Incentives Matter

This episode explores a field experiment in Mozambique on HIV medication adherence, demonstrating that financial incentives significantly improve patient compliance. Listeners will learn that while money alone boosts adherence, adding a simple, low-cost text message reminder can more than double the incentive's effectiveness, highlighting the power of cognitive nudges over solely increasing financ...

This episode explores the pervasive and costly issue of medication non-adherence, highlighting its staggering financial and human impact. It discusses the BETTER-BP trial, which demonstrated that while incentives can significantly boost adherence, this behavioral improvement doesn't always translate into better health outcomes, revealing a central paradox. Listeners will gain insight into the deep...

This episode explores how future smart devices could generate a "longevity score" based on micro-behaviors, drawing parallels to groundbreaking research on African turquoise killifish. Listeners will learn how scientists used machine learning to identify subtle behavioral patterns ("behavioral syllables") in fish to accurately predict their remaining lifespan. The discussion also reveals a surpris...