Joshua Becker, PhD on Polarization, Collective Intelligence & Social Tipping Points

Joshua Becker studies computational social science - particularly collective intelligence and tipping points. Joshua has recently published some papers on polarization showing that the grim headlines about an increasingly fractured society unable to agree on basic facts about the world might not be quite right. Joshua also discusses the way that societies hit "tipping points" and how the networked relationships of human beings interact to create change. Check out the full episode to find out how polarization impacts our ability to learn from each other and why "be the change you wish to see in the world" isn’t just a corny platitude.

Check out more from Joshua here: Website: www.joshua-becker.com | Research Twitter: @joshua_a_becker

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Show Notes: [01:14] Are echo chambers a real thing? [12:47] Is the backfire effect real? Or, do people still learn from sharing information with each other – even in highly polarized environments? [21:38] Different studies show different effects depending on exactly what is being measured as an effect of “polarization.” [30:10] Both academics and journalists are motivated to provide “compelling narratives,” “counterintuitive ideas,” and “difficult problems that must be solved!” [39:39] How do people organize to solve collective action problems? [45:12] What types of organization emerge in complex social systems? [49:30] Is there such a thing as a “collective consciousness”? How do people coordinate conventions like which side of the road to drive on? [01:00:58] “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – this isn’t just a platitude, the mathematics of network dynamics and social tipping points show that this is how you can actually change the world. [01:05:14] How can we create a sense of community – and what actions does Joshua take to create community in his own life? [01:14:32] How to connect with Joshua online Links and Resources Mentioned Backfire effect Wisdom of the crowd Multimodal distribution The Polarization Lab at Duke University Chris Bail Ross Douthat Ezra Klein “Bowling Alone” by Robert Putnam Social capital Collective action problem Complex systems Coherent Systems Why army ants get trapped in ‘death circles’ Albert Kao at the Santa Fe Institute Karl Marx Lumpenproletariat (Spooky) Action at a distance Quantum entanglement Andrea Baronchelli “God is dead” Opportunity Cost Transaction Costs “Inadequate Equilibria” by Eliezer Yudkowsky