The Riskies: The Best, Worst, and Most Interesting Decisions of 2024
Dec 12, 2024
auto_awesome
The hosts hand out their first annual Riskies awards, celebrating the best and worst decisions of 2024. Highlights include a daring trader's 'Hero Call' and a political blunder. They dive into cognitive biases impacting political choices, like the sunk cost fallacy, while also exploring notable moves in sports betting. Plus, there's a light-hearted poker update and a fascinating discussion on the cognitive benefits of learning multiple languages. It's a blend of strategy, insight, and entertainment!
The podcast humorously awards notable decisions of 2024, showcasing the duality of risk where bold bets can yield significant rewards.
A discussion on the cognitive benefits of bilingualism highlights its value in enhancing personal experiences and delaying cognitive decline.
Deep dives
The Riskies Awards
The episode introduces the concept of the 'Riskies,' a humorous award series recognizing extraordinary decisions made throughout the year in various sectors like politics, business, and sports. Awards such as 'Hero Call of the Year' are handed out, with the example of ‘Theo, the French whale’, noted for placing a risky but ultimately profitable bet on Donald Trump's victory. This highlights the nature of risky decision-making, showcasing how bets on uncertain outcomes can yield significant rewards if executed correctly. The hosts stress the fun aspects of discussing the best and worst decisions of the year, highlighting that their awards create a playful way to analyze risk.
Hero Call and Worst Fold Awards
In recognizing notable decisions, the 'Worst Fold of the Year' award is given to political figures for not capitalizing on strong opportunities. An example is mentioned where a charismatic politician made an unexpected and questionable pick that ultimately hurt her chances. On the contrary, the hosts celebrate bold bets like Theo’s hero call as commendable, emphasizing that confidence in decision-making, even if initially seen as insane, can lead to great financial outcomes. These discussions illustrate the duality of risk, where bravery can lead to significant victories, while hesitation may result in missed opportunities.
Cooler and Tilt of the Year Awards
The 'Cooler of the Year' award recognizes those who had great potential but ultimately faced disappointing outcomes, exemplified by Greta Gerwig's lack of recognition at the Oscars despite the success of her film 'Barbie.' This reflects on the unpredictable nature of recognition in Hollywood. Additionally, the 'Tilt of the Year' award is highlighted, relating to emotional decision-making in politics, particularly focusing on President Biden's controversial choices in his re-election campaign and decisions surrounding a family member's legal issues. The conversation illustrates how emotions can cloud judgment, leading to decisions that may not align with strategic thinking.
Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism
The episode concludes with a listener query about the value of learning a second language, countered with evidence emphasizing the cognitive and societal benefits of bilingualism. The hosts discuss how learning another language can enhance brain function, delay cognitive decline, and enrich personal experiences while traveling or interacting with others. Examples are provided illustrating how bilingual individuals often experience the world differently and maintain mental flexibility. This segment advocates for the personal and societal value in pursuing language learning, despite the challenges and time commitment involved.
What were the best, worst, and most interesting decisions of 2024, and what can we learn from them? Nate and Maria award the year’s most notable decisions in our first annual Riskies awards show. Also: degen of the year, nit of the year, and the cognitive bias that best explains 2024.
Then, they give a quick poker update and answer a listener’s question about the expected value of learning multiple languages.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters: