In this book, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz argues that while people lie in various social interactions, they are surprisingly honest when searching the internet. He uses big data from Google searches and other online activities to uncover insights into human behavior, including aspects such as racism, sex lives, parental preferences, and the impact of violent media. The book highlights the power and limitations of big data, discussing its potential to reveal deep-seated biases and improve our understanding of human nature, while also warning about its ethical implications and potential for manipulation.
In 'Nudge,' Thaler and Sunstein argue that by understanding how people think, we can design 'choice architectures' that nudge people toward better decisions for themselves, their families, and society. The book introduces the concept of 'libertarian paternalism,' where gentle nudges guide people toward beneficial choices without limiting their freedom. It explores various aspects of human decision-making, including the distinction between the 'Automatic System' and the 'Reflective System' of thinking, and provides numerous examples of how nudges can be applied in real-life scenarios to improve outcomes in health, finance, and other areas[1][3][5].
In 'The Cost-Benefit Revolution,' Cass Sunstein advocates for basing government policies on careful consideration of costs and benefits rather than intuition or public opinion. He explores the history and future of cost-benefit analysis in U.S. policymaking, highlighting its role in promoting more rational decision-making.
In 'Conformity: The Power of Social Influences', Cass R. Sunstein delves into the mechanisms of social conformity, highlighting its role in both maintaining social order and facilitating harmful behaviors. He discusses how conformity can lead to the suppression of valuable information and the reinforcement of extremism, emphasizing the importance of dissent in a well-functioning democracy.
In 'Worst-Case Scenarios', Cass Sunstein explores how individuals and societies can effectively respond to low-probability risks with potentially catastrophic consequences. He discusses the challenges of balancing between overreaction and neglect, using climate change as a key example. Sunstein emphasizes the importance of understanding both the costs of precautions and the costs of inaction, while critiquing the precautionary principle and advocating for a nuanced approach to risk management.
In 'Standing for Animals,' Cass Sunstein discusses the legal rights of animals and the issue of standing in court. He argues that while animals currently lack standing to sue in their own right, Congress can grant them such rights. The paper highlights the gap between statutory protections and their enforcement, suggesting ways to improve animal welfare through legal reforms.
This book brings together a diverse range of contributors to explore the legal and political issues surrounding animal rights, addressing questions of ownership, suffering, and autonomy. It offers a balanced treatment of competing arguments and perspectives, reflecting a fundamental reevaluation of human relationships with nonhuman animals.
It can often feel hopeless to be an activist seeking social change on an obscure issue where most people seem opposed or at best indifferent to you. But according to a new book by Professor Cass Sunstein, they shouldn't despair. Large social changes are often abrupt and unexpected, arising in an environment of seeming public opposition.
The Communist Revolution in Russia spread so swiftly it confounded even Lenin. Seventy years later the Soviet Union collapsed just as quickly and unpredictably.
In the modern era we have gay marriage, #metoo and the Arab Spring, as well as nativism, Euroskepticism and Hindu nationalism.
How can a society that so recently seemed to support the status quo bring about change in years, months, or even weeks?
Sunstein — coauthor of Nudge, Obama White House official, and by far the most cited legal scholar of the late 2000s — aims to unravel the mystery and figure out the implications in his new book How Change Happens.
He pulls together three phenomena which social scientists have studied in recent decades: preference falsification, variable thresholds for action, and group polarisation. If Sunstein is to be believed, together these are a cocktail for social shifts that are chaotic and fundamentally unpredictable.
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In brief, people constantly misrepresent their true views, even to close friends and family. They themselves aren't quite sure how socially acceptable their feelings would have to become, before they revealed them, or joined a campaign for social change. And a chance meeting between a few strangers can be the spark that radicalises a handful of people, who then find a message that can spread their views to millions.
According to Sunstein, it's "much, much easier" to create social change when large numbers of people secretly or latently agree with you. But 'preference falsification' is so pervasive that it's no simple matter to figure out when that's the case.
In today's interview, we debate with Sunstein whether this model of cultural change is accurate, and if so, what lessons it has for those who would like to shift the world in a more humane direction. We discuss:
• How much people misrepresent their views in democratic countries.
• Whether the finding that groups with an existing view tend towards a more extreme position would stand up in the replication crisis.
• When is it justified to encourage your own group to polarise?
• Sunstein's difficult experiences as a pioneer of animal rights law.
• Whether activists can do better by spending half their resources on public opinion surveys.
• Should people be more or less outspoken about their true views?
• What might be the next social revolution to take off?
• How can we learn about social movements that failed and disappeared?
• How to find out what people really think.
Chapters:
• Rob’s intro (00:00:00)
• Cass's Harvard lecture on How Change Happens (00:02:59)
• Rob & Cass's conversation about the book (00:41:43)
The 80,000 Hours Podcast is produced by Keiran Harris.
80,000 Hours Podcast 
