Can you really put a number on what matters most? Barry Schwartz, emeritus professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, joins host, Annie Duke, to challenge the idea that good decisions come only from spreadsheets, expected utility, or any framework that assumes one’s values can be weighed on a single scale. Drawing on his new book, Choose Wisely, Barry argues that rational choice theory can sometimes push people to rely on oversimplified frameworks that give us a false sense of certainty, when the real world is actually much messier and uncertain, and the decisions we make are more complex.Key takeaways from this episode include why understanding what matters most to you in a situation is the first step to making better decisions, how choosing from a large set of options reveals more about your values than choosing from a small set, and why luck and the quality of your decisions are the true determiners of how your life turns out.—--------------------------------------------------------This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

Can you really put a number on what matters most? Barry Schwartz, emeritus professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and a visiting professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, joins host, Annie Duke, to challenge the idea that good decisions come only from spreadsheets, expected utility, or any framework that assumes one’s values can be weighed on a single scale. Drawing on his new book, Choose Wisely, Barry argues that rational choice theory can sometimes push people to rely on oversimplified frameworks that give us a false sense of certainty, when the real world is actually much messier and uncertain, and the decisions we make are more complex. Key takeaways from this episode include why understanding what matters most to you in a situation is the first step to making better decisions, how choosing from a large set of options reveals more about your values than choosing from a small set, and why luck and the quality of your decisions are the true determiners of how your life turns out. —-------------------------------------------------------- This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

Episode 043: The Arithmetic of Uncertainty with Barry Schwartz

What do we lose when a machine can think for us? Dr. Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, joins host, Annie Duke, to explore what it really means for humans to stay "in the driver's seat" as headlines about an AI takeover proliferate the news. Drawing on decades of research into human-AI collaboration, Eric argues against the passive framing of an AI "takeover," making the case that governance, design, and clear values determine whether these tools sharpen human judgment or quietly erode it.Key takeaways from this episode include why today's best AI users are already experts in their fields without it, distinguishing nostalgia from genuine skill loss, and why understanding the difference between a good decision and a good outcome matters more as uncertainty rises.—--------------------------------------------------------This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

What do we lose when a machine can think for us? Dr. Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, joins host, Annie Duke, to explore what it really means for humans to stay "in the driver's seat" as headlines about an AI takeover proliferate the news. Drawing on decades of research into human-AI collaboration, Eric argues against the passive framing of an AI "takeover," making the case that governance, design, and clear values determine whether these tools sharpen human judgment or quietly erode it. Key takeaways from this episode include why today's best AI users are already experts in their fields without it, distinguishing nostalgia from genuine skill loss, and why understanding the difference between a good decision and a good outcome matters more as uncertainty rises. —-------------------------------------------------------- This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

Episode 045: Human Cognition in the AI Era with Dr. Eric Horvitz

Can people with different values sit around a table and make good decisions together? Lee Failing, Partner, Engineer and Decision Analyst at Compass Resource Management, believes that they can. Lee is an expert in group decision-making and works with government agencies and community groups brought together to face controversial complex social and environmental dilemmas. She joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education Dr. Joe Sweeney, to discuss turning conflict into creative solutions, how our values and beliefs can change more than we think, and her excitement about seeing decision skills catch on in the classroom. You’ll also learn why difficult conversations about our values are essential, if we are serious about crafting solutions that work for everyone.

Can people with different values sit around a table and make good decisions together? Lee Failing, Partner, Engineer and Decision Analyst at Compass Resource Management, believes that they can. Lee is an expert in group decision-making and works with government agencies and community groups brought together to face controversial complex social and environmental dilemmas. She joins your host, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education Dr. Joe Sweeney, to discuss turning conflict into creative solutions, how our values and beliefs can change more than we think, and her excitement about seeing decision skills catch on in the classroom. You’ll also learn why difficult conversations about our values are essential, if we are serious about crafting solutions that work for everyone.

Episode 002: From Conflict to Collaboration with Lee Failing

How might our decision-making improve if we ask ourselves, “What happened when other people were in this situation before?” Michael Mauboussin, Head of Consilient Research at Counterpoint Global, joins your host Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss the importance of considering base rates and reference classes when making tough choices, the undervalued impact of keeping a decision journal, and the overlooked role of luck in the outcomes we observe. And when it comes to the choice between exploring and exploiting our resources, you’ll learn what ants and bees can teach us about decision-making. Welcome to Season 1 - Episode 1.

How might our decision-making improve if we ask ourselves, “What happened when other people were in this situation before?” Michael Mauboussin, Head of Consilient Research at Counterpoint Global, joins your host Dr. Joe Sweeney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Decision Education, to discuss the importance of considering base rates and reference classes when making tough choices, the undervalued impact of keeping a decision journal, and the overlooked role of luck in the outcomes we observe. And when it comes to the choice between exploring and exploiting our resources, you’ll learn what ants and bees can teach us about decision-making. Welcome to Season 1 - Episode 1.

Episode 001: Base Rates and Bees with Michael Mauboussin

Season 1 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in finance, natural resource management, drug development, psychology, and chess. Dr. Joe Sweeney, your host, engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age. Tune in to listen!

Season 1 of The Decision Education Podcast unveils decision-making tips from experts in finance, natural resource management, drug development, psychology, and chess. Dr. Joe Sweeney, your host, engages our guests in fruitful discussions where they unpack their decision toolkits and share how the world might look different if we practiced decision-making skills from a younger age. Tune in to listen!

Season 1 Trailer

The decisions we make have a tremendous impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. But what goes into making better decisions? Hear from experts from diverse backgrounds as they share insights on how asking the right questions, improving predictions, managing cognitive biases, and other strategies can make us better decision makers. Through real-life stories and cutting-edge research, gain practical strategies and transform your understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.

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