Cognitive Engineering: Recent Episodes
Aleph Insights
Welcome to the Cognitive Engineering podcast. Occasionally coherent musings of Aleph Insights. We hope you like listening to them as much as we like recording them.
Tech it or leave it: what is the best technology?The bed, writing, antibiotics? In this podcast we ask: how do we define technology, and can we objectively measure the best of it? We take a look at potential metrics - from the number of people who benefit to quantifying the overall happiness created - and wonder whether the best is yet to come.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Estimates of historical world population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimates_of_historical_world_population - Timeline of inventions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions - The philosophy of intellectual property https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/intellectual-property/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Click bait and switch: has the internet swapped out knowledge for monetisation?Search engine optimisation, advertising run amok, users as customers: has the internet become a little bit crap and, if so, how do we fix it? In this podcast, we discuss the problem with the internet's funding model, whether it could learn a thing or two from the BBC, and continue a seemingly futile quest for a decent cheese-ranking website.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Is Google Getting Worse? https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf - Hacker News forum says ‘yes’ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39013497 - How Google is killing independent websites https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/ - Dead Internet Theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory - The Eternal September https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
The missing link: why are we fascinated by lost media?From Celebrity Number Six to the original Backrooms photo, Love's Labours Won to absent Doctor Who episodes: what is it about lost media that intrigues and inspires us? In this podcast, we discuss the neurological itch that solving such mysteries can scratch, and how any media - in the age of the internet - is at risk of vanishing.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:Reddit: Celebrity Six https://www.reddit.com/r/CelebrityNumberSix/comments/1dr71l4/celebrity_six_mega_post/ - Information about the finding of Celebrity Number Six https://www.reddit.com/r/CelebrityNumberSix/comments/1fc1rci/information_about_the_finding_of_celebrity_number/ - The location of the Backrooms photo https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G5rA1PseLZozA6oUYjdVN6Rn8GNdEVY7bTXV4SmVp7E/edit# - The Lost Media Wiki https://lostmediawiki.com/Home - Kidd and Hayden (2015), The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4635443/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Is bigger really better? Does a company's product suffer the larger its owner gets? And if so, why? In this podcast, we discuss all things 'enshittification' - the perceived process of service and platform decay - and ask what is responsible: from growing beyond core competencies to ignorance of novel solutions.
In this podcast, we're discussing old age and when, exactly, it befalls us. Do we simply wake up one day absent of youth? Or can we estimate its proximity by certain metrics, such as daily medication or number of grandchildren? We take a look at how old age has been historically codified, and reason why it might not be just a number.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The Sorites Paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorites_paradox - Mortality in England and Wales: past and projected trends in average lifespan https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/articles/mortalityinenglandandwales/pastandprojectedtrendsinaveragelifespan - Perception of when old age starts has increased over timehttps://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/22/when-old-age-starts-perception-study- Cognitive Engineering: Seven Ages: First Puking and Mewling https://soundcloud.com/aleph-insights/seven-ages-first-puking-and-mewling For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Leisure bound: what exactly makes a hobby a 'hobby'?In this podcast, we discuss all things structured fun. From train spotting to Morris dancing, board games to beach-going, we consider what actually constitutes a hobby - an activity for its own sake? Or are other metrics, like regularity, important? - and how their nature has changed through the decades.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- A history of trainspotting https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/what-was-on/trainspotting#:~:text=1942%3A%20Ian%20Allan's%20ABC,of%20Britain%20through%20their%20hobby. - Dwayne Dibbley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU6Skc4yZKQ - Geeks, MOPs, and Sociopaths https://meaningness.com/geeks-mops-sociopaths For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
On the hunt: what does it take to be a National Treasure?In this podcast, we discuss what it takes to be awarded National Treasure status: from niceness metrics and longevity to likeability and media endorsement. We reason why David Attenborough most definitely is a National Treasure while Bradley Walsh—alas—probably isn't, and predict who might be bestowed the honorific in decades to come.
