unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc

315. Science Writing as a Discipline feat. Philip Ball

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s one thing to talk about the science and physics behind the notion of invisibility, it’s another thing to examine the cultural place that idea...

314. The Risks and Rewards of Data in Real Time feat. Mohan Subramaniam

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The future has a landscape that is navigated as it comes, but across industries, legacy firms, and newly formed start-ups will do that very differentl...

313. Closing Opportunity Gaps Through Early Childhood Skill Development feat. Nate G. Hilger

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The significance of early childhood skill development and its influence on long-term income and success differentials is widely recognized today. Howe...

312. The Origins of Human Rights feat. Samuel Moyn

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The concern for human rights seems to be deeply rooted in history and based on longstanding moral concerns, but the modern human rights movement has v...

311. What Exactly is Violence? feat. David Alan Sklansky

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The importance of the division between violent and non-violent crimes seems to have existed for as long as we’ve had laws, but in reality, its legal...

310. Understanding the Gender Wage Gap feat. Claudia Goldin

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2023, and women still only make 83 cents for every dollar a man makes in the U.S. While that gender wage gap has shrunk over time, why does it ...

309. The Roots of Our Desires feat. Luke Burgis

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Where do our desires come from? Babies don’t come into this world with an inherent drive to found tech companies. How much do our environment and th...

308. Understand Others / Understand Yourself feat. Thomas Erikson

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if the key to understanding the way other people behave is understanding your own behavior first? Author Thomas Erikson has spent decades studyi...

307. The Socioeconomic Diversity Problem at Elite Colleges feat. Evan Mandery

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Colleges and universities, especially ivy league ones, make a point of accepting the “best and brightest” students. But what if they’re missing ...

306. The Permanently Inadequate Human Body feat. Clare Chambers

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a society where our bodies are constantly scrutinized and judged, surrounded by filtered images and surgically-enhanced features, we face overwhelm...

305. Navigating a World of Deception feat. Daniel Simons

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From social media disinformation and phishing emails to grand-scale scams such as multimillion-dollar counterfeit art, Ponzi schemes or scientific fra...

304. What Happened To University Teaching? feat. William Deresiewicz

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There has been an undeniable shift in priorities throughout Higher Education during the 21st century. As schooling gets more and more expensive, the p...

303. The Selection Markets, Corruption, and Toy Models feat. Raymond Fisman

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do economists understand complex phenomena like selection markets and corruption? With frameworks often called toy models. These models often poin...

302. Sentient Creatures & Phenomenal Consciousness feat. Nicholas Humphrey

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sentience lies at the core of the human experience, allowing us to experience conscious awareness, subjective experiences, and a deeper understanding ...

301. What Neuroscience Has to Do With Company Culture feat. Paul J. Zak

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if brain chemicals like oxytocin and cortisol could predict how people will behave in social situations and the workplace? Does more testosterone...

300. Leadership Through Culture at SVB feat. Ken Wilcox

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are levels to leadership, and at the CEO level, the leadership needs are many, but it’s important to strike the right balance. CEOs must think...

299. What’s The Right Amount of Democracy feat. Garett Jones

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Has the word “democracy” become a catch-all for good government? At this point, the idea is so romanticized that it may go unnoticed that the way ...

298. The Libertarian Roots of Cryptocurrency feat. Finn Brunton

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you start to dig into the origin story of cryptocurrency, don’t be surprised if you find the ideas and values of the American Libertarian movemen...

297. Balancing a Digital Future With Human Connections and Experiences feat. David Sax

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The future is (not entirely) digital - The notion that digital technology will overtake every existing aspect of our lives is an oversimplified assum...

296. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence feat. Peter Norvig

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Questions around the possibilities and potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence cover the headlines these days, but are these actually new questio...

295. Keeping the Conversation Going feat. Paula Marantz Cohen

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conversation and communication with others is a natural human urge, as well as a skill that can be developed and honed like any other. The power of co...

294. The Habit of Courage feat. Jim Detert

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Courage is not a character trait that is limited to a select few but rather a skill that can be cultivated through deliberate practice.Unless we repet...

293. Stop Torturing Data feat. Gary Smith

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When scientists game the system to get publishable results, it undermines the legitimacy of science.. Data can be interpreted many different ways and ...

292. Re-examining Human Exceptionalism feat. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While it is commonly assumed that prevalent health issues like heart disease, obesity, and depression are uniquely human experiences, they exist acros...

291. Embracing the Problems in Your Life feat. Bernard Roth

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Life is all about solving problems—whether it’s what shirt to put on in the morning or how to solve a complex engineering question. And without pr...

