The mistakes we make when we look at the present are similar to the ones we make when look to the future.
Show Notes
Renowned Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert describes the foibles of imagination and illusions of foresight that cause each of us to misconceive our tomorrows and misestimate our satisfactions. Vividly bringing to life the latest scientific research in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics, Gilbert reveals what scientists have discovered about the uniquely human ability to imagine the future, and about our capacity to predict how much we will like it when we get there.
Explore
Related episodes
Biographer Walter Isaacson's latest book tells the story of biochemist Jennifer Doudna. She helped develop a controversial tool that has the power to transform the human race. CRISPR can edit genes to cure diseases but can also be used to create designer babies.
Grappling with the challenges and problems life throws at us is difficult, especially during a pandemic. Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb says the stories we tell about ourselves and others can make it even harder to cope.
The time we’re living in is unusually tumultuous. The Covid-19 pandemic is causing loss, disruption, illness, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty.
As scientists work to develop a vaccine to battle the coronavirus pandemic, many people question whether the process has been rushed and if the results will be effective and safe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for approving new vaccines in this country. FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and former FDA commissioner Dr. Peggy Hamburg say the agency use...
Author Michael Pollan focuses on psychedelic drugs in his latest book.
Designer Ingrid Fetell Lee studies how our physical environment impacts our well-being, both physically and psychologically.
In July of 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to ever free-solo climb the face of Yosemite’s El Capitan.
Technology is redefining who we trust, and this shift in trust has fundamental consequences.
Tara Westover's childhood was distinct. Raised by survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she encoun
How well you handle difficulty may determine how happy and healthy you are later in life.
Meditation and mindfulness have gone mainstream. So how do you actually reap their benefits?
Our brains are getting older, but there's still much to be optimistic about.
The discussion of "designer babies" often revolves around gender or hair color, but the medical debate is far more complicated.
Before Covid-19 began spreading across the globe last year, virologist Nathan Wolfe already knew what was becoming abundantly clear: The world was woefully unprepared to prevent the spread of novel viral threats. To prevent similar devastation, he challenges people to imagine a different future where viruses are regularly tracked in groups of individuals—providing a sort o...
What does it take to rock climb one of the world’s hardest routes?
When psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb set out to write the stories of her patients she realized she should chronicle her own struggles too.
Thinking about the far-off future isn’t just an exercise in intellectual curiosity.
In this divisive era, it’s especially challenging to see that all lives have equal worth.
New research suggests that much of what people think about happiness is wrong.
Social unrest and physical distancing are not making it easy to connect with other people.
