Digging In: Hidden Power of Incentives in Decision-Making

Semmelweis. Microsoft Windows Distribution. Nature Magazine. Adam Wainwright. Arc Browser.

Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician and scientist, is hailed as the “patron saint and savior of mothers.” In the mid-19th century, he discovered the critical role of hand washing in preventing the spread of puerperal fever in maternity wards across Europe.

After observing a disproportionately higher death rate in a clinic staffed by medical students …