Improve your decision-making, frameworks for learning, backcasting, and more | Annie Duke (#60 rebroadcast)
Release Date: 09/02/2024
The Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives back into the increasingly popular topic of GLP-1 agonists, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, which have garnered widespread attention for their ability to promote weight loss. Peter covers the latest findings in this rapidly evolving landscape, including new insights into their long-term efficacy, side effects, and what happens when the drug is discontinued. Peter also explores their impact on body composition and how resistance training interacts with these treatments. Additionally, he compares different GLP-1 receptor agonists and...
info_outline #319 ‒ Peter's key takeaways on liver health, heart rate variability, AI in medicine, klotho, and lactate metabolism | Quarterly Podcast Summary #2The Peter Attia Drive
In this quarterly podcast summary (QPS) episode, Peter summarizes his biggest takeaways from the last three months of guest interviews on the podcast. Peter shares key insights from each episode, covering diverse topics such as liver health with Julia Wattacheril, heart rate variability with Joel Jamieson, artificial intelligence with Zak Kohane, klotho for brain health with Dena Dubal, and lactate and lactate metabolism with George Brooks. Additionally, Peter shares any personal behavioral adjustments or modifications to his patient care practices that have arisen from these engaging...
info_outline #318 ‒ Cycling phenom and Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar reveals his training strategies, on-bike nutrition, and future aspirationsThe Peter Attia Drive
Tadej Pogačar is a three-time Tour de France champion and one of the most dominant cyclists of his generation. In this episode, he shares insights into his 2020 Tour de France victory, his historic 2024 season winning both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, and the struggles he faced in 2022 and 2023. He also dives into his training regimen, nutrition, and the key metrics he tracks, like power, VAM, and heart rate variability. Tadej offers a glimpse into his goals for the future and what it takes to stay at the top of the sport. We discuss: 2020 Tour de France win [4:30]; Learning...
info_outline #317 ‒ Reforming medicine: uncovering blind spots, challenging the norm, and embracing innovation | Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.The Peter Attia Drive
Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and New York Times bestselling author, returns to The Drive to discuss his latest book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health. In this episode, Marty explores how a new generation of doctors is challenging long-held medical practices by asking critical new questions. He discusses the major problems of groupthink and cognitive dissonance in the medical community and delves into several of the "blind spots" raised in the book, including treatments for appendicitis, the peanut allergy epidemic, misunderstandings about...
info_outline #316 - AMA #63: A guide for hair loss: causes, treatments, transplants, and sex-specific considerationsThe Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives deep into the topic of hair loss, exploring its relationship with aging and its impact on quality of life. The conversation focuses on androgenic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss in both men and women, and covers the differences in patterns and causes between the sexes. Peter delves into the right timing for treatment, breaking down various options such as minoxidil and finasteride, low-level laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma injections, and more. Additionally, Peter outlines the pros and cons of the two primary hair...
info_outline Improve your decision-making, frameworks for learning, backcasting, and more | Annie Duke (#60 rebroadcast)The Peter Attia Drive
In this episode, former World Series of Poker champion and author Annie Duke explains how poker is a pertinent model system for decision-making in the real world, a system which blends imperfect information with some unknown percentage of both luck and skill. Annie breaks down the decision-making matrix, revealing how we often focus too narrowly on just one of the four quadrants, missing out on valuable learning opportunities in the remaining 75% of situations. She delves into how our tendency to evaluate only negative outcomes leads to a culture of risk aversion. This mindset, she argues,...
info_outline #315 ‒ Life after near-death: a new perspective on living, dying, and the afterlife | Sebastian JungerThe Peter Attia Drive
Sebastian Junger is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and previous guest on The Drive. In this episode, Sebastian returns to discuss his latest book, In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife. This episode delves into Sebastian's profound near-death experience and how it became the catalyst for his exploration of mortality, the afterlife, and the mysteries of the universe. They discuss the secular meaning of what it means to be sacred, the intersection of physics and philosophy, and how our beliefs shape our approach to life and death. He...
info_outline #314 ‒ Rethinking nutrition science: the evolving landscape of obesity treatment, GLP-1 agonists, protein, and the need for higher research standards | David Allison, Ph.D.The Peter Attia Drive
David Allison, a leading expert in obesity and nutrition, quantitative genetics, clinical trials, and research methodology, returns to The Drive to explore the evolving landscape of nutrition science and obesity treatment. In this episode, David begins by discussing the intricate relationship between nutrition, obesity, and body composition, emphasizing the multifaceted impacts of food beyond mere calorie intake. David provides a critical analysis of the complexities in nutrition research and their practical implications for tackling obesity. He critiques historical public health policies,...
