Episode Details

Do we have the control over our own lives that we think we do? According to Brian Klaas, in his mind-bending new book FLUKE: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters, we control nothing, but we influence everything.

Think about the unexpected twists of fate that shape our lives. How many times have you stumbled upon a life-changing moment purely by accident? The party you almost skipped, where you met your significant other or a lifelong friend. Or that time you got lost in a neighborhood, only to find your future home. And in a more somber reflection, those who, by sheer chance, overslept or got stuck in traffic and missed their flights on September 11th.

We operate under what Klaas calls the 'delusion of individualism.' But it’s small changes in the world that often result in big changes."