Episode 46

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Published on:

21st May 2021

#46 Dr. Steven Popper, Ph.D., Senior Economist-RAND Corporation & Expert on the Science of Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty

Decisionmaking for the future depends on anticipating change. And anticipating change is becoming increasingly difficult. How does a person make good decisions in the face of mounting uncertainty? What if that person is a CEO, legislator, prime minister, military general, or even the President? 

This week’s guest on the show, Dr. Steven Popper, Ph.D. is a Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation who is an expert in, among many things, the science of decision making under deep uncertainty.

As associate director of the Science and Technology Policy Institute FFRDC (federally funded research & development center), Popper provided analytic support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and other Executive Branch agencies.

His current work is on decision making under deep uncertainty, science and technology policy, multi-stakeholder strategic decision processes, foresight and future studies, and security planning. He coauthored the flagship study of the RAND Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition, Shaping the Next One Hundred Years: New Methods for Quantitative, Long-Term Policy Analysis (2003), which provides a methodological framework for decision making under deep uncertainty that has been applied to an expanding set of policy issues as Robust Decision Making (RDM). His research also focuses on regional economic development and international economics. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank and OECD, and is a Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI).

Oh, and just like Benny, Steven is a member of the ‘Frozen Chosen’, hailing originally from the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Links:

Steven’s official page at the RAND Corporation

A selection of Steven’s publications and commentary

Steven’s LinkedIn

Buy Shaping the Next One Hundred Years: New Methods for Quantitative, Long-Term Policy Analysis, a flagship study co-authored by Steven Popper on Amazon.com

Visit the website of the DC-based Science and Technology Policy Institute, where Steven is an associate director

Visit the website of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where Steven provided analytic support

Visit the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), where Steven is a Senior Fellow

 

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For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com

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About the Podcast

Jewanced
A nuanced exploration of Israel, the Jewish world and beyond
Jewanced is hosted by Dan Feferman and Benny Scholder, two guys who grew up in America and live in Israel.
They're curious. They want to discuss. They want to challenge popular conceptions, they want to think critically, examine independently, and most of all, they crave nuance.

Each episode features a different guest. All interesting and original people who strive to break boundaries. Together with Dan and Benny, take a deep dive into politics, foreign affairs, religion, science, technology, food, the arts, business – you name it. Explore the nuanced crossroads of Israel, the global Jewish experience, and beyond.

What's the goal? To create a daring platform where people share their stories, insights, creations, and visions. Jewanced has no talking points, no script, no agenda...just a deeper nuanced understanding of our existence.

Join them on a journey as they explore, think, debate and discuss …. And most of all, listen.

About your hosts

Benny Scholder

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With over a decade of experience in Israel's tourism industry, Benny has managed sales, marketing, travel content, digital content, and the operations aspects of tour companies and travel agencies. Today, he is the Director of Sales-North America at Kenes Tours, Israel's leading provider of incoming tourism services, where he is proud to deliver transformative, custom-crafted Israel travel experiences designed to exceed expectations.
Originally from Minneapolis, Benny fell in love with Israel as a young adult, moving to the country in 2004. He has an extensive background in everything Israel-travel related, having completed Israel's intensive tour guide course in 2010. His career spans both logistical, content-related, and sales management positions with major and boutique Israeli tour companies alike. Benny lives with his amazing wife Maayan and two incredible children in the charming village of Gedera. In addition to his passion for transformative travel experiences, he's super passionate about food, modern & ancient history, politics, addictive TV, and game-changing podcasts. Contact him at Benny@jewanced.com

Dan Feferman

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Dan Feferman is a Major (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces. For almost a decade, he served as a foreign policy and national security analyst, strategist and adviser in the IDF General Staff; as a special assistant to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff; and a commander in an elite intelligence unit of AMAN's Research and Analysis Division.

He is a fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a think-tank focusing on issues of importance to Israel and the Jewish people, where he researches religious pluralism in Israel, trends in Jewish identity and Israel-Diaspora relations. He is also a political and strategic consultant and publishes and speaks widely on the Middle East and Israeli defense and political matters.

He is the author of Rising Streams: Reform and Conservative Judaism in Israel, and of a soon-to-be-published book on the changing face of American Judaism.

Dan holds a BA in International Politics and Middle East Studies from the American University in Washington DC and an MA in National Security Studies from Tel Aviv University.

Originally from Indiana, Dan moved to Israel in 2005. He is married to Elisheva, has three amazing kids, and lives in Rehovot. When taking a break, Dan stays busy with Crossfit, martial arts and cooking.