Buff or bust: why do we study history?In this podcast, we explore the value of studying history and discuss why it's more than a pastime meandering through past times. From crucial analogies and timeless lessons to methodologies for ensuring hindsight is always 20/20, we take a look at why history matters.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Why Study History? https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/Degrees/why-study-history - Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall) https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/glass-steagall-act For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Preposterous protocols, nonsensical norms, and peculiar policies: what makes a rule weird?In this podcast, Nick, Ben, Leon, and Fraser discuss the British army's recent dropping of the ban against beards: the history behind the ban, what motivated the recent change, and what the whole affair can tell us about 'weird' rules more generally.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- British Army May Lift Beards Ban After 300-plus Years https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/04/hair-today-why-british-army-may-lift-beards-ban-after-300-plus-years - Crimean Heroes https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/34493/ - 130 Years of Facial Hair Trends, in One Chart https://www.vox.com/2015/3/1/8123457/beard-history-chart - Did Van Halen's Concert Contract Require the Removal of Brown M&Ms? https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/brown-out/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
The taming of the shrewd: how do we rationally agree to disagree?In this podcast, Nick, Peter, Chris, and Fraser discuss the finer details of polite polemics, courteous clashes, and respectful repartees. Whether a code of conduct or dangerous hand-washing, they delve into the fundamentals of agreeing to disagree: from group identity and global significance to cultural pressure and mutual benefit.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Aumann’s Agreement Theorem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aumann%27s_agreement_theorem For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Think fast! But ideally don't.In this podcast, Nick, Peter, and Fraser discuss Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel-prize-winning psychologist whose scholarship challenged economists' presumed rationality of human decision-making. From coining the term 'cognitive bias' and the development of prospect theory with Amos Tversky in 1979 to articulating the frequent errors which affect our decision-making heuristics, they reflect on his lasting contributions to economic science.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate who upended economics https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/03/27/daniel-kahneman-dead/ - Dual Process Theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_process_theory - Living, and thinking about it: Two perspectives on lifehttps://kahneman.scholar.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf3831/files/kahneman/files/living_dk_jr_2005.pdf - Peak-end Rule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak%E2%80%93end_rule For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage: Andreas Weigand via Flickr
Cremated, buried or donated to science? How much have you thought about what happens to you or your body after you die? Who owns your body after you die? And is having a legacy truly important? In this podcast, Nick, Peter and Fraser revisit the Hull funeral investigation, touch on how different cultures, religions and the animal kingdom deal with death and grief, and ask if what happens to us after we die really matters.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Legacy funeral pair were arrested at Heathrow - police https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-68631122 - Blackstone on Property https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/blackstone-on-property-1753 - Law Regarding Who Has the Right to Deal with an Adult’s Body after Death https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/english-legal-system/law-regarding-who-has-the-right-to-deal-with-an-adults-body-after-death-3419.php - R. v Bentham (2005) - A hand cannot be an imitation firearm https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/firearms#:~:text=Putting%20a%20hand%20inside%20a,Bentham%20%5B2005%5D%20UKHL%2018. - The Depths of Animal Grief https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/animal-grief/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
In this podcast, we explore user interfaces. Specifically, we discuss the development, integration, progress and limitations of interfaces, and consider what could be next. ChatGPT with a brain? Neuralink? Tom Cruise's desk in Minority Report?A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Smartphone typing speeds catching up with keyboards https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/smartphone-typing-speeds-catching-up-with-keyboards - The rate of inner speech https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pms.1990.71.3.1043 -Content Agility 2013 - Minority Report UI [Congility] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SFeCgoep1c For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Plagiarism is a complex concept that spans a spectrum from inspiration to theft. But is plagiarism strictly black and white? Can it occur unintentionally and can it be considered permissible under certain circumstances? As the rise of generative AI continues, are users inadvertently plagiarising when they use these tools?In this week’s episode, we discuss plagiarism. We speak about the recent Claudine Gay case, definitions and historical examples of plagiarism, the entropy of plagiarising exact wording, legal concepts that relate to plagiarism such as copyright law, patents and trademark infringement and how generative AI could create new forms of plagiarism. Finally, we share our favourite plagiarism examples.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Harvard’s Claudine Gay was ousted for ‘plagiarism’. How serious was it really https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/06/harvard-claudine-gay-plagiarism - Harvard retains President Claudine Gay despite alleged plagiarism on her part https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2023/12/12/harvard-retains-its-president-despite-allegations-of-plagiarism-on-her-part/ -Entropy and Redundancy in English https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1999-00/information-theory/entropy_of_english_9.html - George Harrison Guilty of Plagiarism https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/08/archives/george-harrison-guilty-of-plagiarizing-subconsciously-a-62-tune-for.html - LLMs are definitionally plagiaristic https://nickfthilton.medium.com/llms-are-definitionally-plagiaristic-fc8c00299ae3- Why ChatGPT can't Plagiarise https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-chatgpt-cant-plagiarize-mike-mcaulay/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Where is the much vaunted line between genius and madness? At a glance, it seems like they could be two sides of the same coin. Is the opposite of genius simply sheer stupidity? Is there a difference between the two or are they outputs of the same phenomenon? And where might there be some overlap?In this week’s episode we discuss genius and madness. We discuss mental health conditions, historical figures and concepts that were considered quackery or fraudulent during their time, neurodiversity, Copernican heliocentrism, the germ theory of disease, AlphaGo and correlations between personality traits and levels of intelligence. Finally, we share examples of where we felt we were in the presence of genius.For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
