136: Drew Birnie - Mark Manson

# Episode 136 **Summary:** In Episode #136 Ari spends time speaking with [Drew Birnie](https://twitter.com/drewbirnie), Content Manager for Mark Manson. During their conversation, Drew and Ari cover what’s wrong in the science-media relationship and why a data-driven approach to self-improvement is the best way to bring about measurable results. **Special Announcements:** # [Less Doing Does Europe!](https://www.gazelles.com/summits/EGS-2015/Barcelona/index.html) Watch Ari bring the lessons of Less Doing to some of Europe’s most famous cities including Barcelona, Munich, Amsterdam and Budapest for the 2015 European Growth Summit. Ari will be joined by fellow masters of entrepreneurship Steve Martin, Director of _Influence at Work_ in the UK, and Verne Harnish, founder and CEO of Gazelles. ## EO Vancouver On June 18th, join Ari at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in b-e-a-utiful Vancouver, B.C. as he takes the microphone for _EO Vancouver_. Enjoy this unique opportunity to watch Ari candidly discuss life as an Author, Speaker, Teacher and – most importantly – Achievement Architect. ## [Less Doing Ringtone](http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=8c396e88-e364-4ec9-9e6f-c5620039cdcf) Want to get access to the _FREE _Less Doing Ringtone? Click [here](http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=8c396e88-e364-4ec9-9e6f-c5620039cdcf) to Tweet about our live event and get instant access to the ringtone created by our very own Fantastic Felix! ## [Less Doing Live Event](https://lessdoinglabs.businessresearchgroup.org/sales/live-event-optin) The **Less Doing LIVE Event** in NYC is _less than six months away_! The best minds in business and productivity are joining Ari in his hometown of New York City to share their tips, strategies and secrets for success. Visit [LessDoingLive.com](http://www.lessdoinglive.com/) to learn more about this fantastic opportunity running from **May 1st – 3rd**. ## [Mastermind Talks](http://www.mastermindtalks.com/) Looking for an opportunity to see Ari speak live somewhere on the west coast?—Look no further! On **April 29th and 30th** , Ari will be featured at the _Mastermind Talks_ event in **Napa, California**. To learn more about this opportunity to watch Ari “_Optimize, Outsource and Automate_” in wine country, click [here](http://www.mastermindtalks.com/). **Time Stamped Show Notes:** - 16:24 – Introduction of Drew Bernie, Content Manager of [Mark Manson](http://markmanson.net/) - 16:40 – What Drew’s role is and what MarkManson.net is all about - 16:55 – A data-driven approach to the human condition, slanted towards self-development - 18:45 – Evaluating good science from bad science is no easy task - 19:15 – It starts with looking at Research Methods - 20:15 – In the social sciences, a lot of creativity is required to build a solid control group - 22:00 – It’s really hard to trick someone into thinking they’re getting neuro-feedback when they’re actually not - 24:00 – Sometimes it’s not even about having a good control group—it’s about not having a _terrible_ one - 26:20 – Defining why double-blind research is best—unconscious bias - 28:10 – How are there so many poorly conducted studies and why does the media give them so much attention? - 28:38 – There’s a lot of pressure in Academia to publish and publish high-profile studies - 29:09 – People look to science for some modicum of certainty and, quite frankly, it can’t always provide that—science isn’t _always _black and white - 31:00 – How Drew keeps his biases _out _of his work - 31:05 – Awareness - 31:24 – Refusing to be “certain” about anything - 33:26 – Drew designed his own studies at the University of Nebraska and Iowa - 34:05 – Drew has a particular affinity for articles on Nootropics and addiction - 35:20 – [Carol Dweck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Dweck) and [Robert Cialdini](http://www.influenceatwork.com/) are two of Drew’s favorite researchers in the