Sciencespeaking topic
The pull of free: why does a price of zero completely wreck our rational calculations? Why does the word free make us take something we don't even need?
— Ariely, the zero price effect
practice with this topic
Set the timer (5-30 min), take 20 seconds of prep if you like, start talking. Jot your thoughts onto the sticky-note board.
similar topics
- The faster you go, the harder it is to speed up; the mass of an object approaching the speed of light goes to infinity. That's why nothing can reach the speed of light. Why did the universe set a speed limit, and why does light define it?
- Cognitive load and working memory: the amount of information the brain can hold at once is surprisingly limited. Why does everything fall apart when we try to juggle many tasks at once; is multitasking actually a myth?
- The theory-ladenness of observation: two scientists looking at the same image, holding different theories, see different things. Is there really such a thing as neutral observation?
- Prospect theory: why does the pain of losing 100 dollars feel greater than the joy of gaining 100? Do we make decisions based on absolute outcomes, or relative to a reference point?
- A tree stores more and more carbon as it ages, but when it finally dies and rots it gives it all back. So nothing is permanent; it was only borrowed. In nature, is owning actually a matter of holding something in trust?