The pursuit of immortality is a tantalising idea that appears in science and technology as well as works of art and literature. But who actually wants to live forever? What does it mean to ‘cure’ ageing? And what might be some unforeseen consequences of perpetual longevity?In this week’s episode, we discuss the age-old problem of ageing. We discuss the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents dataset, demographics, education, governance, resource allocation, economics, intergenerational social interactions, family life, monogamy and cultural stagnation vs innovation. Finally, we share our best examples of the elderly.For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
The observant among us will have noted that 2023 ended on a Sunday. For those who believe Sunday marks the end of the week, this seems like a logical day to end the year. But why do we find these types of phenomena satisfying? Is it slightly obsessive or should we strive for this symmetry in our daily lives? The bigger question might be: is it even possible to produce neatness in our messy world?In this week’s episode, we discuss neatness. We debate which day is the first day of the week, and discuss the universal three-act structure, epicycles, special relativity, Kolmogorov complexity, prime numbers, crosswords, emergent complexity and the metric system. Finally, we share our best and worst attempts to impose neatness on the world around us.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Kolmogorov Complexity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolmogorov_complexity - Sabbath https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat - A Mathematician’s Apology: https://archive.org/details/AMathematiciansApology-G.h.Hardy For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
You would be forgiven for missing it, but late last year Google Maps changed its colour scheme. This caused an outcry across the Twittersphere and social media platforms, with many outraged the change took place without their endorsement or consent. After observing this spectacle unfold we thought that it prompted some thought-provoking ideas - should we just swallow our discontent with technical features to enjoy free services? Do we complain too much in this day and age? Have we forgotten how difficult life was without recent technological advances?In this episode, we discuss moaners. We speak about Google Maps, Google Earth, cartography, complaining, the origins of legal liability, journalism and newspapers, the concept of gratitude and a crisis in open-source software. Finally, we share some of our favourite maps.- Is Gratitude a Moral Affect? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230896629_Is_Gratitude_a_Moral_Affect#:~:text=Gratitude%20is%20conceptualized%20as%20a,such%20as%20empathy%20and%20guilt - First World Problems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_World_problem - Map of Southern Sommerlund from Lone Wolf https://shop-magnamund.com/cdn/shop/products/Screenshot2022-03-23at19.33.11.jpg?v=1668683483 For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
What do Trump, Johnson, Wilders and Milei all have in common? No, it’s not politics, it’s an eccentric and recognisable coiffure. Do these examples allow us to draw a theory between politics and hair or is it just a happy coincidence? If there is a connection, why might it exist?In this week’s episode, we discuss populist hairstyles. We talk about the relationship between populism and hairstyles, data on hair and physical condition, the connection between shoes and personalities, signalling, Donald Trump’s hair, and Jordan presents a typology for populism. Finally, we share the people from history we most admire who have a distinctive hairstyle.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The Guardian: ‘Populism is all about hair’ https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/dec/03/populism-is-all-about-hair-what-rightwing-leaders-are-trying-to-tell-us-with-their-wild-coiffures - Hair Analysis in Health Assessment https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009898113000405 -Cue masking and cultural signals https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/121656045/Cue_masking_and_cultural_signals_Testing_contextspecific_preferences_for_balding_leaders.pdf - Politico: ‘Boris Johnson’s hair shows he’s too posh to fail’ https://www.politico.eu/article/how-boris-johnsons-hair-defined-britain/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
When we think of good and evil the picture appears obvious. The side of good is attractive, righteous and persuasive while the bad side is ugly, flawed and fallible. But does the way we intuitively expect good and evil to work line up with how it is portrayed in popular fiction and the arts? Are literature and film teaching us that might is right or is something else at play?In this week’s episode, we discuss baddies with special guest Jamie Lear. We speak about Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Thomas Midgley, consequentialism and deontological philosophy, Rousseau and Hobbes and Nick presents a taxonomy for good and evil. Finally, we reveal our favourite fictional baddies.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Hobbes vs Rousseau: are we inherently evil? https://iai.tv/articles/hobbes-vs-rousseau-are-we-inherently-evil-or-good-auid-1221 - TV Tropes: Always Chaotic Evil https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlwaysChaoticEvil - How do Orcs breed? https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/game-pedia/how-do-orcs-breedFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage by jasonwang7 via Deviant Art
When we go on holiday or experience an interruption to our daily lives, we are often reminded that a change can be as good as a rest. But is doing something different actually better than doing nothing? If true, what kind of implications would this have for our society?In this week’s episode, we discuss change vs rest. We discuss the origins of the proverb, models of fatigue, data on industrial productivity, psychology of rest, and ego depletion. Finally, we share the best and most recent change we’ve experienced.For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
