Dan Ariely
About me
I have been studying decision-making for over twenty years and I had the good fortune to spend a decade of that time at MIT. It was a phase of my life that, in retrospect, was as influential and formative as my teenage years. As the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics and a professor in the Media Lab, I had the privilege of engaging with inquisitive minds while exploring the fascinating world of the forces that influence our decisions and lead us to behave irrationally—that is to say, in ways that don’t always serve our best interests.
When I first arrived at MIT, I set my office hours to start at midnight. This was a really good time for me because it was the end of my workday. I did not think many people would show up, but I did not truly understand that this was the middle of the workday for the dedicated MIT students who were happy to meet their professor in the middle of the night. Over time, my appreciation for the students and faculty at MIT only grew and the relationships I created during this time remain some of the most wonderful in my life.
Links and resources
My main website is:
https://danariely.com
Here you can find links to talks, books, and information about past and current
projects.
Here is the story and logic behind my favorite email address:
Here is information about The Center for Advanced Hindsight (my research lab at Duke University): https://advanced-hindsight.com
I also have a personal website in Hebrew — here https://danariely.co.il.
General Q&A
An explanation of why I have half a beard:
And a nice article that somebody wrote about it:
https://beardoholic.com/dan-ariely-beard/
If you want to hear how much I appreciate your email:
If you want me to say “Yes” to your idea:
If you would prefer I say “No” to your idea:
The Irrational TV Series
A show based on my first book, Predictably Irrational, is scheduled to premiere on NBC in fall 2023. Jesse L. Martin will play Professor Alec Mercer who runs the Institute for Advanced Hindsight. Alec, along with his two research assistants, ex-wife, and younger sister research a variety of topics. Each episode will portray a mystery that relies on an important psychological factor to solve. Some of these factors are known to Professor Mercer and his team. Others, they must uncover. From working with the writing team to watching the filming, the process of being involved in this show has been an unbelievable adventure. It's also been fun to see that a lot of details in Alec's professional life, like his research and office, have been inspired by mine.
More information can be found here:
https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-about-nbc-new-drama-the-irrational
Dan vs Chat GPT
Finally, here is a link to a project comparing how I answer all kinds of questions about
life to how Chat GPT is answering the same questions:
