yourself leads to worse decisions, study finds

When facing a tough decision, it pays to trust your gut.

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  • A recent study examined the accuracy of predictions of soccer matches on a popular betting website.
  • The users were allowed to revise their bets up until the match started.
  • Surprisingly, the results revealed that the revised bets were much more likely to be incorrect.
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behavioral economics psychology money decision-making

7 (more) board games to help kids think big

We catalogue seven more board games to teach children science, problem-solving, and even foster their creativity.

(Photo: Pixabay)
  • The number of board games being released each year is unprecedented.
  • Among the deluge of new and interesting titles, many can help develop life-critical skills, such as creativity, problem solving, and lateral thinking.
  • We look at seven more board games that help teach children to think big.
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family creativity decision-making parenting personal growth children youth play

How the Sagan standard can help you make better decisions

The noted astronomer and author Carl Sagan came up with a famous dictum acronymed ECREE.

  • Carl Sagan famously shared the aphorism "Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence."
  • This approach can help us fight off fake information.
  • Scientific thinkers in centuries before Carl Sagan also expressed similar sentiment.
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personal growth philosophy science decision-making physics astronomy history artificial intelligence

Economist Tim Harford just launched a new podcast, 'Cautionary Tales'

The new podcast is a deep dive into human nature.

Photo credit: Simone Padovani / Awakening / Getty Images
  • In "Cautionary Tales," economist Tim Harford explores why humans are so susceptible to con artists.
  • In the podcast's first episode, Harford uses a famed oil tanker spill to highlight how important it is to admit mistakes.
  • Future episodes compare the Oracle at Delphi with computer algorithms and a famous awards show messing up the envelopes.
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decision-making intellligence personal growth philosophy sociology psychology