Why facts don’t change our minds
I tell you this is a great essay. Then I tell you that I just made up that appraisal, it’s completely random. You still believe me. And now you probably want to read it to understand why.
A collection of some of the best links from around the web, manually curated.
I tell you this is a great essay. Then I tell you that I just made up that appraisal, it’s completely random. You still believe me. And now you probably want to read it to understand why.
What if you countered islamic radicalisation with…empathy? That’s how two Danish policemen started a fascinating experiment in Aarhus, after dozens of young men had gone missing, presumably joining ISIS in Syria. A brilliant episode of the always fascinating Invisibilia podcast.
A podcast from the very loved crew at «This American Life». This podcast asks the question why, although we always discuss and argue with people who have different opinions than we have, we never really change our minds. And if, rarely, we do, why that happens.
(Actually, in the process of choosing this link for the Weekly Filet, I first wanted to share a different link; a video showing breathtaking, rare footage of postwar Berlin. But then I changed my mind. Or, as the great spoken word artist Taylor Mali says in one of his most famous poems: «Changing your mind is one of the best ways of figuring out whether or not you still have one.»
Smart essay on connecting the dots and why predicting the present is nearly as hard as predicting the future.
«When experts are wrong, it’s often because they’re experts on an earlier version of the world.» One of those thoughts that seem so obvious, but only after somebody else has uttered them. The more you think about it, the bigger it gets.
I guess you could spend an entire weekend with this exhaustive list of cognitive biases on Wikipedia. It’s fascinating to see in how many different ways humans are inclined to poor judgements. Oh, and if you think most of those biases apply only to other people and not yourself, that’s called the bias blind spot.
A series of wittily illustrated videos on famous experiments of thought, from half-dead cats to infinitely booked hotels.
Make sense of what matters, today and for the future.
Every Friday, carefully curated recommendations on what to read, watch and listen to. Trusted by thousands of curious minds, since 2011.Undecided? Learn more | Peek inside
Immerse yourself in a particular topic, with some of the best links from around the web, handpicked.