Data Radicals

The Science Behind Quitting with Christie Aschwanden, Bestselling Author

Apr 27, 2022

32:26

Science and data are powerful tools of discovery, but our expectations are often misaligned with what science can actually do. Interpreting and understanding science involves nuance, humility, and an open mind – muscles that we don’t always flex as often as we should.

Today’s guest is Christie Aschwanden, journalist and NYT bestselling author. Christie is an expert in understanding the power – and limitations – of science. Christie explains why science isn’t broken, how to get reliable answers from the scientific method, and the science behind why quitting can sometimes be the best decision possible.

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“I think it's really important to always recognize that there's a possibility that whatever you're thinking now is wrong…We need to understand that one of the most fundamental aspects of science is that it's provisional. We always have to be open to new evidence and recognize that there's always the chance that we will gain new evidence that will overturn our current ways of thinking. And that's okay.” -Christie Aschwanden

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Time Stamps

* (3:12) Is Science Broken?

* (7:07) What is Motivational Reasoning?

* (11:27) The Importance of Nuance in Science

* (12:50) One Trait Christie Highly Recommends

* (14:40) The Misaligned Incentive Structure in Science Today

* (16:38) Stories Are the Way We Make Sense of Data

* (19:44) The Creative Process and the Value of Quitting

* (23:35) The #1 Thing that Any High-Performance Person Can Do

* (25:40) The Importance of Not Being Productive

* (27:21) The Benefits of Sleep and How to Get Better Sleep