In today’s episode, we’re diving into a mysterious and dramatic decision-making stat that’s been popping up everywhere lately.

But when you try to track it down, no one actually knows where it comes from. Every source just says it comes from various sources—or cites a source that points to… more unnamed sources, in an endless loop.

So what’s the truth?

We’ll break down the citation loop that keeps this number alive, expose the lack of a real source, and reveal how even major publications like Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and PBS repeated it without fact-checking.

Join me as I unpack what we know (and don’t know) about decision-making, how misinformation spreads even in places we should be able to trust, and why we need more good people in research to answer questions like this.

Referenced:

• 2015 - Roberts Wesleyan University Article
• 2016 - The Wall Street Journal
• 2018 - Psychology Today
• 2018 - National Library of Medicine
• 2021 - PBS
• 2022 - CNN Health
• 2023 - Harvard Business Review
• 2023 - Forbes
• Cornell University Study
• OREO Study
• Noom Study
• Microsoft Ad