On Wisdom
What does science tell us about wisdom?
Displaying Episode 1 - 10 of 25 in total of On Wisdom with the tag “social science”.
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65: Religion as Make-Believe (with Neil Van Leeuwen)
May 8th, 2025 | 58 mins 14 secs
conspiracy theories, emotions, happiness, make-believe, meaning, neil van leeuwen, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, religion, religion as make-believe, religious belief, religious credence, social science, well being, wisdom
Is religious belief a form of make-believe — and if so, what deeper truths might we be acting out? Neil Van Leeuwen joins Igor and Charles to explore the psychological roots of religion, the nature of belief, and how sacred values shape group identity. Igor reflects on the blurring line between religious and political convictions, Neil argues that religious credence operates more like imaginative play than factual belief, and Charles considers whether conspiracy theories might be filling the same social and psychological roles. Welcome to Episode 65.
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64: The Potency and Potential of Social Networks (with Nicholas Christakis)
March 12th, 2025 | 59 mins 14 secs
ai, apollo’s arrow, biosocial science, blueprint, computational social science, connected, emotions, evolutionary biology, happiness, meaning, nicholas christakis, pandemics, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social networks, social science, well being, wisdom
Are your choices really your own — or are they quietly shaped by the people around you? Nicholas Christakis joins Igor and Charles to reveal the hidden power of social networks, from the surprising spread of kindness and cooperation to the ripple effects that shape our health, decisions, and even our wisdom. Igor uncovers the invisible social forces influencing our daily lives, Nicholas shares how our deep-rooted instincts for love, friendship, and teaching have shaped human civilization, and Charles considers how tapping into these instincts could help us build stronger, wiser communities. Welcome to Episode 64.
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63: The AI Mirror: Why Machines Reflect Us More Than They Think (with Shannon Vallor)
February 23rd, 2025 | 44 mins 30 secs
ai, alignment, artificial intelligence, emotions, happiness, meaning, moral machines, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, shannon vallor, social science, technomoral virtues, technomoral wisdom, the ai mirror, value alignment, virtue embodiment, well being, wisdom
Can AI ever be truly wise, or are we just seeing reflections of ourselves? Philosopher Shannon Vallor joins Igor and Charles to explore how technology shapes human wisdom, why we’ve been thinking about AI all wrong, and what it really means to align machines with our values. Shannon unpacks the AI Mirror metaphor, suggesting that today’s AI isn’t a thinking mind but a reflection of human data, Igor considers whether technology could ever help us become wiser rather than just more efficient, and Charles wonders if philosophy can guide better decisions in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms. Welcome to Episode 63.
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62: Experimental Philosophy: Testing the Limits of Wisdom and Knowledge (with Edouard Machery)
December 9th, 2024 | 57 mins 10 secs
cultural differences in wisdom, decision-making, edouard machery, emotions, epistemology, experimental philosophy, geography of philosophy, happiness, meaning, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, skepticism, social science, trust in science, well being, wisdom
What happens when philosophers start running experiments? Edouard Machery joins Igor and Charles to explain the principles of experimental philosophy, the surprising geography of wisdom, and why we should be skeptical about trusting science too much. Igor digs into what's universal vs what's local about how we think, Edouard explains why bad habits keep creeping into research, and Charles wonders if philosophy can support wise decisions around ordering another glass of wine when out with friends. Welcome to Episode 62.
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61: Beyond Bias: Group Identity, Wisdom, and the Climate Crisis (with Leaf Van Boven and David Sherman)
November 10th, 2024 | 1 hr 8 mins
activism, activists, climate change, climate crisis, collective action, covid-19, david sherman, emotions, environmental policy, group dynamics, happiness, leaf van boven, meaning, misperceptions, philosophy, political identity, politicians, psychology, public, public health, public policy, purpose, reasoning, social norms, social science, the media, tribalism, well being, wisdom
Can our political identities get in the way of wise action, even on existential issues like climate change? Leaf Van Boven and David Sherman join Igor and Charles to unpack how we perceive environmental policy through the lenses of group identity and social norms, revealing how misperceptions fuel inaction. Igor considers how group beliefs can override personal values, Leaf explores the power of asking, “What if I’m wrong?”, David suggests we may be following louder voices over wiser ones, and Charles wonders if we’re wired to stick to our “tribe” or if we can really think beyond our social bubbles. Welcome to Episode 61.
