It's note to self the tech show about being human, I'm Manouche Samarote.

This week, more algorithms to live by.

The computer science of human decisions.

It's not just a concept, it's a book.

It's written by cognitive scientist Professor Tom Griffiths and writer-thinker Mathman

Brian Christian.

Computer science offers a way to most effectively achieve your goals.

Last week, Brian explained how algorithms can help us organize our desk, our email, our

calendars, and our brains.

The principal in computer science is called temporal locality.

So literally, if you've got 100 pieces of paper on your desk, the paper that you're

most likely to touch next is the last one you touched.

So there's no point in putting them into nice stacks or filing them.

That feels good.

Yeah, exactly.

Now, we're going to raise the stakes and put a couple of these algorithms to the test.

In real life, with real people and some real basic human needs, can algorithms actually

help us eat and love better?

Who are you?

You met someone very special to me at the beginning of the show.

I'm your sister.

What's your name?

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