People who spread lies and deceive others are treated with contempt by society, and rightfully so. But what happens when the people we lie to and deceive are ourselves? Using the case of Walter Mitties as a starting point, we explore the prevalence of exaggeration, fantasy and our inner selves.In this week’s episode, we look at figments of the imagination. We discuss Herbie Popnecker, differences between US and UK attitudes to military valorisation, virtue imposters, intention vs self-delusion, cosplay, Aesop’s Fox and the Grapes fable, catfishing, authenticity and status. Finally, we reveal the biggest self-serving exaggerations we committed ourselvesA few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The military imposters who can’t resist wearing an unearned medal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/10/01/military-imposters-unearned-medal-nick-adderley/ - Waltenkommando https://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Waltenkommando - Alan Mcilwraith https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alan_Mcilwraith&oldid=25222978 For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Some of our listeners may be familiar with the popular Roman Empire meme doing the rounds on TikTok recently. The meme illuminates many nebulous concepts from our collective psychology in a humorous way, but there seems to be one central principal: we are sharing the world with people who often have radically different thoughts to our own. So, what does it mean to think about the Roman Empire? Why does it appear to be gendered? What does it mean to think about something in the first place?In this week’s episode, we discuss thinking about the Romans. We speak about gender disparities in thoughts and interests, thought as a philosophical concept, thought modelling, computational thinking, narrative and storytelling, data scarcity, AI and Peter shares his wishlist of thought-enhancing technologies.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- How Often Do You Think About the Roman Empire? https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/how-often-do-you-think-about-the-roman-empire - How Often Do Women Think About … ? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/20/arts/roman-empire-women-tiktok.html - Men and things, women and people: a meta-analysis of sex differences in interests https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19883140/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Political returns are not unusual, but there are varying degrees of success. With the recent return of David Cameron to politics as Foreign Secretary, we started to think about how to stage a triumphal return. Are there predictable pitfalls that must be avoided? How do you know the time is right? Why are we so intrigued by the idea of a return in the first place?In this week’s podcast, we discuss the art of the return. We discuss the return of David Cameron, the history of political returns, the theme of returns and homecomings in literature, Lord of the Rings, Homer’s Odyssey, prisoner’s dilemma and Nick presents typologies for different categories of return. Finally, we share examples of our own returns and future returns we would like to see happen.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- David Cameron returns to cabinet table after seven years https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67411550 - British Prime Ministers who returned to government https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-prime-ministers-who-returned-to-government - TV Tropes: One Last Job https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OneLastJob For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
What springs to mind when you think of McDonalds, Apple or BT? When it comes to the reputation of companies, first impressions seem to matter. But how does a reputation work? Is a negative reputation stickier than a positive one? and how long does reputation last?In this week’s podcast, we discuss reputation. We unpick company and football statistics and data for listed companies. We also discuss the relationship between reputation and quality, Apple vs Microsoft, the scale vs quality trade-off, the concept of reputation in the judicial system and OBEs. Finally, we present what we consider to be some of the most glaring mismatches between reputation and quality.For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Many of our listeners will be familiar with Black Swan events - rare occurrences that have significant, often unforeseen consequences - yet fewer will be aware of Grey Rhinos. Like a large, lumbering rhino charging towards us, these are highly probable threats that we can see coming, but choose to ignore. So how can we communicate risk more accurately? Are there ways to improve our powers of predictability to mitigate the associated risks?In this week’s podcast, we discuss Grey Rhinos with our special guest Jerry Smith from CHC Global. We discuss the UK inquiry into Covid-19, pandemics, insurance, the psychology of risk, short-termism, probabilistic thinking, black jellyfish events and the climate crisis. Finally, we nominate some of our own Grey Rhino events.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Healthcare Capacity, Health Expenditure, and Civil Society as Predictors of COVID-19 Case Fatalities: A Global Analysis https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00347/full - The Animals in the Jungle of Risk https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/animals-jungle-risk-aminath-shaeera-cpa-irmcert/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Incentives and punishments are opposite ends of the same spectrum. In their opposing ways, both attempt to steer people towards a prescribed set of goals and behaviours. But which is most effective in getting people to behave better? Or is a society of universally well-behaved individuals simply a utopian fantasy?In this week’s episode, we discuss the carrot and stick approach. We unpack the carrot and stick metaphor, discuss the concept of zero tolerance, toilet passes in schools, Plutarch, dictatorships, corporal punishment and data on punishments.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Parents say strict Spilsby school is breaching human rights https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-67139220 - Carrot and Stick https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-car4.htm - Blame https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/blame/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Models are widely used in science to represent complex real-world phenomena in simplified forms to advance understanding. Though often overlooked, models can facilitate analysis by reducing scale and complexity and help to visualise things that are difficult to understand. But what makes for a good model and how does an approximation of something tell us more about the thing itself?In this week’s podcast, we discuss models. We explore the desert kites of Asia and Africa, discuss heuristics, cartography, Borges, AI and machine learning, the historical development of models and examples of models that may surprise you. Finally, we describe some of our favourite model memories.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The oldest plans to scale of humanmade mega-structures https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277927 - On Exactitude in Science https://kwarc.info/teaching/TDM/Borges.pdf - Spinal Tap - Stonehenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAXzzHM8zLw - Bourton-on-the-Water model village https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourton-on-the-Water_model_village - Mary Poppins: Let’s Go Fly a Kite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyhJhf6Q7lgFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
