From phishing scams to Ponzi schemes, fraudulent science to fake art, chess cheaters to crypto hucksters, and marketers to magicians, our world brims with deception. In Nobody’s Fool, psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris show us how to avoid being taken in. They describe the key habits of thinking and reasoning that serve us well most of the time but make us vulnerable—like our tendency to accept what we see, stick to our commitments, and overvalue precision and consistency. Each chapter illustrates their new take on the science of deception, describing scams you’ve never heard of and shedding new light on some you have. Simons and Chabris provide memorable maxims and practical tools you can use to spot deception before it’s too late. Christopher Chabris is a professor at Geisinger, a Pennsylvania healthcare system, where he co-directs the Behavioral Insights Team. He previously taught at Union College and Harvard University, and is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Chris received his Ph.D. in psychology and A.B. in computer science from Harvard. His research focuses on decision-making, attention, intelligence, and behavior genetics. His work has been published in leading journals including Science, Nature, PNAS, and Perception, and he has published essays in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post. Chris is also a chess master, games enthusiast, and co-author of the bestselling book The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us. Together Daniel and Christopher co-authored the new book Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do about It. Shermer, Simons, and Chabris discuss: • How rational vs. irrational are humans? (Daniel Kahneman vs. Gerd Gingerenzer) • Truth Default Theory, or Truth Bias • deception vs. deception detection • social proof and the influence of others on our beliefs • cults • Bernie Madoff • Harvey Weinstein • Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos • Nigerian spam scam • cheating in chess • habits of thought that can be exploited • information hooks we find especially enticing instead of triggering skepticism • scientific fraud and the replication crisis • how to prevent from being a victim of fraud or a con.

In an era in which we have more information available to us than ever before, when claims of “fake news” might themselves be, in fact, fake news, Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris, authors of The Invisible Gorilla, are back to offer us a vital tool to not only inoculate ourselves against getting infected by misinformation but prevent us from spreading it to others, a new book titled Nobody's Fool. Dan Simon's WebsiteChristopher Chabris' WebsiteNobody's FoolHow Minds ChangeDavid McRaney’s TwitterYANSS TwitterShow NotesNewsletterPatreon

From Ponzi schemes to e-mail phishing identity thieves, the world can seem full of people who want to deceive us. Daniel Simons, PhD, and Christopher Chabris, PhD, co-authors of the “Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It,” talk about the cognitive habits that put us at risk of believing lies; famous frauds and cons from the worlds of business, science and competitive chess; and what you can do to protect yourself, and your wallet, by spotting scammers before it’s too late. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Simons, a psychology professor and head of the Visual Cognition Laboratory, and Christopher Chabris, co-director of the Behavioral Decision Sciences Program, reveal the cognitive traps that lead us to believe lies. They discuss infamous frauds like Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme and a chess con that highlights our vulnerabilities. The duo stresses the importance of skepticism and critical thinking in protecting ourselves from scams, while also exploring how small interventions can lead to significant behavioral changes.

David Eagleman is joined by Christopher Chabris and Dan Simons to discuss their book, Nobody's Fool. They explore various topics related to deception, including understanding others, cognitive shortcuts, the deception of attention, the confidence of AI models, struggling to update beliefs, and expanding mental models.

Today we welcome Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris to the podcast. Daniel Simons is a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois where he heads the Visual Cognition Laboratory. His research explores the limits of awareness and memory, the reasons why we often are unaware of those limits, and the implications for our personal and professional lives.Christopher Chabris is professor and co-director of the Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program at Geisinger Health System. He is also faculty co-director of Geisinger's Behavioral Insights Team. From 2014 to 2017, he wrote a monthly column called GAME ON for The Wall Street Journal. His essays have been published in several media outlets.Daniel and Christopher met at Harvard University in 1997, where they began to collaborate on research. In 2004 they shared the Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology, awarded for The Invisible Gorilla experiment. Together, they co-authored the New York Times bestselling book of the same name. Their latest book is called Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It.In this episode I talk to Daniel and Christopher about scams and how NOT to get scammed! With enough information and persuasion, anybody can fall for a scheme. According to Daniel and Christopher, certain cognitive biases can make us vulnerable to deception. To help us outsmart con artists, they elaborate the different types of scams and how they work, all the while giving us tools to navigate shady situations. Website: dansimons.com & chabris.comTwitter: @profsimons & @cfchabris Topics03:20 Nobody’s Fool07:54 Using AI for deception10:13 The truth bias12:42 Fixed belief bias16:40 The possibility grid22:27 Scamming through social media24:21 The Nigerian email scam27:19 Scam baiting29:01 Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme 35:16 Are mediums scammers?36:47 Why do people ignore red flags?38:59 The Tinder Swindler and romance scams44:05 Highly successful people get scammed too47:17 When to be skeptical54:37 Accept less, check moreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Simons, a psychology professor focusing on visual cognition, and Christopher Chabris, a cognitive scientist and chess master, tackle the pitfalls of decision-making in an information-saturated world. They delve into inattentional blindness using the famous Invisible Gorilla experiment, revealing how our focus can blind us to reality. Topics include truth bias in communication, navigating scams, and the necessity of critical thinking. Their new book, Nobody's Fool, serves as a guide to recognizing cognitive vulnerabilities and combating misinformation.

Renowned authors Dan Simons and Christopher Chabris discuss inattentional blindness and cognitive blindspots in their groundbreaking research. They explore how scammers exploit mental shortcuts in frauds and offer strategies to resist deceptive tactics. Topics include avoiding deception in business, improving marketing efforts, and understanding consumer purchasing behavior.

Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris are professors of psychology, both experts in the fields of cognitive science and experimental psychology. They are also known as the co-authors of the famous book The Invisible Gorilla, and the inventors of the homonymous psychological experiment. 12 years from the release of their first book they have partnered again, co-writing Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do about It. This book illustrates through a series of stories why we fall victim to deception and provides practical tools to help the reader know when to question their beliefs.In this conversation, Simons and Chabris give the listener a taste of their new book. They provide insights on how we can arm ourselves against stories that do not reflect reality and how to improve our ability to realize when we are in front of a critical decision. Topics discussed also include social pressure, manifesting, self-help books, and chess.  Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/58jfj8tt73uqqajy Contents:(00:00:01) From “The Invisible Gorilla” to “Nobody’s Fool”(00:04:30) When Should We Question Our Intuition?(00:20:29) The Power of a Good Partnership(00:23:54) The Time-Reversal Heuristic (00:31:48) When the Story is Nicer Than Reality (00:49:13) Social Pressure: A Potent Tool (00:55:57) Luxury Goods and the Concept of Familiarity (01:01:00) Manifesting: Is it Harmless? (01:06:53) How to Approach Self-Help Books (01:11:01) The Fields of Psychology (01:19:35) On Chess, Bridge, and Poker 

Renowned psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris discuss why people fall for fraud and how to protect against deception. They explore the illusory truth effect, scientific fraud, and the importance of being skeptical. The episode also touches on enhancing scientific rigor, research transparency, and the impact of scams on trust and belief systems.