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60: Wisdom, Love, and the Lexical Fallacy (with Alan Fiske)
October 20th, 2024 | 1 hr 13 mins
alan fiske, emotions, happiness, jingle jangle fallacy, kama muta, meaning, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social science, the lexical fallacy, well being, wisdom
Why do we have such a hard time figuring out what we’re feeling? Alan Fiske joins Igor and Charles to unravel the mystery of emotions, revealing why your gut feeling might not be as clear-cut as you think. Drawing from his research into Kama Muta—a heartwarming rush of connection—and his critiques of how we label emotions, Alan sheds light on why most of us are pretty terrible at naming what we feel. Igor tackles the complexities of universal emotions, Alan shares why cultural differences make this even trickier, and Charles wonders if anyone truly knows what’s going on inside their head. Welcome to Episode 60.
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59: Shaping Reality and Relationships: The Science of Connection and Expectation (with David Robson)
September 23rd, 2024 | 49 mins 40 secs
amae, david robson, emotions, expectation effect, happiness, loneliness, meaning, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social connection, social science, the beautiful mess effect, the fast-friendship procedure, the liking gap, the nocebo effect, the novelty penalty, the placebo effect, well being, wisdom
Can our expectations about ourselves and others reshape our lives? Science writer David Robson returns to explore how our expectations don’t just change personal outcomes—they influence how we connect with others. Drawing from his books The Laws of Connection and The Expectation Effect, David reveals the hidden psychology behind social interactions and how our misconceptions about what others think can hold us back. Igor delves into how expectations can foster or hinder meaningful relationships, David explains how small mindset shifts can help overcome social anxiety, and Charles reflects on why connecting with strangers can be easier (and more rewarding) than we think. Welcome to Episode 59.
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58: The Social Robots are Coming! (with Kerstin Dautenhahn)
November 1st, 2023 | 49 mins 2 secs
ai, artificial life, assistive technology, chatgpt, emotions, happiness, human-robot interaction, kerstin dautenhahn, llm, meaning, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, robot-assisted interventions, robotics, robotiquette, social anxiety, social robots, social science, well being, wisdom, wise robots
Can we create wise robots? Kerstin Dautenhahn joins Igor and Charles to dive into the intriguing world of social robots, the finer points of “Robotiquette,” and the potential role such robots can play in supporting therapeutic treatments. Igor reflects on the limits of robot-based wisdom, Kerstin reveals the potential of Generative AI like ChatGPT to generate false information about her own professional identity, and Charles considers the perils of socially awkward machines. Welcome to Episode 58.
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57: The Epic Challenge of Knowing Thyself (with David Dunning)
October 7th, 2023 | 1 hr 3 mins
ai, checklists, dale carnegie, david dunning, dunning-kruger, emotions, happiness, how to win friends and influence people, jury service, justin kruger, meaning, metacognition, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, self-assessment, self-awareness, social science, well being, wisdom
Can we ever really know ourselves, or are we destined to always make overly optimistic self-assessments? David Dunning joins Igor and Charles to discuss the Dunning-Kruger effect, the importance of asking the right questions, why arriving at an accurate view of ourselves is so challenging, and the implications for teaching, medicine, and even scientific research. Igor explores the possible reemergence of group assessments in education as a result of advances in AI, David shares why conversations with smart people often end up as competitions to ask the most questions, and Charles reflects on the wisdom-enhancing experience of jury service. Welcome to Episode 57.
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56: Awe Reloaded (with Dacher Keltner)
August 29th, 2023 | 50 mins 8 secs
awe, awe walk, dacher keltner, emotions, happiness, horror, meaning, meta awareness, moral beauty, philosophy, psychology, purpose, reasoning, social science, terror, uc berkeley, well being, wisdom
Have we overlooked a major source of awe, right under our collective noses? Dacher Keltner returns to the On Wisdom studio to discuss his new book "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life", the power of moral beauty, the desire for connection, and the importance of wandering. Igor suggest that awe can also entail feelings of terror, Dacher reflects on the perils of awe being used against us, and Charles shares his experience of an awe walk-around-the-bloc. Welcome to Episode 56.