If you’re a fan of JK Rowling, Jack Vettriano or Manchester United you’re probably not surprised by the denigration they receive from critics. There is a whole host of cultural artefacts that seem to be universally popular yet despised by critics. Is it just gatekeeping or do the critics have a point?In this week’s podcast, we discuss criticism. We speak about the role of the critic, James Wood, Matthew Arnold, Richard Feynman, status-seeking, thrifting, gatekeepers and wargaming. Finally, we share examples of art and media where we are undecided on whether it is good or bad.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Upset by Einaudi? https://interlude.hk/upset-by-einaudi/ - Twilight vampires? Bah! Fangs ain't what they used to be… https://www.theguardian.com/global/booksblog/2009/jan/08/twilight-vampire - The Premium Mediocre Life of Maya Millennial https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2017/08/17/the-premium-mediocre-life-of-maya-millennial/ - Unpopular Opinions https://xkcd.com/2184/ - Geeks, MOPs, and sociopaths in subculture evolution https://meaningness.com/geeks-mops-sociopaths For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage by Jack Vettriano / PA Wire via Flickr
What would the world be like if we could instantly teleport to different places and parts of the world in seconds? How might it work and what impact would it have on society? What kinds of questions does it raise about the identity of the teleported entity?In this week’s episode, we discuss teleportation. We explain how teleportation could theoretically work and discuss matter manipulation, 3D printers, Hisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, Tsar Bomba, anti-matter, energy requirements, the history of transportation, Derek Parfit’s Teleportation Paradox and on-demand streaming services. Finally, we discuss our most memorably awful travelling experiences.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Collisions of Light Produce Matter/Antimatter from Pure Energy https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=119023 - Teletransportation Paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletransportation_paradox - To infinity and beyond: Teleporting humans into space https://phys.org/news/2013-07-infinity-teleporting-humans-space.html For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage: Jason Jacobs via Flickr
Have you ever yearned to pull off a grand escape or run away from your current life to start anew? The recent high-profile prison escape by Daniel Khalife got us thinking - how do you disappear in the modern world and is it even possible to do it successfully?In this week’s episode, we discuss great escapes. We discuss famous disappearances, statistics on missing people and prison escapees in the UK, CCTV cameras, Nick presents a framework for optimising disappearance and we describe our theories for successful evasion of the authorities.Image: Terry Fincher via Wikimedia Commons
Do you prefer a Georgian terraced house or a new build? Classic cars or a Tesla? We often assume that because something is old it must hold intrinsic value. But is there a downside to valuing the old over the new? How old do things have to get before age becomes a defining feature?In this week’s episode, we discuss the old and new. We speak about architecture, pubs, psychology, technological progress, house prices, John Betjeman, Chesterton’s fence and Peter presents an idea for an old vs new thought experiment. Finally, we share our favourite old and new things.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The Ancient House, Walthamstow: London’s oldest house https://lookup.london/walthamstow-ancient-house/ - List of demolished buildings and structures in London https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demolished_buildings_and_structures_in_London - Buying a new build vs old house: Which is better? https://www.comparemymove.com/advice/new-build-homes/new-build-vs-old-build#:~:text=More%20Expensive%20%E2%80%93%20Although%20new%20builds,could%20affect%20the%20completion%20date For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
History is replete with infamous grudges. Invasions launched by Julius Caesar, political rivalry between Gladstone and Disraeli and musical enmities that turn tragic in the case of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. But are grudges good or bad? What is the best way to deal with them and why do we have them in the first place?In this week’s episode, we discuss grudges. We define the key characteristics of a grudge, compare them to feuds and vendettas, explore the notion of a good grudge and touch upon the animal kingdom, first impressions and justice. Finally, we reveal our favourite and longest-held grudges.- Werner Herzog anecdote about Klaus Kinski's "egomania" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCaTAGNkYQc - Grudge: the emotional side of resentment https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/emsoc/5/2/article-p139.xml#:~:text=Following%20this%20perspective%2C%20Max%20Scheler,25 For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
At a time when marketing has infiltrated our physical and virtual worlds, how should we think about it? Is it just advertising in different clothing or can it reveal deeper insights into our psychology and social interactions?In this week’s podcast, we discuss marketing with special guest David Folkman, who has had a 20-year career in marketing and entrepreneurialism. We discuss the impact of technology, the psychology of advertisers, advertising models, Tinder, canned water, AI, creativity and the future. Finally, we ask David about his biggest marketing disasters and industry takeaways.David has a long career working for consumer brands including Mars, Nestle, and Innocent Drinks, and co-founded a number of food and drink businesses including CleanCo and Cheesies. He has also advised numerous companies on sales and marketing strategy. His new website is coming soon and can be found at www.davidfolkman.comFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Recent footage of orcas ramming fishing boats has given some pause for concern - has our old friend the sea finally turned against us? If the sea creatures have decided to declare war on us, what would their course of action be? Would they succeed? And how can we best fight back?
In this podcast, join us for a maritime thought experiment where we analyse a hypothetical battle between humans and sea dwellers. We discuss biology, Abyssal and Hadal zones, shipwrecks, amphibians, water deities, global warming, robotic augmentation and shark attacks. Finally, we share our best aquatic experiences.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The orcas are attacking https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/19/orcas-boats-human-killer-whales-animal-life#:~:text=In%20the%20past%20few%20years,number%20so%20far%20this%20summer.
- All the Biomass of Earth, in One Graphic https://www.visualcapitalist.com/all-the-biomass-of-earth-in-one-graphic/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Nowadays it is almost a cliché to say that content is king. Content seems to have become a ubiquitous catchall term for anything and everything that populates internet web pages. But does the modern usage of content devalue creativity or does it simply draw attention to the vast amount of information stored on the internet?
