We need the full power of the arts, sciences and humanities to understand decision-making and to make better high stakes personal and public policy decisions.

The sciences provide an understanding of both the settings of our decisions and the impact of possible decisions. In addition, they help us understand decision-making itself. The sciences also provide new artistic power – for example, smartphone photography and virtual worlds.

The arts help provide scientific understanding. It is no accident that some of the best scientists are also the best artists – people like Leonardo daVinci. In addition, the arts give us the expressive power we need to communicate the, often cross-cultural understanding, needed to make better decisions. The arts also give us the power to imagine new options and possibilities.

The humanities provide the norms, ethics and values needed to make decisions that make our lives and world better. They also help us understand how different people reach different conclusions because they have different values. The humanities can also help us find shared values even in the most contentious situations.

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