Range Widely

Articles

A Dubious Science History Lesson

4 days ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

Last week, I watched a clip of Vice President Vance downplaying concerns about scientific “brain drain.” His remarks came after the administration abruptly paused new federal research grant awards and student visa interviews.
Fact-Checking and the Illusion of Explanatory Depth

3 weeks ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

This post was going to be a short note saying that I might not post for a bit. Instead, I figured it would be more interesting to write about what, precisely, has me so busy: fact-checking. My new book is in finished-enough form that I hired someone to torture me on a daily basis by combing the manuscript for errors. So far the necessary changes have been numerous but blessedly small. Still, they take up an enormous amount of time.
Making a Wicked Learning Environment More Kind

1 month ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

Last month, I had the pleasure of joining Forrest Hanson on “Being Well,” a mental health-focused podcast that he often co-hosts with his father, psychologist Rick Hanson. At one point, we discussed how professionals who specialize very narrowly can sometimes become rigid and stop improving. One manifestation of this is the so-called Einstellung effect, in which a problem solver reflexively relies on familiar methods — even when they no longer work, or better ones are available.
How (And Why) To Build More: Derek Thompson on "Abundance"

2 months ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

The book Abundance, by journalists Ezra Klein (New York Times) and Derek Thompson (The Atlantic), came out last month — and during the week that followed, not a day passed without a friend or acquaintance bringing it up. Some praised it, others had critiques, but every conversation was interesting. If Helen of Troy was “the face that launched a thousand ships,” Abundance may be a book that launches a thousand policy debates.
Why You Should Get Lost More Often

2 months ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

Is the drive to explore new places and ideas embedded in human biology? In a rapidly changing work world, should we all be exploring a little more? Can trying new things actually be good for your health? These are the kinds of questions at the heart of a new book, The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map, out today. The author, Alex Hutchinson, is one of the best science writers working today.
Why You Need a Warmup

2 months ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

What do you think of when you hear the word “warmup”? If you’re like me, probably athletes limbering up before competition. But perhaps we should think of it more broadly. Last week, I read an intriguing study that applied the idea of a warmup in less obvious arena: pediatric anesthesia.
Why Hobbies Are An Advantage, Not a Distraction

Feb 25, 2025 | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

The most memorable athletic feat I’ve ever seen in person took place at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. While warming up for the women’s individual sprint, Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdič — who was projected to win several medals at those Games — slid off course and fell ten feet into a frozen creek bed. Her chest slammed into a rock and the impact snapped her ski poles like toothpicks and splintered the tip of one of her skis.
Rewriting Your Personal Narrative for Growth

Feb 4, 2025 | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

In 2015, I worked with the BBC on a documentary that examined illicit medical practices at the Nike Oregon Project, then the most famous and well-funded distance-running group in the world, led by marathon legend Alberto Salazar. Salazar was subsequently banned, and the Oregon Project dissolved. One of the sources for that film was a former Oregon Project assistant coach named Steve Magness.
How to Make Resolutions That Might Actually Stick

Jan 9, 2025 | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

A few years ago, I wrote a New Year’s post about the “fresh start effect,” a finding in psychology research that a sense of some new beginning (like a new year) helps people make behavioral changes. After that post, economist and journalist Tim Harford, whose work I’ve long admired (he is the host of the wonderful “Cautionary Tales” podcast), wrote me a note, the essence of which was: I’m not so sure about that.
What's Really Driving Healthcare Costs?

Dec 19, 2024 | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

Like everyone else, I’ve been talking about health insurance more than usual. One of the news stories that caught my eye was about Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield’s new policy to put a time limit on anesthesia coverage. As I assume was the case for most readers, it made me angry. Public outrage led Anthem to reverse the policy, which seemed like a straightforward win for the public.