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    Science

    On Wisdom

    What does it actually take to think wisely? On Wisdom digs into the empirical science of wisdom, judgment, and decision-making, and what it means for how we live. Igor Grossmann runs the Wisdom & Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo. Charles Cassidy runs the Evidence-Based Wisdom project in London. Each episode pairs freewheeling conversation with guest spots from leading behavioural scientists working on reasoning, wellbeing, culture, and society. Past guests include Adam Grant, Jonathan Haidt, Paul Bloom, Shannon Vallor, Lisa Barrett, David Dunning, Mara Mather, Tom Gilovich, Laura Carstensen, Oliver Burkeman, Simine Vazire, Dacher Keltner, and more. This autumn: a five-episode special series built around the first Annual Review of Psychology chapter on wisdom since 2011, featuring fifteen scholars on narrative, metacognition, measurement, training, and the neuroscience of wise decisions.

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    Latest Episodes:
    68: Special Series Trailer: 5 Episodes on the Science of Wisdom Sep 16, 2026
    Show notes

    From 28th September
    Hosted by Igor Grossmann and Charles Cassidy
    01 - EXEMPLARS AND NARRATIVES
    Cristine Legare - Dan McAdams - Laurie Paul
    02 - METACOGNITION AND JUDGMENT
    Gordon Pennycook - Tom Costello - Steven Fleming
    03 - MEASURING WISDOM
    Judith Glück - Monika Ardelt - Eranda Jayawickreme
    04 - INTERVENTIONS AND TRAINING
    Judith Glück - Ethan Kross - Kristján Kristjánsson
    05 - WISDOM FRONTIERS
    Dilip Jeste - Barry Schwartz - Justin Brienza

    67: The Wisdom Turing Test - Part Two (with Steve Rathje) Nov 16, 2025
    Show notes

    What can insights from the psychology of technology teach us about wisdom in the age of AI? In this special follow-up episode, Igor and Charles are joined by Steve Rathje to explore how classic ideas like the Turing Test hold up now that AI can talk compellingly about human wisdom. Steve unpacks what today’s generative models are actually capable of, Igor is intrigued by how quickly the line between human and machine reasoning seems to be blurring, and Charles realises that telling human insight from machine insight isn’t nearly as straightforward as he'd hoped. The trio also reveal the results of our listener poll — who sounded the wisest, and was the audience able to spot the AI? Welcome to Episode 67.

    Special Guest: Steve Rathje.

    Links:

    • Steve Rathje's Site:
    • Sycophantic AI increases attitude extremity and overconfidence (Preprint) - Steve Rathje, Meryl Ye, Laura K. Globig, Raunak M. Pillai, Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello, Jay J Van Bavel (2025)
    • Imagining and building wise machines: The centrality of AI metacognition - Johnson, Karimi, Bengio, Chater, Gerstenberg, Larson, Levine, Mitchell, Rahwan, Schölkopf, Grossmann (2024)
    • The Turing test: Can a computer pass for a human? | TedEd Video - Alex Gendler
    • The Chinese Room Experiment | The Hunt for AI | BBC Studios
    • The Chinese Room Argument | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
    • Her | Movie Trailer (2013)
    66: The Wisdom Turing Test - Part One Oct 26, 2025
    Show notes

    What happens when we ask our own fantastic listeners — and AI — what it means to live wisely? In this episode, Igor and Charles hand the mic to members of the On Wisdom audience to hear their answers to the big questions usually reserved for scientists and philosophers. But there’s a twist: one set of responses was provided by AI. We invite you to vote on who gave the wisest answers — and to guess which one wasn’t human. Igor is surprised by just how insightful the answers from the regular folk (compared to experts) turn out to be, while Charles wonders if the wisest one may not be human at all? Can you pass the Wisdom Turing Test? Welcome to Episode 66.

    Link to Listener Poll here

    Links:

    • Listener Poll | On Wisdom Podcast: The Wisdom Turing Test (Episode 66)
    65: Religion as Make-Believe (with Neil Van Leeuwen) May 08, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

    Special Guest: Neil Van Leeuwen.

    Links:

    • Neil Van Leeuwen' site | Florida State University
    • Religion as Make-Believe A Theory of Belief, Imagination, and Group Identity | Book - Neil Van Leeuwen
    • The Puzzle of Belief - Neil Van Leeuwen & Tania Lombrozo (2023)
    64: The Potency and Potential of Social Networks (with Nicholas Christakis) Mar 12, 2025
    Show notes

    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.

    Special Guest: Nicholas Christakis.

