Your Brain On Climate
Confirmation Bias, with Adam Harris
Published: 10 March 2025 at 21:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Or: why we all hear what we want to hear, and disregard the rest. Confirmation bias is hardwired into human brains, and without it we'd never get through our day. But it doesn't half get us - and the planet - into trouble sometimes.
In this episode Dave learns all about confirmation bias from the splendid Professor Adam Harris off of University College London. Learn about how casinos make their cash, why lefties should read righty-press sometimes, why confirmation bias once caused a plane to crash into a massive volcano, and why climate deniers and activists alike could all benefit from being a bit more like a fox.
These new-format episodes take a long time to record, script, and edit. If you like it - that'll make me happy.
- Let me know your thoughts on the show - hello@yourbrainonclimate.com.
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Owl noises = references:
- 14:40 - Metacognition
- 26:29 - Bounded (/Adaptive) Rationality
- 44:48 - Philip Tetlock / Foxes vs Hedgehogs
- 46:38 - Pilots (still) report confirmation bias
- 48:38 - Mussweiler et al / Consider the Opposite
The show is hosted and produced by me, Dave Powell, who you can find @powellds on Bluesky and X/Twitter, although I don't use the latter any more.
YBOC theme music and iterations thereof, by me. Show logo by Arthur Stovell at www.designbymondial.com.