In this week’s episode, we discuss content. We unpack the Web 2.0 movement, legacy vs new media, genetics and large language models. Finally, we share our favourite content containers and pieces of content.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- “Content is King” — Essay by Bill Gates 1996 https://medium.com/@HeathEvans/content-is-king-essay-by-bill-gates-1996-df74552f80d9
- Understanding the Cost of Packaging https://packmojo.com/blog/understanding-packaging-pricing-economies-of-scale/
- The Drum: 'Content' is a terrible term. Please stop using it. https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2018/05/08/content-terrible-term-please-stop-using-it
- Web 2.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Niall Kennedy via Flicker
Is it just us, or does it increasingly feel like Britain is going to hell in a handbasket? We have industrial strikes, a cost of living and energy crisis, high inflation, political instability, perennial problems with the European Union and widespread cultural malaise. But is it true that the UK finds itself in an interminable decline or is it merely a figment of our collective imagination?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss declinism. We delve into economic data, compare the state of the nation today compared to the 1980s and discuss the British Empire, Netflix, relative decline and evolution. Finally, we share the things we are optimistic about for the future.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss declinism. We delve into economic data, compare the state of the nation today compared to the 1980s and discuss the British Empire, Netflix, relative decline and evolution. Finally, we share the things we are optimistic about for the future.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The illusion of moral decline https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06137-x#citeas
- Stagnation nation: how can Britain pull itself out of its economic decline? https://www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-for-the-world/economics/stagnation-nation-how-can-britain-pull-itself-out-of-its-economic-decline
- Britain is much worse off than it understands https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/02/03/britain-worse-off-1970s/
- Headlines claim Britain is declining. They aren’t new — but are wrong. https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/10/06/britain-decline/
- The optimism gap https://eupinions.eu/de/text/the-optimism-gap
- Human development index https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As summer arrives there is change in the air. We are ready to take on the day, plunge into new hobbies or revive old ones and explore the world around us. But do you need to live through winter to properly experience summer? Is it the case that sunny weather is objectively better? What is the perfect weather or is there no such thing?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the optimal weather. We share our experiences in the extremities of temperature, discuss data on the ideal temperature for humans, evolution and natural selection, British weather and construal level theory. Finally, we share some things we like about bad weather.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Climate and Happiness https://www3.nd.edu/~nmark/Climate/Rehdanz_Maddision_2005.pdf
- Hate The Cold? These Destinations Have Never Even Seen Snow https://www.thetravel.com/which-countries-never-get-any-snow/
- Bad Weather is Good for You https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/29/bad-weather-is-good-for-you-take-a-walk-in-the-wind-and-rain
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: None via PickPik
Some might say that society is built on rules. Laws set by governments, rules set by individuals and collective codes of behaviour that we are all expected to follow. But are there two types of people: those that follow the rules and those that make exceptions? How do we define a rule and what makes an exception?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss rules and exceptions. We discuss motorways, religion, the slippery slope, covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the psychology of rule setting, herd mentality, “the bubble” in poker and the Rule of Law Index. Finally we share our favourite arbitrary rules that have been imposed upon us.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Slippery Slope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_slope
- Doctrine of Precedent in English Legal System https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/constitutional-law/doctrine-of-precedent-in-english-legal-system-constitutional-law-essay.php
- Herd Mentality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
One of the many criticisms levelled against a show like Jerry Springer is that the controversy was inauthentic and manufactured in order to drive up ratings. But why do we worry about whether fiction is true or not? Should we just stop caring and enjoy it for what it is?
In this week’s episode, we discuss truth and fiction. We speak about New Journalism, postmodernism, open-world computer games, historiography, the coconut effect, Nick Bostrom’s simulation hypothesis, histrionic personality disorder and the nature of reality. Finally we share our favourite fictional media that are based on a true story.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Jerry Springer: Era-defining TV host dies aged 79 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65415348
- Tops in Tele-Trash : ‘Springer’ worst stinker on TV guide list https://nypost.com/2002/07/13/tops-in-tele-trash-springer-worst-stinker-on-tv-guide-list/
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer
- The Coconut Effect https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheCoconutEffect
- Aluminum Christmas Trees https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AluminumChristmasTrees
- Histrionic Personality Disorder https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9743-histrionic-personality-disorder
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Why does it seem like civilisations - sometimes great distances apart - made similar discoveries at almost exactly the same time? Whether it’s the invention of the wheel, agriculture or early forms of writing, there seem to be parallels everywhere you look. But why did these innovations and discoveries seem to take place at roughly the same time? Does it provide evidence for a kind of cultural clock that moves civilisations towards a converged form of progress?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss ancient progress. We take a closer look at convergent evolution, the Andaman Islands, Fermi paradox, AI, aliens and the Arecibo message and ponder if globalisation ended this phenomenon. Finally, we share our favourite moments of contact between different civilisations.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8JVdpWCKeM
- Sid Meier’s Civilization Advances Chart https://forums.civfanatics.com/attachments/civ1tech-png.458650/
- Cradle of Civilization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization
- Neuroscience, Evolution and the Sapient Paradox: The Factuality of Value and of the Sacred https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2606703/pdf/rstb20080010.pdf
- Aztec Technology https://aztecsandtenochtitlan.com/aztec-civilisation/aztec-technology/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Why does it always seem like it’s the people who move to the village that complain about the church bells? Or it is those that move next to a pub that are irritated by noise? It seems to indicate that there is an optimal way to live harmoniously. But how does the idea of neighbourliness work and what does it tell us about the nature of society?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss noisy neighbours. Is annoying your neighbour a tale as old as time or is it a relatively recent phenomenon? We discuss trap and drill music, Horst-Wessel-Lied, whistling, Isaiah Berlin, Coase theorem, intentional communities, Nozick’s framework for utopia and cohousing. Finally, we share when we’ve been annoying neighbours and when we’ve been most annoyed.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Classical musician forced out of London flat after noise complaints https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/14/musician-forced-london-flat-fiona-fey-mediaeval-babes-noise-abatement
- The Independent Society of Musicians https://www.ism.org/?/join&gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRophs1VCEGCbtO6LFdOy9-016Q1kcqeGdUrttw82iys2x3KyUfmu2qmBoCNVEQAvD_BwE
- Forager, Farmer Morals https://www.overcomingbias.com/p/forager-vs-farmer-moralityhtml
- Adult ADHD: How to Succeed as a Hunter in a Farmer's World https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adult-ADHD-Succeed-Hunter-Farmers/dp/1620555751
- Robert Nozick’s Political Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nozick-political/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Are you the type of person that writes carefully considered and elaborate emails? Or are you the type of emailer that responds with one brief unstructured sentence? Whichever it is, emailing has made a significant impact on modern forms of interaction. But has it led us into a world that is void of thoughtful communication?In this week’s podcast, we discuss email. We discuss the origins of email, Google Wave, Whatsapp functionality and the postal service. Finally, we share the communications technologies of the past we wish were still with us.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn https://englishhistory.net/tudor/king-henry-viii-love-letters-to-anne-boleyn/ - Google Wave https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Wave- History of Email https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_emailFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
We can all think of situations where a small minority is seen to be ruining it for the rest of us. Whether it’s someone littering or people talking loudly in a cinema, there seem to be endless examples of a small number of people creating a disproportionately large imposition on others. But what can we put this effect down to and what should we do about it?In this week’s episode, we discuss the annoying few. We unpack the Pareto principle, personality types and analyse rates of crime in New York. We explore why phenomena we tend to think of as evenly distributed turn out to be highly concentrated and finally, we share moments when we were part of the annoying minority ourselvesA few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The Pareto Principle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle - A Tiny Number of Shoplifters https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/15/nyregion/shoplifting-arrests-nyc.html - The Cart Narcs https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClMUlr8yHymYgSe58DpUH7w - Are we the baddies? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1VxaMEjRU For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage: Lee, Seung-bin via Flickr
In a world awash with influencers and social media personalities, sharing achievements with large numbers of people over the internet is now commonplace. But is there a line between celebrating success and blatant bragging? Are there times when bragging is necessary and what are some strategies for effective bragging?In this week’s podcast, we discuss bragging. We construct a working definition of bragging, Peter presents his taxonomy for types of bragging and we discuss the idea of humble bragging and the relationship between bragging and status. Finally, we share some of our most recent brags and the worst braggers we ever knew.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- TikTok star issues tearful apology after revealing she owns her own home aged 21 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tiktok-bradford-buys-house-apology-b2320588.html - Bragging, Humblebragging & Gratitude: Do You Know the Difference? https://www.proresource.com/bragging-humblebragging-gratitude-do-you-know-the-difference/ - Humblebrag subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/humblebrag/ - You Call It “Self-Exuberance”; I Call It “Bragging”: Miscalibrated Predictions of Emotional Responses to Self-Promotion https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797615573516?journalCode=pssa- The Braggart's Dilemma: On the Social Rewards and Penalties of Advertising Prosocial Behavior: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1509/jmr.14.0002?journalCode=mrjaFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As we edge closer to summer we found ourselves looking forward to holidays but dreading the thought of running into British tourists abroad. Is disliking your countrymen while overseas a universal feeling or are we disproportionately hard on ourselves? How do we ensure our holidays won’t be ruined by people exactly like ourselves?In this week’s podcast, we discuss Brits abroad. We discuss ingroups and outgroups, Newcomb’s paradox, the intricacies of the British class system and evolutionary information discovery. Peter shares his strategy for avoiding Brits while on holiday and we share some of our best and worst experiences of meeting Brits abroad.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Britons make worst tourists, say Britons https://yougov.co.uk/topics/society/articles-reports/2019/08/30/britons-make-worst-tourists-say-britons-and-spania - Newcomb’s Paradox https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/decision-causal/#NewcProb For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
There’s something about zombies that makes them the perfect genre to explore our apocalyptic fears and anxieties. Films about zombies seem to constantly reinvent the genre in new ways, whilst staying true to some core tenets. But how are zombies actually supposed to work and why are they so popular?In this week’s episode, we discuss zombies with friend-of-the-podcast Mikey Lear. We discuss the etymology of the word zombie and the history of zombie films, the cordycep fungus, technozombism and the brain-in-a-vat thought experiment. We ask whether AIs are zombies and Jordan presents his zombie survival plan. Finally, we share our favourite scenes from zombie films.- List of Zombie Films https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_zombie_films - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Zombies https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zombies/ - How the Zombie Represents America’s Deepest Fears https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13440402/zombie-political-history- The Evolution of the Zombie in Popular Culture http://blog.valdosta.edu/mgnoll/wp-content/uploads/sites/136/2021/03/zombies.pdfFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
If you’re a fan of sci-fi you’ll know that one of the most important characteristics of the genre is the depiction of a fictional universe. Whether it’s Middle Earth, the Death Star or Arrakis, a plausible setting for events to take place is a key requirement. But do we have to accept a certain level of inconsistency between the fictional world and reality in order for it to work?In this week’s podcast, we discuss fact versus fiction in media and storytelling. Are there rules for fiction that can be changed and ones that can’t? We discuss The Mandalorian, the Rings of Power series, celebrity paradox and construal level theory. Finally, we share some of our favourite fictional universes.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- TV Tropes: Acceptable breaks from reality https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AcceptableBreaksFromReality - Vice-Admiral Holdo destroys Supremacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1r36BUY-ZM - Celebrity paradox examples https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construal_level_theoryhttps://www.buzzfeed.com/sam_cleal/celebrity-paradox-examples- Construal level theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construal_level_theoryFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
