Prom and the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

This episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed reviews prom and the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment. John Green recounts his own (misremembered) prom experience, tracing the history of prom and its evolving social dynamics, ultimately rating it three stars. He then discusses the Marshmallow Experiment, its findings linking delayed gratification to later success, and a later study that challenged the original findings by highlighting the role of socioeconomic factors. The episode concludes by emphasizing the complexity of human life and the limitations of simplistic narratives about success. A key takeaway is the importance of considering socioeconomic factors when interpreting studies on human behavior.