Seems a good time to re-share this episode of YANSS about why civil resistance is incredibly powerful and how that works (scientifically), but also what it takes to make it work after the soldiers and police arrive. Guest: @chenoweth.bsky.social - Links: youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
YANSS 313 – Why the number of people needed to make a protest movement successful is much lower than you might assume
If you want to overthrow a dictator, resist an authoritarian regime, or create a movement that can change the national status quo, you don’t need half the country to join, you only need 3.5 p…
youarenotsosmart.com
June 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Seems a good time to re-share this episode of YANSS about why civil resistance is incredibly powerful and how that works (scientifically), but also what it takes to make it work after the soldiers and police arrive. Guest: @chenoweth.bsky.social - Links: youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
If you are not familiar with the term "pluralistic ignorance" you might find it fascinating to listen to this podcast episode.
It's related to what Naomi mentions below, and helps explain why there's a delay in people in "red" areas realizing everyone has turned, and why protests help change that.
It's related to what Naomi mentions below, and helps explain why there's a delay in people in "red" areas realizing everyone has turned, and why protests help change that.
June 15, 2025 at 3:34 PM
If you are not familiar with the term "pluralistic ignorance" you might find it fascinating to listen to this podcast episode.
It's related to what Naomi mentions below, and helps explain why there's a delay in people in "red" areas realizing everyone has turned, and why protests help change that.
It's related to what Naomi mentions below, and helps explain why there's a delay in people in "red" areas realizing everyone has turned, and why protests help change that.
On the 10th anniversary of The Dress, I checked in on Pascal Wallisch, one of the NYU psychologists whose research revealed why we see it differently. He told me he considers it “the ultimate temporal touchstone” of the before COVID times. He was also wearing the dress (will post to YANSS Patreon):
February 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
On the 10th anniversary of The Dress, I checked in on Pascal Wallisch, one of the NYU psychologists whose research revealed why we see it differently. He told me he considers it “the ultimate temporal touchstone” of the before COVID times. He was also wearing the dress (will post to YANSS Patreon):
YANSS 307 – Why resistance to true news that you would rather not believe can be stronger than susceptibility to fake news that you wish was true youarenotsosmart.com/2025/02/20/y...
YANSS 307 – Why resistance to true news that you would rather not believe can be stronger than susceptibility to fake news that you wish was true
In this episode, we sit down with three disinformation researchers whose new paper found something surprising about both our resistance (and our susceptibility) to both true news we wish was fake a…
youarenotsosmart.com
February 21, 2025 at 1:42 PM
YANSS 307 – Why resistance to true news that you would rather not believe can be stronger than susceptibility to fake news that you wish was true youarenotsosmart.com/2025/02/20/y...
Why civil resistance works, and why the number of people needed to reach a protest movement's goals is much lower than you might assume: New episode with Erica Chenoweth -
@chenoweth.bsky.social - youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
@chenoweth.bsky.social - youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
YANSS 313 – Why the number of people needed to make a protest movement successful is much lower than you might assume
If you want to overthrow a dictator, resist an authoritarian regime, or create a movement that can change the national status quo, you don’t need half the country to join, you only need 3.5 p…
youarenotsosmart.com
May 14, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Why civil resistance works, and why the number of people needed to reach a protest movement's goals is much lower than you might assume: New episode with Erica Chenoweth -
@chenoweth.bsky.social - youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
@chenoweth.bsky.social - youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
YANSS 338 – How to avoid the Ladder of Misinference in a world of sophisticated misinformation machines youarenotsosmart.com/2026/05/11/y...
YANSS 338 – How to avoid the Ladder of Misinference in a world of sophisticated misinformation machines
Alex Edmans, a professor of finance at London Business School, tells us how to avoid the Ladder of Misinference by examining how narratives, statistics, and articles can mislead, especially when th…
youarenotsosmart.com
May 11, 2026 at 2:11 PM
YANSS 338 – How to avoid the Ladder of Misinference in a world of sophisticated misinformation machines youarenotsosmart.com/2026/05/11/y...
