Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral sciences focus on understanding how organisms think and interact with each other in their environments. This field systematically examines both human and animal behaviors by looking at historical data, observing current actions in various settings, and conducting structured scientific experiments. The goal is to reach valid and objective insights through careful study and analysis. Some fields within behavioral sciences include psychology, psychobiology, anthropology, and cognitive science. Overall, behavioral sciences mainly concentrate on human actions and often aim to make broader statements about how individuals behave in relation to society.

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What It's Like to Be...a Harbor Pilot

3 days ago | behavioralscientist.org | Dan Heath |Evan Nesterak

Scaling three-story rope ladders up the sides of ships, memorizing every rock and current in a harbor, and narrowly avoiding catastrophic collisions with Captain Grant Livingstone, a retired harbor pilot. What do you do when your engine and anchors fail in heavy fog? And how do you dock a ship the size of the Empire State Building? Grant and his twin brother Captain George Livingstone co-authored the recent book Shiphandling, The Beautiful Game.
Burning Questions: A Collection of Perspectives on Climate Action

4 days ago | behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak

Last year was the hottest on record. For the first time, the annual average global temperature pierced the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set by the Paris Agreement a decade earlier. That threshold was established by the 195 nations that signed the agreement in 2015 in an attempt to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
‘Radical Uncertainty’ and Trump’s On-again, Off-again Tariffs

1 week ago | behavioralscientist.org | Barry Schwartz |Evan Nesterak

Years of research in psychology have taught us how important it is for well-being to live in a world in which we can predict and control the things that matter. As Martin Seligman, among others, has shown, lack of predictability produces anxiety, and lack of control produces helplessness. Being able to control events in our lives means we can predict them (if you do X, Y will happen; if you flip the switch, the light will go on).
The Future of International Aid: A Conversation Between Dean Karlan and Nicholas Kristof

1 week ago | behavioralscientist.org | Heather Graci |Evan Nesterak

International aid looks nothing like it did six months ago. Emergency food assistance sits in abandoned warehouses. Health workers who administered life-saving treatment were there one day, gone the next. People who relied on the United States for food and medicine are weaker and sicker, and some are already dead.
What It's Like to Be...a Hospice Nurse

2 weeks ago | behavioralscientist.org | Dan Heath

Comforting patients as they prepare to transition, navigating end-of-life regrets and frayed relationships, and providing support and advice for fearful families with Heather Meyerend, a retired hospice nurse. How does she know when the end is imminent? And what has the work taught her about the different ways we deal with death?
What It's Like to Be...a Veterinarian

1 month ago | behavioralscientist.org | Dan Heath

Calming scared cats with pheromone sprays, advising families how to balance their pet’s well-being with budget realities, and diagnosing mysterious animal maladies with Dr. Hindatu Mohammed, a veterinarian in Austin, TX. What breed of dog, when having its nails clipped, responds as though it’s being murdered? And how did an injured ant shape her career choice?
Why Simplicity Can Be Strength in a Complex World

1 month ago | behavioralscientist.org | Michael Hallsworth |Evan Nesterak

A decade is a long time in behavioral science. Since the Behavioural Insights Team was established in the U.K. government in 2010, I’ve seen new units, debates, and techniques spread across the globe at breakneck speed. The field is much broader and stronger now than it was when we began, thanks to skill, effort, and painful reckonings. So when, late last year, I turned to revisit and update the EAST framework, I felt a bit apprehensive.
How Behaviorally-Informed Technology Can Shape Global Aid

1 month ago | behavioralscientist.org | Heather Graci |Evan Nesterak

Contraceptives are available in Sub-Saharan Africa, but maternal deaths caused by unwanted pregnancies are still rampant. Refugee agencies support those forced to flee their homes, but don’t always know where they’ll go—or what they’ll need when they get there. AI-powered tutors provide crucial support to kids struggling in under-resourced schools, but may not treat their students equally.
What It's Like to Be...a Software Engineer

1 month ago | behavioralscientist.org | Dan Heath

Tracing mysterious errors to their source, jousting with product managers, and rolling out new features (without breaking the old ones) with Taylor Hughes, a software engineer. How did one failed software fix ruin Christmas for kids around the country? And what is “spaghetti code”? Taylor is currently a co-founder and the CTO at Hypernatural.ai.
Event: 2025 Frontiers Conversation Series

1 month ago | behavioralscientist.org | Evan Nesterak

We are happy to announce a new online conversation series, “Frontiers,” where we’ll host live conversations with people who are pushing the boundaries of behavioral science. The series will showcase behavioral science perspectives on contemporary issues, cutting edge approaches to applying behavioral science, and conversations on the craft of behavioral science and design.