Ep18 “Investigating Implausible Theories” with John Ioannidis

In science, we often hear about new discoveries or theories that could change our way of thinking. In the business world, a start-up might promise a revolution in a specific industry, if it can get the right investments. So, when is it worth believing or betting on one of these new theories, and when is it a waste of time? In this episode of All Else Equal, Jules and Jonathan discuss how we can all use the principle of Occam’s Razor (the idea that the simplest theory is often the correct one) in many different areas of our life.

Helping them explain the real world practice of this is John Ioannidis, a professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Stanford University. John was the first academic to question the practices of Theranos, the company co-founded by Elizabeth Holmes that claimed it would change medicine with its new method of testing blood. He criticized the lack of peer reviewed research of the company’s methods, while at the same time investors were making it a billion dollar company. John tells Jules and Jonathan about this experience, as well as how Occam’s Razor comes into play with a lot of scientific research.

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