YANSS 308 – The science behind how our propensity for magical thinking can lead us to deceive each other by first deceiving ourselves youarenotsosmart.com/2025/03/03/y...
YANSS 308 – The science behind how our propensity for magical thinking can lead us to deceive each other by first deceiving ourselves
In this episode, the story of Clever Hans, the horse who changed psychology for the better. We also sit down with psychologist and magician Matt Tompkins. Matt is the author of The Spectacle of Ill…
youarenotsosmart.com
March 4, 2025 at 3:31 PM
YANSS 308 – The science behind how our propensity for magical thinking can lead us to deceive each other by first deceiving ourselves youarenotsosmart.com/2025/03/03/y...
YANSS 313 – Why the number of people needed to make a protest movement successful is much lower than you might assume youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
YANSS 313 – Why the number of people needed to make a protest movement successful is much lower than you might assume
If you want to overthrow a dictator, resist an authoritarian regime, or create a movement that can change the national status quo, you don’t need half the country to join, you only need 3.5 p…
youarenotsosmart.com
May 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
YANSS 313 – Why the number of people needed to make a protest movement successful is much lower than you might assume youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/14/y...
I was pretty good about going for a walk, and then I got hooked at on podcast and that had me walking like clockwork for about a year. There are over three hundred episodes, and I’ve heard them all, many of them more than once.
The YANSS podcast, for reference:
The YANSS podcast, for reference:
Podcast
Transcripts – Cookies Every Single Episode – Audio Only YANSS 327 – The Trolley Solution – Joshua Greene YANSS 326 – The Origin of Language – Madeleine Beekman …
youarenotsosmart.com
December 28, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I was pretty good about going for a walk, and then I got hooked at on podcast and that had me walking like clockwork for about a year. There are over three hundred episodes, and I’ve heard them all, many of them more than once.
The YANSS podcast, for reference:
The YANSS podcast, for reference:
I've listened to a good amount of the YANSS podcast, but this won via our votes in alumni book club for the fall season. I've read @davidmcraney.bsky.social's "How Minds Change," but we're going to read this one next in the book club!!
September 23, 2026 at 9:49 AM
I've listened to a good amount of the YANSS podcast, but this won via our votes in alumni book club for the fall season. I've read @davidmcraney.bsky.social's "How Minds Change," but we're going to read this one next in the book club!!
Spotify link: open.spotify.com/episode/2oYp...
YANSS 279 - Pluralistic Ignorance (rebroadcast)
open.spotify.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Spotify link: open.spotify.com/episode/2oYp...
YANSS 315 – How to avoid the Ladder of Misinference and other ways to apply critical thinking in a world of increasingly sophisticated misinformation machines youarenotsosmart.com/2025/07/10/y...
YANSS 315 – How to avoid the Ladder of Misinference and other ways to apply critical thinking in a world of increasingly sophisticated misinformation machines
Alex Edmans, a professor of finance at London Business School, tells us how to avoid the Ladder of Misinference by examining how narratives, statistics, and articles can mislead, especially when th…
youarenotsosmart.com
July 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
YANSS 315 – How to avoid the Ladder of Misinference and other ways to apply critical thinking in a world of increasingly sophisticated misinformation machines youarenotsosmart.com/2025/07/10/y...
“You Are Not So Smart”. It’s all about cognitive biases, self-delusion, and the myriad ways humans do not think rationally. youarenotsosmart.com/podcast/
Podcast
Transcripts – Cookies YANSS 275 – Blight – Emily Monsoon YANSS 274 – Cascades – Greg Satell YANSS 273 – The Conspiracy Test – Jesse Richardson YANSS 272 &…
youarenotsosmart.com
December 13, 2023 at 2:15 AM
“You Are Not So Smart”. It’s all about cognitive biases, self-delusion, and the myriad ways humans do not think rationally. youarenotsosmart.com/podcast/
New episode: The science behind how our propensity for magical thinking can lead us to deceive each other by first deceiving ourselves – youarenotsosmart.com/2025/03/03/y...
