Jens Ludwig, a Professor at the University of Chicago and director of the crime lab, dives into the complex world of gun violence. He argues that most shootings stem from impulsive arguments rather than premeditated plans. Ludwig explores stark differences in gun violence rates between similar neighborhoods, attributing these disparities to emotional triggers. He advocates for innovative, data-backed interventions like the 'Becoming a Man' initiative, emphasizing community engagement and youth empowerment as crucial steps toward a solution.
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insights INSIGHT
Gun Violence Is Fast Thinking Problem
Gun violence primarily results from fast, emotional reactions rather than planned acts.
Misunderstanding this leads to ineffective traditional policies focused on rational deterrence.
insights INSIGHT
Violence Differs Across Similar Neighborhoods
Neighboring Chicago areas with similar demographics and policing can have dramatically different shooting rates.
This suggests local social dynamics strongly impact gun violence beyond typical economic or policing factors.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Ludwig's Dog Walk Showed Human Mistakes
Jens Ludwig recounted a personal confrontation involving his dog and an unleashed dog, where he reacted emotionally.
This illustrated how human System 1 thinking often dominates in stressful situations causing rash responses.
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In this book, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on a tour of the mind, explaining how the two systems of thought shape our judgments and decisions. System 1 is fast, automatic, and emotional, while System 2 is slower, effortful, and logical. Kahneman discusses the impact of cognitive biases, the difficulties of predicting future happiness, and the effects of overconfidence on corporate strategies. He offers practical insights into how to guard against mental glitches and how to benefit from slow thinking in both personal and business life. The book also explores the distinction between the 'experiencing self' and the 'remembering self' and their roles in our perception of happiness.
Unforgiving Places
The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence
Jens Ludwig
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Gerd Albers
Jane Jacobs
Published in 1961, 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities' is a seminal work by Jane Jacobs that critiques the urban planning policies of the 1950s. Jacobs argues against the modernist urban renewal practices that separated uses and led to the decline of city neighborhoods. She advocates for dense, mixed-use development, walkable streets, and the importance of 'eyes on the street' to maintain public order. The book emphasizes the complexity of urban life and the need for planning that prioritizes the needs and experiences of residents. Jacobs uses her own neighborhood, Greenwich Village, as a model for a healthy and vibrant urban environment, contrasting it with the urban renewal projects championed by figures like Robert Moses[2][3][5].
Despite decades of policy ideas, pouring millions of dollars into the problem, and a slow pace of gun control measures, the United States hasn’t made much progress on curbing the epidemic of gun violence in our country.
For the past 25 years, Prof. Jens Ludwig of the University of Chicago has examined the questions of: Why does gun violence happen, and is there anything we can do about it?
In his new book, Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence, Ludwig—who is director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab—discusses why we've been thinking about the gun violence problem in the wrong ways.
Drawing upon behavioral economics, he explains that most shootings are not premediated; rather, the result of arguments that escalate into violence. Using data-backed interventions, Ludwig introduces new ideas beyond policy and policing to get at the real root causes of gun violence today.
Big Brains 
