"Keynote: Brains Are Beautiful Liars"
summary
Brains constantly model the world and routinely misleads via cognitive shortcuts: shows sunk cost bias with a 30‑minute failed edit vs a <30‑minute re‑record, demonstrates anchoring with the $999→$4.99 iPad example, and recounts a live bug caused by February 29 ages. Explains Python oddities like a list that contains itself and the three‑model explanation of variables, traces Python Morsels evolution — Python morsels started as a paid email list in Feb 2018 and launched a web app in Sept 2018 — and argues for gradual, measurable improvement.
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chapters (20)
- 0:00Keynote introduction
- 1:06Brains as imperfect models
- 3:56Talk structure
- 4:18Cognitive biases overview
- 6:28System one vs system two
- 7:10Bias examples
- 10:25Status quo bias
- 11:51Overconfidence and Dunning-Kruger
- 13:13Not invented here syndrome
- 15:43Working with biases
- 16:46Python oddities
- 22:44Linguistic determinism
- 27:44Improving mental models
- 28:28PSF code of conduct progress
- 31:41Idealism vs gradualism
- 33:51Minimum viable progress
- 34:56World can improve
- 36:23Growth mindset
- 37:53End of history illusion
- 40:03Embracing progress
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