Science Proves that The Wisdom of Crowds Exists
Mar 29, 2018

Priscilla Cain
Core Spirit member since Dec 24, 2020
Reading time less than 1 minute

You just need to find the people that know they are right and expect others to be wrong.

To paraphrase Men In Black’s Agent K, a person is smart, but people are dumb, panicky and dangerous animals. Researchers at MIT and Princeton wanted to see if, despite this, they were able to extract better information from crowds. They appear to have succeeded after developing an algorithm that looks at what people answer, but also what they believe other people will answer too.

As the paper’s authors explain, the democratic method of asking people to choose between two (or more) options isn’t perfect. The system often skews heavily in favor of “shallow, lowest common denominator information at the expense of novel or specialized knowledge.” Hence the idea, so espoused in the UK’s recent referendum to leave the European Union, that the people had grown tired of experts.

In order to combat this, the pair developed a system that essentially gives extra weight to the answers of better-informed people. In the example, a group was given two questions: “Is Philadelphia the capital of Pennsylvania?” and “Will other people think that Philadelphia is the capital of Pennsylvania?”

Now, Philadelphia isn’t the capital city of Pennsylvania, that honor goes to Harrisburg, but Philadelphia is bigger, more populous and better known. But those people who answered no to the first question said yes to the second, showing that they anticipated being in the minority.

The researchers’ solution to polling data is to only select the answer that is more popular than people predict it to be. As MIT News explains, it’s this smaller group that helps give you the proper weight of the overall answers. Put simply, it’s worth looking at those folks who answer against what they believe everyone else will say, since they may be smarter than everyone else.

There’s a sting in this tale, however, because this newfangled algorithm may not be enough to overcome human biases in some fields. At the same time that news of the research was published, the Washington Post carried out a similar experiment with unfortunate results.

The paper asked people to compare images of the National Mall on Jan 20th, 2009 and Jan 20th, 2017 – inauguration day. They were asked, simply, to choose which image displayed more people, and those with a political slant toward the current administration chose the clearly less populous picture. So, while scientists are still trying to make surveys and voting patterns better, they’re still going to have to contend with people being people.

Daniel Coopa/Engadget

Priscilla Cain

Leave your comments / questions for this practitioner

To write a comment please
or
Services
Category filter
Concern filter
Type filter
Sort
 

All categories

Wellness Coaching
$20 USD
consultation
50 & Beyond Health & Wellbeing Discovery Session

Join me for a comprehensive look into what it will take to stay physically and mentally strong as you move through the second half of your life.

We all want to age without the fear of suffering from a chronic illness and still have the energy and strength to live the life we want.

The number one reason people fail to stay healthy as they age is the inability to consistently follow the right habits and behaviours for health transformation.

Through working with 1000's of clients over the last 20 years, I have been able to develop a coaching program that not only looks at nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management but also how to develop the right mindset needed to succeed.

Having a plan is not as important as having the ability to implement it.

If you are someone who struggles to follow healthy habits consistently. Or you are someone who wants to learn more about what they need to do personally to avoid chronic illness. Then my 30-minute Discovery Session is ideal for you.

From the 30 minutes we spend together, we will go through in specific detail what it is you can do today when it comes to what to eat, how to get the most from exercise, how to develop a powerful sleep routine and how to build a healthy environment needed to live a healthy life.

And with over 20 years of coaching experience in the health & wellness industry, I have witnessed firsthand what it takes to consistently follow the right habits and behaviours for lasting change.

Expect to hear things that will challenge what you have always been told about nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management. As someone who is over 50 and is stronger, fitter and healthier than I was in my 20s, 30s, & 40s, I am well-placed to know what works and doesn't as we move through this period of our lives.

Chris Deavin
Cognitive Psychology
$99 USD
consultation
Check Your Vibes! Find out how much Positive and Negative energy you have!

The Energy Leadership™ Index (ELI) assessment is the proprietary, research-backed assessment tool, created by iPEC, that takes something abstract, like the way a person views the world, and turns it into something tangible—a metric that you can see and feel and even reevaluate in the future.

You’ve probably taken personality tests, like Myers Briggs, DiSC, and Enneagram, but this is different. And transformational.

The ELI is an attitudinal assessment tool that captures how an individual currently perceives and approaches work and life. This means that you learn to make change happen in real-time when you encounter a moment of self-doubt, fear, or frustration.

With the awareness and insights gained through the Energy Leadership Index debrief, you have the opportunity to reshape your attitudes and worldview and transform your life into the one you envision.

Our worldview is the result of a combination of many different aspects: our past experiences, level of consciousness, perception of situations. Each of us has a unique combination of all seven levels of energy which, in turn, creates your typical viewpoints, perceptions, and beliefs about life.

Learning about your energetic makeup can help you to reframe your perspective, shift your consciousness, and increase your energy level as a result. Discover your unique energetic makeup by taking an ELI Assessment!

This comes with an hour debrief - As an FYI the price is what it is because there is a price to me- I have to pay the institution for the assessment and the scoring. Then I'll walk you thorugh your results.

David Jacks
Emotional Stress Release
$80 USD
healing session
Oxygen to the rescue! Great for Mental Health, Brain Injury, Detox, inflammation

Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers are one of the oldest and safest treatments available. Oxygen detoxifies and heals. I was introduced to Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers (HBOC) by Dr. Amen, a world reknown Psychiatrist. Oxygen is great for ADD, Mood Disorders, Trauma, Insomnia, Brain injuries, Wound healing and Inflammation.

This is from Dr. Amen's Clinic: "If you are struggling with a mental health condition, recovering from a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI), or dealing with cognitive or memory problems, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be for you. People all over the world have reported recovering from a variety of conditions and experiencing dramatic improvements with this type of popular therapy."

Most people will feel a difference off of one treatment, especially if you typically have trouble sleeping. You will sleep like a rock.

David Jacks
Bach flower therapy
$35 USD
consultation
BACH FLOWER STANDALONE BOTTLE SERVICE

**This type of service is ONLY for clients who already know the remedies they want to take.

The standalone treatment bottle service is offered to US residents only .**

Iose Cocuzza, NC, CGP, BFRP

Related Articles

View All
Registered individuals enjoy all the possibilities of Core Spirit.