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Erez Yoeli

@erezyoeli.bsky.social
1.7K followers 5.2K following 533 posts

Research Scientist, MIT Sloan Director, Applied Cooperation Initiative Co-author, Hidden Games Research focus: How to motivate people to do good

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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Pinker on authoritarians’ fear of — and use of — common knowledge: www.persuasion.community/p/why-author...
persuasion.community
Why Authoritarians Fear Common Knowledge
An excerpt from Steven Pinker’s new book “When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows…”
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
What are the downsides to this? www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/w...
nytimes.com
France Bans Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls
Companies will no longer be allowed to advertise goods and services through cold calls without previous consent from consumers.
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Angela Andersen @angelaandersen.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Kudos to @science.org for this self-analysis of the peer review process. These kind of data are never shared and don't have to be. Wildly refreshing to see it out in the open. Editorial and peer review dynamics at elite general science journals | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Editorial and peer review dynamics at elite general science journals
Analyses of deidentified data reveal complex interactions that quantify success at elite general science journals.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
"Fact avoidance" involves biased search and revelation of evidence. In Hidden Games, we used simple game theory models to show how such forms of spin can arise and persist - even when everyone knows it's going on.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Skygest is my politics-free happy place.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Oi vai.
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Paul Bruno @paul-bruno.com · 19/07/2026
"findings suggest that the rise of private health insurance in the US was not solely due to macroeconomic forces or collective bargaining; it was also enabled by a strategic, interest group–financed effort to shape citizen views and influence policy." academic.oup.com/qje/article/...
academic.oup.com
Why Doesn’t the United States Have National Health Insurance? The Political Role of the American Medical Association
Abstract. This article examines how the American Medical Association (AMA) helped shape the development of the U.S. health insurance system in the critical
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
"... rigid moral rules act as a social technology: they trade efficiency for robustness, extending the reach of reputation-based cooperation."
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
There is a huge mismatch between what voting is supposed to achieve, and what it actually achieves.
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Nicholas A. Christakis @nachristakis.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
How much does a scientific claim change between the preprint and the final published paper, post peer review? LLM was used to track 72,644 bioRxiv/journal pairs from 2018-25 The primary claim was unchanged in 39.9% of papers, mildly revised in 50.0%, and substantially changed in only 10.2%.
biorxiv.org
Tracking claim changes from preprint to publication across 72,644 biomedical studies using large language models
Preprints now disseminate a large share of biomedical research before peer review. Because they have not yet passed peer review, some scientists regard preprint claims as unverified or potentially unr...
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Trust in science is falling, but: - it remains high - the drop is no larger than for other institutions - the reduction is concentrated amongst the political right www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Have people stopped trusting science? The data tell a surprising story
Some say there’s a global crisis of trust — but research reveals where the real problems lie.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Today’s 5-4 ruling is a powerful reminder that the law does not enforce itself.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Seems like a good day to re-up this question.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Terms of art sometimes take on a life of their own. That’s fine, but it’s useful to know how others interpret what we say.
static.klipy.com
Chris Tucker: Do You Understand?
ALT: Chris Tucker: Do You Understand?
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
New WP rightly argues that externalities rooted in coordination problems (e.g., network externalities) differ from those rooted in cooperation problems (e.g., pollution), and require different solutions.
static.klipy.com
Same Same But Different Neon Sign
ALT: Same Same But Different Neon Sign
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
T/F/U England transitioned to coal because it had cut down all its forests. F - It was the other way around. When coal became available, they were free to clear forests for farmland!
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This is a really interesting case, illustrating quirks of our psychology, and the limits of participatory politics.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Off-topic PSA: Wonderful new recording of Rach's The Bells and Symphonic Dances. By the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Choir, led by Karina Canellakis. Enjoy! music.apple.com/us/album/rac...
music.apple.com
Rachmaninoff: The Bells & Symphonic Dances by Karina Canellakis, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra & Netherlands Radio Choir on Apple Music
Album · 2026 · 7 Songs
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A book I am particularly looking forward to: The Thinking Animal by @nicholaraihani.bsky.social www.amazon.com/Thinking-Ani...
amazon.com
The Thinking Animal: What Other Intelligence Reveals About Our Own
Buy The Thinking Animal: What Other Intelligence Reveals About Our Own on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Man, the responses to this are telling.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
There’s class, and then there’s KKKlass.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
In some parts of the world, democracy is alive and well. apnews.com/article/sout...
apnews.com
Former South Korean president receives life sentence for imposing martial law in 2024
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law to suppress the opposition.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Note the warning to academics.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Love me a good ol' religious loophole. Why do we permit such violations of the spirit of the law? Probably the answer lies with the game theoretic concept of common knowledge.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
The laws are still in place, the norms have collapsed.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
TLDR: OMB is eliminating traditional barriers to political interference in federal grant-making.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Not clear we will fix it. I hope so.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Like Chater and Loewenstein, Leo argues that we should focus on the system, not just the individual. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
The i-Frame and the s-Frame: How Focusing on Individual-Level Solutions Has Led Behavioral Public Policy Astray
An influential line of thinking in behavioral science, to which the two authors have long subscribed, is that many of society’s most pressing problems can be ad
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Will you do better on an exam if you study harder? Students are more likely to say yes if they have an exam looming. Suggests these beliefs are rooted not just in the truth, but also in their function (motivating us to study). Fun evidence by @georgweizsaecker.bsky.social et al. 🧵
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
How can news elicit the response “no shit” while pissing off the White House? This is a tell that they care not that the news be known, but that it be made common knowledge. Covered nicely in S Pinker’s latest book, “When everyone knows that everyone knows…” a.co/d/0f9zq3kW
a.co
Amazon.com
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Op-ed in today's NYT by @zliscow.bsky.social argues that the most effective way to tax the rich is to raise the income and capital gains tax rate on the top income brackets. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Simple Answer to Taxing the Rich Is the Best Answer
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Solar plus storage is a big deal in places with incomplete and unreliable energy infrastructure. That Africa is manufacturing this capacity locally is doubly a big deal.
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Ehud @duhe.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Asking for a colleague: good resources for someone interested to learn about analytical, modeling, complex systems approaches to democracy and surrounding issues?
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
If you haven’t yet read Ray Madoff’s The Second Estate, it explains just how the wealthy manage to pay so little in taxes, and what we should do about it. bsky.app/profile/erez...
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Political patronage makes a comeback. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/u...
nytimes.com
Justice Dept. Sets Up $1.8 Billion Fund That Could Funnel Money to Trump Allies
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Jon Agar @jonagar.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Please help spread the news far and wide! We have a new, full-time, permanent Lecturer in Global History of Science job @stsucl.bsky.social Don't be fooled by the application of deadline of only 9 June 2026. This is an open search #histsci #skystorians www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
ucl.ac.uk
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
@rare.org 's Fish Forever program works with local fishing communities to identify and promote a compact set of discrete practices like this trawling ban, that vastly improve the health and longevity of their fisheries.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Red tape is the enemy. The real DOGE is a concerted, ruthless effort to eliminate and prevent it. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/n...
Snippet of NYT article, that reads: "New York City received more than seven million applications last year for about 10,000 affordable apartments. But despite the extraordinary demand, the units often remain empty for months as potential tenants are selected by a plodding government bureaucracy.