    Links:

    • Human Nature Lab | Yale University
    • Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives (Book) | Nicholas Christakis
    • Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society (Book) | Nicholas Christakis
    • Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live (Book) | Nicholas Christakis
    • The Hidden Influence of Social Networks (Ted Talk) | Nicholas Christakis
    • ETH Global Lecture: Social Artificial Intelligence (2024) | Nicholas Christakis
    • The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years - Christakis, Fowler (2007)
    • Cooperative behavior cascades in human social networks - Fowler, Christakis (2010)
    • Induction of social contagion for diverse outcomes in structured experiments in isolated villages - Airoldi, Christakis (2024)
    • Gut microbiome strain-sharing within isolated village social networks - Beghini, Pullman, Alexander, Shridhar, Prinster, Singh, Juárez, Airoldi, Brito, Christakis (2025)
    63: The AI Mirror: Why Machines Reflect Us More Than They Think (with Shannon Vallor) Feb 23, 2025
    Show notes

    Can AI ever be truly wise, or are we just seeing reflections of ourselves? Philosophy Professor 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.

    Special Guest: Shannon Vallor.

    Links:

    • Shannon Vallor | University of Edinburgh
    • Shannon Vallor | Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh
    • The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking - Shannon Vallor (2024)
    • How philosopher Shannon Vallor delivered the year’s best critique of AI - Fast Company (2024)
    • The Turing Lectures: Can we live with AI? - Shannon Vallor
    • The Danger Of Superhuman AI Is Not What You Think | Noema - Shannon Vallor
    • The Thoughts The Civilized Keep | Noema - Shannon Vallor
    • AI Is the Black Mirror | Nautilus - Philip Ball
    • Technology and the Virtues A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting - Shannon Vallor (Book)
    • Moral Machines: From Value Alignment to Embodied Virtue - Wendell Wallach, Shannon Vallor (2020)
    • AI and the Automation of Wisdom - Shannon Vallor (2017)
    • The AI Mirror — how technology blocks human potential | FT (Subscription Required)
    62: Experimental Philosophy: Testing the Limits of Wisdom and Knowledge (with Edouard Machery) Dec 09, 2024
    Show notes

    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.

    Links:

    • Edouard Machery's Homepage
    • Edouard Machery | University of Pittsburgh
    • Geography of Philosophy Project
    • Philosophy Within Its Proper Bounds | Oxford University Press - Edouard Machery (2017)
    • Experimental Philosophy | Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science - Edouard Machery (2024)
    • Dimensions of wisdom perception across twelve countries on five continents - Rudnev, M., Barrett, H.C., Buckwalter, W. et al (2024)
    • Editorial: Cultural Variation and Cognition | Springer Nature Link - Edouard Machery, Joshua Knobe & Stephen P. Stich (2023)
    • Conversations at the Center | Podcast from Center for Philosophy of Science - Hosted by Edouard Machery
    61: Beyond Bias: Group Identity, Wisdom, and the Climate Crisis (with Leaf Van Boven and David Sherman) Nov 10, 2024
    Show notes

    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.

    Special Guests: David Sherman and Leaf Van Boven.

    Links:

    • Leaf Van Boven | University of Colorado Boulder
    • Environment, Decision, Judgment, and Identity Lab (EDJI) | University of Colorado Boulder
    • David Sherman | UC Santa Barbara
    • Sherman Lab | UC Santa Barbara
    • Social Science Climate Lab
    • The connections—and misconnections—between the public and politicians over climate policy: A social psychological perspective - Sherman, Van Boven (2024)
    • Social norms explain prioritization of climate policy - Cole, Ehret, Sherman, Van Boven (2022)
    • Politicians polarize and experts depolarize public support for COVID-19 management policies across countries - Flores, A., Cole J. C., Dickert S., Eom K., Jiga-Boy G. M., Kogut T., Loria R., Mayorga M., Pedersen E. J., Pereira B., Rubaltelli E., Sherman D. K., Slovic P., Vastfjall D., & Van Boven L. (2022)
    60: Wisdom, Love, and the Lexical Fallacy (with Alan Fiske) Oct 20, 2024
    Show notes

    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.

    Special Guest: Alan Fiske.

    Links:

    • Alan Fiske's page | UCLA
    • The lexical fallacy in emotion research: Mistaking vernacular words for psychological entities - Fiske (2020)
    • Ways of Knowing Emotion, and What You Don't Know about Your Own Emotions: The Case of Kama Muta - Fiske (2020)
    • Seeking Communal Emotions in Social Practices That Culturally Evolved to Evoke Emotions: Worship, Kitten Videos, Memorials, Narratives of Love, and More - Fiske, Schubert, Seibt (2024)
    • Moral psychology is relationship regulation: moral motives for unity, hierarchy, equality, and proportionality - Rai & Fiske (2011)
    • The four elementary forms of sociality: Framework for a unified theory of social relations - Fiske (1992)
    • Kama Muta Lab | Research on social emotions
    59: Shaping Reality and Relationships: The Science of Connection and Expectation (with David Robson) Sep 23, 2024
    Show notes

    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.

    Special Guest: David Robson.

    Links:

    • David Robson's Website
    • How your expectations can transform your life | BBC Radio 4 (article)
    • The Laws of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Transform Your Life | Book
    • The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World | Book
    • David Robson's Column | The New Scientist
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