YANSS 308 – The science behind how our propensity for magical thinking can lead us to deceive each other by first deceiving ourselves
In this episode, the story of Clever Hans, the horse who changed psychology for the better. We also sit down with psychologist and magician Matt Tompkins. Matt is the author of The Spectacle of Ill…
youarenotsosmart.com
March 3, 2025 at 5:27 PM
New episode: The science behind how our propensity for magical thinking can lead us to deceive each other by first deceiving ourselves – youarenotsosmart.com/2025/03/03/y...
Why the people who are most likely to suggest that you “do your own research” are also the least likely to do their own research: youarenotsosmart.com/2023/08/19/y...
YANSS 267 – Why the people who are most likely to suggest that you “do your own research” are also the least likely to do their own research
Sedona Chinn, a researcher who studies how people make sense of competing scientific, environmental, and health-related claims, joins us to discuss her latest research into doing your own research.…
youarenotsosmart.com
May 1, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Why the people who are most likely to suggest that you “do your own research” are also the least likely to do their own research: youarenotsosmart.com/2023/08/19/y...
Also, every expert says criticizing, attacking, (or even presenting facts!!) doesn't change people's minds, actually getting them to talk about shit is the only way to make them face it, and then potentially doubt their own views, decide to learn & change.
i.e.: youarenotsosmart.com/2022/06/27/y...
i.e.: youarenotsosmart.com/2022/06/27/y...
YANSS 236 – How Minds Change
In this episode I read an excerpt from my new book How Minds Change detailing the time I spent with canvassers in Los Angeles who went door to door testing different ways to change minds among thos…
youarenotsosmart.com
September 22, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Also, every expert says criticizing, attacking, (or even presenting facts!!) doesn't change people's minds, actually getting them to talk about shit is the only way to make them face it, and then potentially doubt their own views, decide to learn & change.
i.e.: youarenotsosmart.com/2022/06/27/y...
i.e.: youarenotsosmart.com/2022/06/27/y...
Why cults often grow stronger after their beliefs, predictions, assumptions, and leaders all turn out to be wrong: youarenotsosmart.com/2024/11/12/y...
YANSS 300 – Why cults often grow stronger after their beliefs, predictions, assumptions, and leaders all turn out to be wrong
In this episode, the story of a doomsday cult that predicted the exact date and circumstances of the end of the world, and what happened when that date passed and the world did not end. Also, we ex…
youarenotsosmart.com
November 15, 2024 at 8:35 PM
Why cults often grow stronger after their beliefs, predictions, assumptions, and leaders all turn out to be wrong: youarenotsosmart.com/2024/11/12/y...
Why those who are most likely to suggest you “do your own research” are also the least likely to do their own research: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2023/08/19/yanss-267-why-people-who-are-most-likely-to-suggest-that-others-do-their-own-research-are-also-the-least-likely-to-do-their-own-research/
YANSS 267 – Why people who are most likely to suggest that others “do their own research” are ...
Sedona Chinn, a researcher who studies how people make sense of competing scientific, environmental, and health-related claims, joins us to discuss her latest research into doing your own research.…
youarenotsosmart.com
August 21, 2023 at 5:39 PM
Why those who are most likely to suggest you “do your own research” are also the least likely to do their own research: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2023/08/19/yanss-267-why-people-who-are-most-likely-to-suggest-that-others-do-their-own-research-are-also-the-least-likely-to-do-their-own-research/
AI-chattboten Debunkbot lyckas på i genomsnitt 8 min få närmast alla konspirationstroende att börja vackla eller t.o.m. överge sina konspirationsteorier, genom att göra det som man brukar avråda från: att argumentera med fakta. Varför funkar det för Debunkbot? YANSS har intervjuat forskarna.
