Matt Ridley || How Innovation Works

<p>Today we have Matt Ridley on the podcast. Matt is the author of the recently-released&nbsp;<em>How Innovation Works</em>, as well as&nbsp;<em>The Rational Optimist</em>&nbsp;and several other books related to science and human progress, which have sold over a million copies. He is also a biologist, newspaper columnist, and member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom.<br> <br> <strong>Topics</strong><br> [01:37] What it means to be a rational optimist<br> [03:39] Evidence that the world is heading in the right direction<br> [05:43] Giving evidence-based hope<br> [11:23] Understanding the probabilities of life<br> [12:42] "It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you think you know that ain’t so"<br> [14:23] Why nuance is an endangered species<br> [16:28] The reward value to truthful or insightful information<br> [18:16] How not everybody is wired to create<br> [20:08] Working with restricted samples<br> [23:03] Does the lone genius really exist?<br> [26:43] Working with naturally occurring samples versus working with restricted samples<br> [32:10] Why stories don’t necessarily mean generalizable truths about innovation<br> [34:05] The need to look out for unexpected results<br> [35:00] Separating the person from the process<br> [36:02] The phenomenon of simultaneous inventions<br> [42:28] Why innovation requires freedom<br> [44:38] Why innovators crave the safe space to fail<br> [45:08] The government’s role in innovation<br> [49:47] Biology as the science of exceptions and not rules</p> --- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support</a>