How To Hack Yourself

A Decision Scientist’s 10 Dos & Don’ts for COVID-19

Take care of your brain, be smart about data, and make wiser decisions during the pandemic

If your new favorite snack is updates on COVID-19, here are some tips to help you stay afloat in the deluge of misinformation. (Were you expecting tips about washing your hands? This is a very different kind of list.)

Upgrade your resistance to COVID-19 misinformation.

Whether you’re analyzing virus data, making strategic decisions, or simply guzzling opinions on social media, this is for you; I wrote each of the linked articles to delight beginners and experts alike. Think of it as a tour of topics that are especially relevant these days.

About the author: By day, Cassie Kozyrkov leads decision intelligence at Google. By night, she blogs about data science for your amusement.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t confuse data with objective facts. [more]
2. Don’t forget that your brain sees fake patterns everywhere. [more]
3. Don’t fall victim to confirmation bias. [more]
4. Don’t be ignorant of assumptions that underlie conclusions. [more]
5. Don’t expect AI to magically save the day. [more]
6. Don’t take analytical “insights” too seriously. [more]
7. Don’t assume that everyone measures things the same way. [more]
8. Don’t compare apples with oranges. [more]
9. Don’t trust data models and predictions blindly. [more]
10. Don’t ignore the importance of domain knowledge. [more]

DOs

1. Do follow a structured process for important decisions. [more]
2. Do think about your default actions. [more]
3. Do set decision criteria before looking at data. [more]
4. Do check that you understand the basic logic of statistics. [more]
5. Do choose your population carefully. [more]
6. Do meditate on where those data came from. [more]
7. Do be careful when interpreting data you didn’t collect yourself. [more]
8. Do insist on data splitting. [more]
9. Do educate yourself about biases. [more]
10. Do forgive yourself for finding ambiguity stressful. [more]

If you find this information helpful, please share it with others.

And now for something completely different…

Thanks for reading! If you had fun here and you’re curious about AI, here’s a beginner-friendly intro I made for your amusement:

Enjoy the entire course playlist here: bit.ly/machinefriend

Connect with Cassie Kozyrkov

Let’s be friends! You can find me on Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Interested in having me speak at your event? Use this form to get in touch.