November 12, 2024 at 12:29 PM
AI-chattboten Debunkbot lyckas på i genomsnitt 8 min få närmast alla konspirationstroende att börja vackla eller t.o.m. överge sina konspirationsteorier, genom att göra det som man brukar avråda från: att argumentera med fakta. Varför funkar det för Debunkbot? YANSS har intervjuat forskarna.
Huh, this is now the most downloaded episode since my interview with @rushkoff.com about billionaire preppers (episode 242).
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
YANSS 337 – How to preserve your critical thinking and avoid cognitive surrender when using AI to solve problems, make decisions, and learn new things
How is AI reshaping human reasoning? What is cognitive surrender, and how do we avoid its negative impact? What is system three thinking, and how can we get the most out of it? Artificial intellige…
youarenotsosmart.com
June 1, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Huh, this is now the most downloaded episode since my interview with @rushkoff.com about billionaire preppers (episode 242).
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
New episode about the latest research into how AI can negatively impact human reasoning and decision making:
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
YANSS 337 – How to maintain your critical thinking and avoid cognitive surrender when using AI to solve problems, make decisions, and learn new things
How is AI reshaping human reasoning? What is cognitive surrender, and how do we avoid its negative impact? What is system three thinking, and how can we get the most out of it? Artificial intellige…
youarenotsosmart.com
April 13, 2026 at 6:40 PM
New episode about the latest research into how AI can negatively impact human reasoning and decision making:
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
youarenotsosmart.com/2026/04/13/y...
Reflecting on @davidmcraney.bsky.social "You Are Not So Smart" podcast (YANSS 314) – that vital talk on the power of just showing up for change.
youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/31/y...
It is events like the #UNOpenSourceWeek that end up changing the world...
#OpenSource #UNOSW #UNOpenSourceWeek
youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/31/y...
It is events like the #UNOpenSourceWeek that end up changing the world...
#OpenSource #UNOSW #UNOpenSourceWeek
YANSS 314 – How not to fall prey to proportionality bias (and other ways to form a healthy relationship with chaos)
In this episode we sit down with Brian Klaas, author of Fluke, and get into the existential lessons and grander meaning for a life well-lived (once one finally accepts the power and influence of ra…
youarenotsosmart.com
June 21, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Reflecting on @davidmcraney.bsky.social "You Are Not So Smart" podcast (YANSS 314) – that vital talk on the power of just showing up for change.
youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/31/y...
It is events like the #UNOpenSourceWeek that end up changing the world...
#OpenSource #UNOSW #UNOpenSourceWeek
youarenotsosmart.com/2025/05/31/y...
It is events like the #UNOpenSourceWeek that end up changing the world...
#OpenSource #UNOSW #UNOpenSourceWeek
New episode: Why you are more likely to doubt true news that you would rather not believe than you are to believe fake news you wish was true (no matter your ideology): youarenotsosmart.com/2025/02/20/y...
YANSS 307 – Why resistance to true news that you would rather not believe can be stronger than susceptibility to fake news that you wish was true
In this episode, we sit down with three disinformation researchers whose new paper found something surprising about both our resistance (and our susceptibility) to both true news we wish was fake a…
youarenotsosmart.com
February 20, 2025 at 8:15 PM
New episode: Why you are more likely to doubt true news that you would rather not believe than you are to believe fake news you wish was true (no matter your ideology): youarenotsosmart.com/2025/02/20/y...
You Are Not So Smart podcast – YANSS 312 – An introduction to complexity science, chaos theory, and how life, um, finds a way – Neil Theise (2024) stream.syscoi.com/2025/05/13/y...
You Are Not So Smart podcast – YANSS 312 – An introduction to complexity science, chaos theory, and how life, um, finds a way – Neil Theise (2024)
In this episode we sit down with professor Neil Theise, the author of Notes on Complexity, to get an introduction to the science of how complex systems behave – from cells to human being…
stream.syscoi.com
May 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
You Are Not So Smart podcast – YANSS 312 – An introduction to complexity science, chaos theory, and how life, um, finds a way – Neil Theise (2024) stream.syscoi.com/2025/05/13/y...