info_outline #313 - AMA #62: Protein’s impact on appetite and weight management, and uric acid's link to disease and how to manage levelsThe Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into two important health topics: uric acid and protein, examining them from unique perspectives. For uric acid, he explores its metabolic role and connection to various diseases, focusing on the potential causal link with cardiovascular disease. He also discusses factors influencing uric acid levels, such as diet, genetics, and lifestyle, providing practical tips for effective management. Shifting to protein, Peter delves into its role in appetite and weight management, the consequences of insufficient protein, and the “protein...
info_outline #312 - A masterclass in lactate: Its critical role as metabolic fuel, implications for diseases, and therapeutic potential from cancer to brain health and beyond | George A. Brooks, Ph.D.The Peter Attia Drive
George A. Brooks is a renowned professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley. Known for his groundbreaking "lactate shuttle" theory proposed in the 1980s, George revolutionized our understanding of lactate as a crucial fuel source rather than just a byproduct of exercise. In this episode, George clarifies common misconceptions between lactate and lactic acid, delves into historical perspectives, and explains how lactate serves as a fuel for the brain and muscles. He explores the metabolic differences in exceptional athletes and how training impacts lactate flux and utilization....
info_outlineView the Show Notes Page for This Episode
Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content
Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter
In this episode, former World Series of Poker champion and author Annie Duke explains how poker is a pertinent model system for decision-making in the real world, a system which blends imperfect information with some unknown percentage of both luck and skill. Annie breaks down the decision-making matrix, revealing how we often focus too narrowly on just one of the four quadrants, missing out on valuable learning opportunities in the remaining 75% of situations. She delves into how our tendency to evaluate only negative outcomes leads to a culture of risk aversion. This mindset, she argues, stifles the kind of bold decision-making necessary for progress and innovation across various fields, from poker and sports to business and medicine. Annie also introduces a robust framework for learning and the levels of thought required to excel in any domain. Finally, she discusses a strategy called “backcasting”, a concept that resonated deeply with Peter in terms of how he thinks about extending healthspan.
We discuss:
- Annie’s background, favorite sports teams, and Peter’s affinity for Bill Belichick [1:30];
- Chess vs. poker: Which is a better metaphor for decision-making in life (and medicine)? [6:45];
- Thinking probabilistically: Why we aren’t wired that way, and how you can improve it for better decision-making [12:30];
- Variable reinforcement: The psychological draw of poker that keeps people playing [19:15];
- The role of luck and skill in poker (and other sports), and the difference between looking at the short run vs. long run [32:15];
- A brief explanation of Texas hold ‘em [41:00];
- The added complexity of reading the behavior of others players in poker [47:30];
- Why Annie likes to “quit fast,” and why poker is still popular despite the power of loss aversion [52:45];
- Limit vs. no-limit poker, and how the game has changed with growing popularity [55:15];
- The advent of analytics to poker, and why Annie would get crushed against today’s professionals [1:04:45];
- The decision matrix, and the “resulting” heuristic: The simplifier we use to judge the quality of decisions —The Pete Carroll Superbowl play call example [1:10:30];
- The personal and societal consequences of avoiding bad outcomes [1:21:45];
- Poker as a model system for life [1:31:30];
- How many leaders are making (and encouraging) status-quo decisions, and how Bill Belichick’s decision-making changed after winning two Super Bowls [1:35:15];
- What did we learn about decision-making from the Y2K nothingburger? And how about the D-Day invasion? [1:39:30];
- The first step to becoming a good decision maker [1:43:00];
- The difference between elite poker players and the ones who make much slower progress [1:49:45];
- Framework for learning a skill, the four levels of thought, and why we hate digging into our victories to see what happened [1:52:15];
- The capacity for self-deception, and when it is MOST important to apply four-level thinking [2:00:30];
- Soft landings: The challenge of high-level thinking where there is subtle feedback and wider skill gaps [2:11:00];
- The benefits of “backcasting” (and doing pre-mortems) [2:13:30];
- Parting advice from Annie for those feeling overwhelmed (and two book recommendations) [2:21:30]; and
- More.
Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube