Why Are Stories Stickier Than Statistics? (Replay)
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Also: are the most memorable stories less likely to be true? Stephen Dubner chats with Angela Duckworth in this classic episode from July 2020.

• SOURCES:

• Pearl S. Buck), 20th-century American novelist.

• Jack Gallant), professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

• Steve Levitt), professor emeritus of economics at the University of Chicago, host of People I (Mostly) Admire, and co-author of the Freakonomics books.

• George Loewenstein), professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.

• Deborah Small), professor of marketing at Yale University.

• Adin Steinsaltz), rabbi, philosopher, and author.

• Diana Tamir), professor of neuroscience and psychology at Princeton University.

• RESOURCES:

• "The Representation of Semantic Information Across Human Cerebral Cortex During Listening Versus Reading Is Invariant to Stimulus Modality)," by Fatma Deniz, Anwar O. Nunez-Elizalde, Alexander G. Huth and Jack L. Gallant (*Journal of Neuroscience, *2019).

• "Reading Fiction and Reading Minds: The Role of Simulation in the Default Network)," by Diana Tamir, Andrew B. Bricker, David Dodell-Feder, and Jason P. Mitchell (*Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, *2016).

• Think Like a Freak)*, *by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (2014).

• SuperFreakonomics)*, *by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (2009).

• Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure)*, *by the Department of Defense (2009).

• "Stories or Statistics? Farmers' Attitudes Toward Messages in an Agricultural Safety Campaign)," by S. E. Morgan, H. P. Cole, T. Struttmann, and L. Piercy (*Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, *2002).

• "Explaining the Identifiable Victim Effect)," by Karen Jenni and George Loewenstein (*Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, *1997).

• "Explanation-Based Decision Making: Effects of Memory Structure on Judgment)," by N. Pennington and R. Hastie (*Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, *1988).

• The Good Earth)*, *by Pearl S. Buck (1931).

• EXTRAS:

• "Abortion and Crime, Revisited (Update))," by *Freakonomics Radio *(2022).

• "This Is Your Brain on Podcasts)," by *Freakonomics Radio *(2016).