Times are changing rapidly and so must our organizational forms.  This is why we are doing things differently at Cognitive Policy Works.  We recognize the need to collaborate on a massive scale, which is why our organization is growing as a network that intersects with social businesses, government agencies, and non-profits through a disperse set [...]

Here’s a list of our ten favorite articles and videos about cognitive science, culture, politics, and social movements:
The Science (Fiction) of Embodied Cognition – Very insightful breakdown of the movie Avatar through the lens of cognitive science.
Loss Aversion – Fascinating, accurate summary about recent developments in neuroscience and decision-making.

In Defense of Distraction – Exploration of [...]

– A story about innovation in the Emerald City –
When I arrived in Seattle 18 months ago, I quickly realized two things.  First, this city is bustling with so much creativity that it is on the verge of becoming the next Silicon Valley.  Seattle has the cultural capacity to become a leading innovation center for [...]

I often begin public talks by asserting that what we believe to be true is more important than what is actually true.  Then I share examples like these:

Saddam Hussein is linked to the 9/11 attacks.
Environmental action destroys jobs.
Regulations hurt markets.
Government is wasteful.

Each of these claims is based on an underlying belief about the world.  In [...]

In my workshops on framing and strategic communication, I often teach audiences how to “break a frame” by exposing the underlying logic of a particular set of ideas and looking for a leverage point.  This brief video is exemplary of frame breaking.  It takes a simple, yet cogent story and pivots it in a powerful [...]

For all you Democratic Party strategists, Jon Stewart sees what’s going on.  So do millions of young people who watch his show.  We’re building the future political system to remedy this abysmal failure of leadership and tactics.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Mass Backwards

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political Humor
Health Care Crisis

We saw what [...]

This presentation provides a clear and comprehensive account of how the human mind works and why it is so vital for our politics.

George and I developed the framework for cognitive policy together that we see as absolutely vital for addressing the great challenges of our time.  Tom Crompton and I are designing methods for identity [...]

I was honored and delighted to be interviewed on the Jeff Farias Show earlier this week, where we spent an hour talking about building trust in politics and how the workings of the political mind can shed light on the great challenges we face as a society.
Here is the podcast for you to listen to [...]

This TED Talk by Dan Pink lays it out beautifully. Extrinsic rewards (as presumed by the theory of self-interest) lead to poor performance in every situation except where (a) the rules are clearly defined and (b) the outcome is known in advance. The challenges we face are NOT this kind of problem.

The science [...]

We need more applications of psychological research to help us understand political thought and behavior.
Check out this phenomenal talk by Matthew Taylor speaking at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce:

Discuss below the fold…