Syllabus

Short Course Description

In the last two centuries, humanity's average income has grown roughly tenfold, and child mortality has fallen by about the same factor. Yet, more than 800 million people still live on less than $3 a day, more animals are raised in factory farms than at any point in history, and risks from climate change, pandemics, and artificial intelligence are growing. Many of us care about these issues, but how can we turn our well-meaning intentions into measurable results?
This interdisciplinary online course, developed by Sella Nevo and Dan Lahav in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, offers practical tools and insights from economics, behavioral science, ethics, technology, and beyond to help you achieve a significant positive impact. From the small decisions we make every day, to the initiatives we choose to support, to our most consequential life choices - such as which career to pursue - evidence and analytical methods can help you drive the change you believe in.
The course is divided into two parts. Making a Difference I: Evidence-Based Impact covers the foundations - cost-effectiveness, measurement, and evaluation - alongside the question of how far our compassion and concern should extend. It also examines the causes and opportunities with the strongest evidence behind them. Making a Difference II: High Stakes turns to prioritization and assessment when information is scarce and the stakes are extreme, including risks to the survival and flourishing of human civilization from climate change, AI, and biological engineering.