How interpreting scientific data for a living did — and didn’t — change the way health economist Emily Oster trained for a marathon.
As a statistician, health economist, and economics professor at Brown University, it’s Emily Oster, Ph.D.,’s job to dig into the latest science on the best ways to live. The healthiest way to eat, best way to optimize athletic performance, and even how to raise kids are all areas she’s done a deep dive into.
Has having the latest scientific research at her fingertips impacted the way she lives? Of course. But Oster emphasizes that not every scientific study is worth changing your life for. “There are many studies out there, and they’re not all good. So actually, the frequency with which there is new data that really will change what you’re doing is pretty rare,” she says. Still, it happens. Ahead, Oster shares how to know what new information is actually worth our attention and how she’s applied what she learns to her own life, particularly in the way she works out.