290. Evolution as the Tinkerer Not the Engineer feat. Marlene Zuk

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here’s the thing about evolution: It’s really complicated. And there’s so much about how humans have evolved and what causes certain behaviors t...

289. The Religious Roots of Economics feat. Benjamin M. Friedman

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How much did the religious beliefs of the Enlightenment Age influence the evolution of modern economic theory? Can widespread economic growth lead to ...

288. Politics, Economics, and Irrationality feat. Bryan Caplan

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It may be rational to be ignorant, and it might even be rational to be irrational! This is quite prevalent in our highly polarized and tribalized curr...

287. Generational Differences and the Influence of Technology feat. Jean M. Twenge

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From the Silent Generation to Gen Z, different generations have distinct behaviors, values, and attitudes that were shaped by the events during their ...

286. The Market as Miracle feat. Matthew Hennessey

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The science of economics can be an intimidating topic to understand, but it can be broken down into basic motivations and forces that are understandab...

285. How the Buildings We Shape Shape Us feat. Sarah Williams Goldhagen

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it a bad day that puts someone in a bad mood, or could it be the room they’re sitting in? The environments we place ourselves in function as much...

284. What Racial Categories Say About Discrimination in America feat. David E. Bernstein

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most Americans have had to do it at some point: check the box that most closely describes how you identify your race or ethnicity. But those categorie...

283. Balancing Scientific Progress with Scientific Responsibility feat. Matthew Cobb

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout history, new advances in science, such as the advent of electricity, nuclear power, genetic engineering, or artificial intelligence, have o...

282. Fostering Corporate Innovation feat. Andrew Binns

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation is both extremely important to the life of a corporation and also extremely tricky to regularly achieve and maintain. There are certain str...

281. The Plague Paradox feat. Kyle Harper

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the course of history, as human civilization has developed and advanced, so have our microbial enemies. This has led to a vast and diverse diseas...

280. The Story of Money feat. Frederick Kaufman

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Money is a mirage, and the harder and deeper you look into it, the hazier it can become. It is a human construct, a tool that we have all agreed to ho...

279. An Anthropological Look at Legal Systems feat. Fernanda Pirie

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is law an instrument of the state? Or is it broader than that? Fernanda Pirie is a professor of law and anthropology at the University of Oxford. Thr...

278. The Real Value of Museums feat. Daniel H. Weiss

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Museums are centers for culture, for art, and for conversation. They are places where the far ends of the earth come together in the same place and ex...

277. Resilience Begins at Birth feat. Erica Komisar

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health disorders have become an epidemic in today's society. Yet, we often fail to recognize the critical impact of early childhood adversity a...

276. The Bubble Triangle feat. William Quinn

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are three necessary conditions for a fire to start – oxygen, heat, and fuel. The same can be said for financial bubbles. In order for them to ...

275. The Madness of Crowds feat. William Bernstein

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do financial bubbles and religious millenarianism have in common? They both involve collective delusion. When Charles Mackey wrote a book on the ...

274. The New Science of Political Economy featuring James A. Robinson

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does a strong state mean a weak market? This is a common misconception amongst economists. Many view the state as either taxing and regulating the mar...

273. Putting the Science into Political Science feat. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In order to make an impact in the political world, we need to understand the science of politics, which means setting aside emotion and designing gene...

272. Free Speech’s Complex Role on Campus feat. Ulrich Baer

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What are the limits to free speech in a university setting? And how does our society define what is permissible speech and what is not? When Ulrich Ba...

271. The Philosophy of Sports feat. David Papineau

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Philosophical problems are all around us. From economics to games and sports, most people in the world are philosophizing every day, maybe without eve...

270. Attentional Fitness feat. Gloria Mark

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is attention, and how can we manage it? The new science of attention explores how our conscious and unconscious attention dictate how we interact...

269. Balancing Personal Life and Career Decision Making feat. Myra Strober and Abby Davisson

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we separate decisions related to love and money, approaching finance and career-related decisions solely in a rational way while relying more o...

268. Finding Power in Paradoxes feat. Wendy K. Smith

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a world of either/or tradeoffs, it sometimes pays to explore the possibility of and/or. By changing our perspective and embracing paradox, we can s...

267. Constructing the Self feat. Roy F. Baumeister

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We often think of the self as something that exists independent of social relations, but without society, there would be no need for a self or any of ...

266. Poetry in the Modern World feat. Dana Gioia

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is poetry only for the elite? There are some who would reserve poems only for a specialized audience, but poetry can be found everywhere. Poetry is th...

265. The Platform Delusion feat. Jonathan Knee

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every business wants to become a platform business, believing that network effects and first mover advantages will lead to market power and competitiv...

264. Human Intelligence - Curse or Gift? feat. Justin Gregg

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As humans, we have undoubtedly dominated our planet like no other species before us.However, facing the sobering reality that our own actions could le...

263. Using Technology to Create a More Inclusive Society feat. Orly Lobel

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The fear of algorithmic decision-making and surveillance capitalism dominate today's tech policy discussions. But instead of simply criticizing big da...

262. The How and Why of Art feat. Lance Esplund

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is art, and who gets to define it? Museums have long staked a claim on knowing what to show, but there has always been a wide range of how viewer...

261. The Magic of Magical Thinking feat. Matthew Hutson

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does magical thinking help or hurt us in our everyday lives?? What would we lose if we removed the enchantment that it provides? Magical thinking ...

260. Leading Decision Factory feat. Max H. Bazerman & Don A. Moore

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Organizational leaders can use the power of behavioral economics to not only make better decisions themselves, but by leading their employees, their c...

259. Storytelling is Everywhere feat. David Riemer

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone loves a good story, but more than that, we as humans are programmed on a genetic level to share and learn all kinds of information through st...

258. Exploring the Role of Corporations in Society feat. William Magnuson

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Corporations are engines of progress and prosperity, directly influencing the quality of life of the general public while sometimes recklessly pursuin...

257. How Influence Works feat. Jon Levy

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is our behavior truly our own? Or do our choices grow out of our environment? There are influences all around each of us, and often the walking talkin...

256. Accepting Mortality feat. Andrew Stark

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Live every day like it’s your last, or like it's the beginning of the rest of your life? The way we answer this question is closely tied to views on...

255. Why Emotions are Key to Rationality feat. Ronald de Sousa

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emotions play a pivotal role in shaping our lives. They contribute crucially to the rationality of life, making us unique in our ability to reason and...

254. Creating an Innovation Factory feat. Linda Yates

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the last decade, disruptive innovation has come primarily from startups like Uber, AirBnB, or not legacy companies. But Linda Yates argues that lar...

253. The Problem with Economic Orthodoxy feat. Ha Joon Chang

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Food is much better and more interesting when it combines many cuisines. So too is economics more fruitful when it sources from different schools. Whi...

252. Increasing Productivity in a World of Remote Work feat. Robert Pozen

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No matter what industry we all work in, productivity is key. Not only is managing our time properly good for getting all of our tasks done but also sp...

251. Combining Science and Technology for Growth feat. Joel Mokyr

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometime in the 18th century, the world began to grow at much faster rate. Economic Historians have debated the reasons for this Industrial Revolution...

250. Tackling ‘Big History’ feat. Ian Morris

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When most historians set out to write a book, they choose a particular point in history to dive deep into. But Ian Morris prefers to write about histo...

249. Getting the Right Results from Incentives feat. Uri Gneezy

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans respond to incentives just like any other animal, but it’s important to make sure to use the right incentive to get the results that you desi...

248. Unlocking Innovation feat. Jeremy Utley

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we think about the greatest innovators of our time (Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs, Frank Lloyd Wright) we often hear about their work ethic. But ...

247. Game Theory in Everyday Actions feat. Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can ordinary symbolic human behavior be analyzed through the lens of game theory the same way that the economic behavior can?? What similarities show ...

246. Network Revolutions: Old and New feat. Tom Wheeler

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The evolution of Networks has been characterized by periodic technological revolutions that result in accelerated dispersion of information and new id...

245. Mental Illness Throughout History feat. Andrew Scull

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Psychiatry has been called the stepchild of medicine, experiencing far less progress than care of the body. Andrew Scull, a sociology professor at th...

244. Land of the Free but Not the Free Markets feat. Thomas Philippon

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Competition drives down prices, makes it hard to collude on prices, and keeps any one company from taking excessive profits, but the fewer players the...

243. Culture as Human Super Power in Evolution feat. Lesley Newson and Peter Richerson

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The classic image of evolution everyone knows is the man who goes from apelike body to tool using biped. But the bigger, story would include families,...

242. Fixing Economics with Insights from Other Sciences feat. George Cooper

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How did we get to the financial crisis of 2008? Where were the signs, and what did we miss? For these questions and more, we turn to the person who wr...

241. The Role of Emotions in History feat. Jon Elster

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most history books explain the details of events and provide well-researched context to these events. But history isn’t just about what happened, it...

240. From Capitalism To Talentism - Today’s Key Competitive Advantage feat. Edward Conard

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In recent decades there has been a major restructuring of the economy from capital-intensive manufacturing to knowledge-intensive, innovation-driven f...

239. Chasing Curiosity in Science and Philosophy feat. Dani Bassett and Perry Zurn

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The brain is a curious thing, but how does curiosity happen in it? Where does curiosity begin, and what does that process look like? Curiosity does qu...

238. Walling Versus Bridging feat. Glenn Hubbard

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Growth is good but creates losers as well as winners. The Economics profession has far too often failed to provide insight into how to design policie...

237. The Science Of Taste feat. John McQuaid

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the last 30 years, there has been an explosion in the diversity of cuisine. But while there are more diverse and healthier food choices available t...

236. Cleanliness, Purity, Health and Culture feat. James Hamblin

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When is clean too clean? And what science connects how we treat our skin with common skin conditions? While the virtues of cleanliness may seem to flo...

235. Fear, Emotional Recognition, and Empathy feat. Abigail Marsh

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fear is a common and important human emotion that we’ve all experienced at some time. But have you ever paid attention to how you react to fear in o...

234. How Middlemen Dominate The Economy feat. Kathryn Judge

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Whether we are talking about food, clothing, or financial products, the supply chains which convert the raw materials to finished goods are getting mo...

233. Changing How You Change Your Mind feat. David McRaney

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when two sides are in disagreement and both think they are right? How do you change a mind? Some tactics can be persuasive, but others ca...

232. Cancer, Cooperation, and Cheating feat. Athena Aktipis

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

All multicellular organisms face the risk of cancer cells developing and growing. When these cells work together and cooperate they can create new pro...

231. Pandemics and Public Health feat. Mark Woolhouse

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In February 2020, Mark Woolhouse, a UK epidemiologist, called the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland. Mark wanted to talk to the leader about what the ...

230. Using Literature to Know Ourselves feat. Leonard Barkan

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we read fiction, our brains are able to suspend our awareness of the fiction so we can fully immerse ourselves in the story we’re reading. When...

229. Demography: A Window Into History feat. Paul Morland

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What drives fertility? What drives mortality? What drives migration? These are some of the questions that drive the field of demography. Paul Morland...

228. Design for a Better World feat. Donald A. Norman

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Design is the science of the artificial, but what makes for good design? Everything designed is man-made, but not everything man-made is designed. Th...

227. The Mysterious World of Bankruptcy Law feat. Doug Baird

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bankruptcy law and laws that govern corporate restructures play an important role in our economy. How a business moves forward after declaring bankrup...

226. Beauty Lessons From the Animal Kingdom feat. Michael J. Ryan

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What can the study of animals tell us about beauty? How can the mate choices of birds or frogs give us insight into human attraction? As a part of the...

225. Create Your Own Luck feat. Christian Busch

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine yourself at a dinner party filled with people you don’t know. As you head to the appetizer tray to get another snack, there’s someone alre...

224. The Changing Definition of Mental Illness feat. Allan Horwitz

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most people fail to realize how much the process of what we regard as normal, healthy, or sick is influenced by social, cultural, political, or financ...

223. There Are No Magic Bullets in Economic Development feat. Stefan Dercon

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does it take for a developing economy to grow and thrive? There are many obstacles that stand in the way, but they can be overcome with the knowl...

222. Scrutinizing Evidence feat. Frederick Schauer

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We use evidence in many areas of our world: courtrooms, scientific laboratories, and legislative bodies that create policies. But the evidence in thes...

221. Free Will’s Boundaries and Paradoxes feat. Alfred Mele

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is free will, and how can it be both tested and defined? How do you know where the line is between what is your choice, what is compelled, and wh...

220. Opting Children Out of Competition feat. Matt Feeney

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Does competition always make you stronger, or does it subtly shape far too much of life throughout childhood and beyond. Society is now shaping itself...

219. Motivation Dos and Don’ts feat. Ayelet Fishbach

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you motivate yourself? What works in motivating others? Do you turn to the stick, the carrot, or a combination of both? These age-old questions...

218. Strategizing for Work and Life feat. Dorie Clark

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world seems to be moving faster and faster but there is always a need to plan for the longer arc of life. Having a strategy lets you set short goa...

217. Anticipating Shifting Environments in Economics feat. Paul Ormerod

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Economists have been harshly criticized for their response to the recent financial crisis and the pandemic. Yet, they are willing to adapt to changing...

216. Loss, Discovery, and Being Wrong feat. Kathryn Schulz

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The trauma of loss is inevitable, but there are things that can be done to consciously prepare for and deal with things we lose in life. They are also...