One by one, the apartments are awarded to a lucky few who win a lottery, fill out a raft of paperwork and submit to extensive vetting. The painstaking process typically takes almost seven months, according to city data.

On Wednesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration will announce a host of changes designed to significantly speed up the leasing process, reducing the median amount of time these apartments remain empty to less than three months."
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Al Roth has a Nobel prize for thinking about markets that no one else wants to think about: organs, prostitution, and the like. If these ‘taboo’ markets are remotely of interest, this book is for you.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Great data visualization. Quite a bit of info on the chart, but it doesn’t feel that way, and the main takeaway is immediately obvious: blue now is higher than red before.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Gutting USAID was bad.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Sometimes all you need is N=2.
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Tamar Haspel @tamarhaspel.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Are we fat & sick because junk food is cheap and produce is expensive? A new study gave people $80/month to buy fruits, veg, and legumes. Only 30% of participants used 80% or more of the money. Health did not improve. We don't eat vegetables because we don't like them. wapo.st/4el67vN
wapo.st
Column | America’s obesity problem isn’t about costs. We just love junk food.
Junk food is cheaper than healthful food, but a new study reinforces taste preferences play a bigger role than prices.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
This is a pretty remarkable headline.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Michael Tilson Thomas, longtime music director of the San Francisco Symphony, has succumbed to brain cancer. Here he is, leading SFS through Mahler's Symphony No. 6 - great recording, great performance, great piece. classical.music.apple.com/us/album/151...
classical.music.apple.com
Mahler: Symphony No. 6 by San Francisco Symphony - Apple Music Classical
Listen to Mahler: Symphony No. 6 by San Francisco Symphony. 2001. 4 tracks. 1 hour 27 minutes.
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Ray Madoff is on Ezra Klein’s podcast, talking about the US’s rigged tax code. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Our Tax System Should Make You Furious
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Probably, one can develop a complicated Bayesian explanation for this. But the most obvious explanation is that climate denialists aren’t Bayesian.
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Pam Davis-Kean, PhD @umpamdk.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
The NSF 2027 budget has noted that they will close out the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Science Program (SBE). This is not a good thing. nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/FY-202...
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Erez Yoeli @erezyoeli.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
So many experimental economics papers bury - or outright don't include - a description of the experimental manipulation. Not good. In other experimental fields (medicine, psych, etc.), a complete description of the manipulation is (rightly IMO) expected.
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit is standing in a living room .
ALT: a man in a suit is standing in a living room .
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Sara Magliacane hiring PhDs at UvA @smaglia.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
🚨2 PhD positions with me @amlab.bsky.social on learning causally grounded concepts 🚨 Are you interested in improving the #interpretability #robustness and #safety of AI by integrating #causal reasoning? Join us in beautiful Amsterdam 🇳🇱🌷🚲 Deadline: 20 April www.academictransfer.com/en/jobs/3593...
academictransfer.com
2 PhD Positions on Learning Causally Grounded Concepts for Safe AI
Are you interested in improving the interpretability, robustness and safety of AI by integrating causal reasoning? The Causality team in the AMLab group at the University of Amsterdam is looking for 2...
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