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Long reads on how we actually think, decide and live.

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Forecasting our own regret

We are poor at predicting how we will feel, and worst of all at predicting how much it will matter.

By Alina Petrova29 Sept 202612 min read

Illustration of a bare tree over a faint grid, overlaid with rust-red, pale blue and black-spotted circles

What the lottery teaches us about hope

A ticket is not a bet on winning. It is a small, weekly permission to imagine.

By Alina Petrova27 Aug 20266 min read

Pale pink blossom on thin branches in front of a raw concrete wall

The case against the waiting room

The mind is built for a different world. It copes remarkably well with this one.

By Alina Petrova14 Aug 202611 min read

The patience of the deadline

Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.

By Alina Petrova7 Aug 20265 min read

Pale pink blossom on thin branches in front of a raw concrete wall

Hope is a slow bargain

The mind is built for a different world. It copes remarkably well with this one.

By Alina Petrova4 Jul 202611 min read

Pale pink blossom on thin branches in front of a raw concrete wall

Why we tip more at lunch

What feels like a preference is often just a default nobody questioned.

By Alina Petrova16 Jun 202611 min read

Illustration of a bare tree over a faint grid, overlaid with rust-red, pale blue and black-spotted circles

The pride of the commute

A small decision, repeated daily, is a life. Nobody designs it that way.

By Alina Petrova27 May 20266 min read

People crossing a sunlit concrete hall

What reason is for

We did not evolve to be right. We evolved to be convincing, and to be hard to convince.

By Alina Petrova12 May 20269 min read

People crossing a sunlit concrete hall

What the group chat teaches us about pride

Before we try to fix people, it is worth understanding what they are for.

By Alina Petrova18 Apr 202612 min read

A lone figure climbing a pale stone staircase towards an arched window filled with light

A short history of the school run

We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.

By Alina Petrova28 Mar 20268 min read

Pale pink blossom on thin branches in front of a raw concrete wall

What the long game teaches us about pride

We are far better at explaining our choices than at making them.

By Alina Petrova14 Mar 202614 min read

A lone figure climbing a pale stone staircase towards an arched window filled with light

Why we believe the confident

It looks like a flaw in the person. Mostly it is a feature of the situation.

By Alina Petrova7 Mar 20265 min read

Illustration of a bare tree over a faint grid, overlaid with rust-red, pale blue and black-spotted circles

Ideas worth reading. Every week.

Essays, data and ideas on economics, rationality and why we do what we do.

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