Framing: A Guide to Thinking in the 21st Century

Jun 8, 2021

Kenneth Cukier and Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, esteemed authors and thought leaders, discuss the transformative power of 'framing' in understanding modern issues. They illustrate how different perspectives can lead to vastly different conclusions, using examples from technology and the COVID-19 pandemic. The duo argues that rethinking our frames can enhance decision-making while addressing challenges like climate change and social justice. They also touch on fostering pluralism in media and collaboration in creativity, emphasizing the importance of innovative thought in the 21st century.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Spotify's Reframing

Companies struggled to compete with Apple's music store model.
Spotify reframed music as an experience (streaming) and succeeded.

ANECDOTE

Framing of COVID-19

New Zealand framed COVID-19 as SARS and pursued elimination.
Britain framed it as seasonal flu, leading to a mitigation approach and worse outcomes.

ANECDOTE

Nuclear Fission Discovery

Otto Hahn misidentified a nuclear reaction, while Lisa Meitner correctly reframed it as nuclear fission.
Meitner's contribution was overlooked due to gender bias.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

An industrialist looks at a rain forest and sees trees to cut down and sell, while an environmentalist sees the ‘lungs of the planet’. To one person, complying with a mandate to wear a face mask in public during a pandemic is an act of communal responsibility. To another, it’s a denial of personal freedom. Same data, but opposite conclusions. The reason for this, believe internationally acclaimed authors Kenneth Cukier and Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, is that we all look at the world through different ‘frames’. By recognising the frames that we are using, they say, we can all learn to rethink them and make better decisions. We can see the world in entirely new ways. In May 2021 Cukier and Mayer-Schönberger came to Intelligence Squared to share their insights. In conversation with science writer Timandra Harkness they explained how our ability to adjust our vantage point on the world is the essential skill humanity needs for the 21st century and will help us address the looming challenges we face, from pandemics to populism, AI to cyberattacks, wealth inequality to climate change. As examples, they pointed to the way Spotify beat Apple by framing music as experience, how the #MeToo Twitter hashtag reframed the perception of sexual assault, and how, as they argued, the UK’s decision to frame Covid-19 as seasonal flu led to disaster, while New Zealand’s framing it as SARS led to only 26 deaths. The event was hosted by Timandra Harkness. To buy the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/framers-kenneth-cukier-viktor-mayer-schoenberger-francis-de-vericourt-bookomi/ ---------- This week’s episode is sponsored by Transport for London. Visit madeby.tfl.gov.uk/i-stand-with to find out more about how TfL are standing up against hate crime on the public transport network.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices