How math, science, and Star Trek help us understand the value of team diversity
summary
Presents the claim that under hard problems and a large solver pool diversity trumps ability (Scott Page’s theorem) and cites a 2001 Harvard Business Review correlation: teams with higher shared EQ outperform teams with higher individual IQ. Uses concrete failures and fixes: kumadin repurposed from rat poison, 1930s fertilization model overturned, Ambien dose errors from male-only testing, Apple HealthKit missing period tracking, and carabiners redesigned by AI then 3D printing (second is 75% lighter, third 50% lighter). Recommends tying recruiting metrics to compensation and sourcing talent from groups like NSBE and SWE, and to change your perspective to arrive at a new heuristic.
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Start
- 16:03Star Trek: Voyager
- 17:45Captain Janeway
- 33:38B'Elanna Torres
- 35:23The Difference
- 42:14Seven of Nine
- 50:08What the model tells us
- 57:27In Conclusion...
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