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Planet Money

How much does this cow weigh? (Classic)

Apr 10, 2024
17:37
Snipd AI
A scientist's experiment at a fair shows the surprising accuracy of crowd guesses. The podcast tests this with listeners guessing a cow's weight. The 'wisdom of the crowds' concept is explored, from stock markets to orange juice prices. The episode is both educational and entertaining.
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Collective judgments can be surprisingly accurate, challenging the perception that experts always make better decisions.
  • Diverse input from a crowd outperforms individual experts, showcasing the power of collaborative perspectives.

Deep dives

The Wisdom of Crowds and Collective Intelligence

Despite individual variations, a group's collective judgment can be surprisingly accurate. The podcast explores the story of Francis Galton, who found that averaging the guesses of a crowd at a fair almost perfectly estimated the weight of an ox. This concept extends to various areas like the stock market, where random collective decisions often yield insightful results. The phenomenon challenges the perception that experts always make better judgments, highlighting the power of collaborative and diverse perspectives.

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