Our Biases

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Socrates thought he was better than everyone else because at least he knew he knew nothing.  We spend some time chatting about biases.  There's a lot and, yes you have them too.

Socrates thought he was better than everyone else because at least he knew he knew nothing.  We spend some time chatting about biases.  There’s a lot and, yes you have them too.

Summary

In this conversation, Matt and Tom discuss various cognitive biases and their impact on perception and decision-making. They explore the bandwagon effect, in-group favoritism, and groupthink, highlighting how these biases can influence beliefs and behaviors. The conversation also touches on the curse of knowledge and the false consensus effect, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and critical thinking. Overall, the discussion sheds light on the complexities of human cognition and the need to approach information with a discerning mindset. In this part of the conversation, Tom and Matt discuss various biases that affect our thinking and decision-making. They explore the possibility of having unbiased conversations and the challenges that come with it. They also touch on biases such as the spotlight effect, availability heuristic, defense attribution, just world hypothesis, naive realism, naive cynicism, confirmation bias, and more. They discuss the impact of these biases on our perceptions and interactions with others. Additionally, they mention the potential benefits and risks of using medications like metformin and rapamycin. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of being aware of our biases and how they shape our understanding of the world. In this conversation, Tom and Matt discuss the dosing and optimization of rapamycin, a compound known for its potential anti-aging effects. They explore the challenges of finding the right dosage and balancing the benefits of mTOR suppression with the risks of immunosuppression. The conversation also touches on the search for safer alternatives to rapamycin and the importance of the mTOR and AMPK pathways in cellular growth and metabolism. They discuss the potential benefits of boosting AMPK without downregulating mTOR and the role of rapamycin in suppressing mTOR production. The conversation concludes with a brief discussion on the use of rapamycin and metformin in medical contexts.

 

Takeaways

  • Cognitive biases can significantly impact our perception and decision-making.
  • The bandwagon effect and in-group favoritism can lead to conformity and polarization.
  • Self-awareness and critical thinking are essential in recognizing and mitigating biases.
  • Understanding cognitive biases can help us navigate the complexities of human cognition and make more informed choices. Biases can significantly impact our thinking and decision-making processes.
  • Having unbiased conversations is challenging, as biases are inherent in our perspectives.
  • Understanding biases such as the spotlight effect, availability heuristic, and confirmation bias can help us navigate conversations more effectively.
  • The just world hypothesis and naive realism can influence our perceptions of fairness and objectivity.
  • The placebo effect and nocebo effect demonstrate the power of our beliefs and expectations on our health outcomes.
  • Self-experimentation with medications like rapamycin requires careful consideration of potential risks and benefits. Finding the optimal dosage of rapamycin is a constant experiment, as individuals have different thresholds for mTOR suppression.
  • Balancing the benefits of mTOR suppression with the risks of immunosuppression is crucial when using rapamycin.
  • There is ongoing research to find safer alternatives to rapamycin that provide similar benefits without the potential side effects.
  • Understanding the mTOR and AMPK pathways is essential for optimizing cellular growth and metabolism.

Chapters

00:00Introduction and Podcasting
03:00Biases and Perception
06:00The Impact of COVID-19
09:00The Bandwagon Effect
12:00Cognitive Biases in the Modern World
18:00In-Group Favoritism and Groupthink
24:00False Consensus and Moral Luck
30:00Curse of Knowledge and Naive Realism
32:52The Possibility of Unbiased Conversations
34:11The Spotlight Effect and Overestimating Attention
35:22The Availability Heuristic and Immediate Examples
36:31Defense Attribution and Blaming the Victim
37:53The Just World Hypothesis and Believing in a Just World
39:12Naive Realism and Naive Cynicism
40:34The Barnum Effect and Vague Statements
41:03The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Overconfidence
42:06Confirmation Bias and Seeking Information That Confirms Our Beliefs
43:29The Zygarnik Effect and Remembering Incomplete Things
49:51Zero Risk Bias and Preferring to Reduce Small Risks
50:11Authority Bias and Trusting Authority Figures
52:03Pessimism Bias and Optimism Bias
53:14The Placebo Effect and Nocebo Effect
54:16Rapamycin and Self-Experimentation
01:06:58Optimizing Rapamycin Dosing
01:07:29Balancing Immunosuppression
01:08:16Safer Alternatives to Rapamycin
01:09:37mTOR and AMPK Pathways
01:10:12The Importance of AMPK
01:11:19Optimizing mTOR and AMPK
01:11:30Considering Rapamycin Use
01:12:07Understanding the Use of Rapamycin
01:12:19Discovering Metformin’s Use
01:12:52Metformin as a Popular Diabetic Drug
01:13:14Closing Remarks

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