After the news that renowned clairvoyant Mystic Meg has recently passed into the next realm, we decided to focus our energy on all things astrological. Zodiacs, tarot cards and horoscopes can seem irrational, but is believing in astrology bad for you or can it shed light on the human condition?In this week’s podcast, we discuss astrology. Have beliefs in astrology declined in recent years or have we simply filled this void with other things? We unpack the decline of organised religion in the Western world, the relationship between narcissism and astrology, the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale and discuss how spirituality manifests itself in contemporary society. Finally, we analyse each other’s horoscopes.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Mystic Meg: Astrologer dies aged 80 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64900348 - British public reveal their beliefs in new survey https://www.bmgresearch.co.uk/british-public-reveal-beliefs-new-survey/ - Are we becoming more narcissistic? https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/are-we-becoming-more-narcissistic/ - Science says religion is good for your health https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2019/03/29/science-says-religion-is-good-for-your-health/?sh=7b961c513a12 For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Is it possible to fall over on purpose? What does the construction of words in a sentence tell us about the way we use natural language to convey thoughts and ideas? We often think about language as being an essential part of what it means to be human, but does the rise of new artificial intelligence technologies force us to reconsider this?In this week’s podcast, we discuss language. As the popularity of ChatGPT and other large language models continues to grow, we ask what we are giving away to these models and speculate on how they might impact the way we use language. We discuss Ordinary language philosophy, Steven Pinker’s theory of the association between words and thoughts and linguistic codes in music from the American South.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Del Boy Falls Through the Bar - Only Fools and Horses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rcdLeXiU8 - Steven Pinker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Pinker#Biography- Noam Chomsky: The False Promise of ChatGPT https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/08/opinion/noam-chomsky-chatgpt-ai.html- The Language Revolution: How LLMs Could Transform the World https://venturebeat.com/ai/the-language-revolution-how-llms-could-transform-the-world/- Ordinary Language Philosophy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinary_language_philosophy- Songs of Slave Resistance https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Peek-in-the-Stacks/slave-resistanceFor more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
One way of thinking about leadership is to separate it into two tasks: thinking and doing. But what does thinking involve and how should you lead people into doing it? In this week’s podcast, we discuss leadership with our special guest Hugo Marino.Hugo, who has had a long career in the British Army, joins us to provide an insightful account of how he adapted military-style leadership skills to develop a more analytical approach to leading teams. We discuss non-frontline personnel, the Sandhurst model of leadership, intelligence analysis and military doctrine. Finally, we share a few stories from working inside the intelligence services and recount memorable examples of how leadership can go wrong.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- What Do Leaders in Different Fields Need to Succeed? https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/industry-trend-report-final/ - Executive Personality Types: A Comparison of Military and Civilian Leaders in a Single Organization https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3271&context=dissertations - Frequencies of Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Among Military Leaders https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Frequencies-of-Myers-Briggs-Type-Indicator-(MBTI)-Williams/e4923b6b5e42b5af6ffa56a5838110200d637f82 - Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Audiophiles, tweakers and techno-mysticists often invest incredibly large amounts of money to chase the highest level of sound production. But does spending more money on equipment actually produce higher performance or is this an irrational misconception?In this week’s podcast, we discuss audiophilia. In doing so, we explore pseudoscience and the placebo effect, information theory and power cables. We ponder over a spiritual void in contemporary society that may lead to obsessions and reveal why you should think twice before ‘believing the science’. Finally, we share some of our expensive obsessions.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Nordost Odin 2 Speaker Cable - Factory Terminated Pairhttps://www.futureshop.co.uk/nordost-odin-2-speaker-cable-factory-terminated-pair?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3eGfBhCeARIsACpJNU_r8FY4G2Fwe9CwuCaJXfYciU0POKkgeshi77x5xpWI9ZsoUfYHNlAaAsg4EALw_wcB - Audio Woo https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Audio_woo - List of topics characterized as pseudoscience https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience - Why Expensive Wine Tastes Better https://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/why-expensive-wine-tastes-better.htm - To the Audiophile, Magic is Real https://avgadgets.com/to-the-audiophile-magic-is-real/ - Audiophiles Are Funny https://gearspace.com/board/high-end/49579-audiophiles-funny.html For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
It has been a busy few months for weird news. First there were the multiple Chinese spy balloons across North America, then the Ohio train derailments and finally the mysterious Godzilla egg that washed up on a beach in Japan. But what is it that makes news weird and is there a correct level of scepticism to meet unexplained phenomena?In this week’s podcast, we discuss weird news. We start by investigating data on levels of trust in the media, Stanley Cohen’s theory of moral panics and theoretical physics. We discuss key case studies such as ball lightning, animal rain, and unexplained noises and disappearances. Nick also presents a general theory of weirdness and offers some potentially related responses.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- The Fortean Times magazine https://subscribe.forteantimes.com/ - 2023 Chinese balloon incident https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Chinese_balloon_incident - Mystery sphere found on beach perplexes Japan https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64730255 - Crop Circle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Do you ever scroll through Netflix or Amazon Prime and wonder where all the office sitcoms are? In the 80s, 90s and 00s the office sitcom seemed like a television staple, but if this is no longer the case, what does it tell us about contemporary culture and society?In this week’s podcast, we discuss office sitcoms. We trace back recent trends in comedy, discuss some comedy classics, speculate on whether the sitcom genre may be in decline, and reveal what we should be looking for to identify the stock comedy characters of the next five to ten years. Finally, we share our favorite sitcoms and the comedy characters we most identify with.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Comedy and critical thought: Laughter as resistance https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41296-018-0243-2 - Weekly top 50 shows https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/most-viewed-programmes/For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
We’ve all come across different versions of the “just be yourself” principle at some point. Being told to “follow your dreams” or “say what you think” can often feel like empty platitudes. But what does it actually mean to be yourself and is it something you can aim for?In this week’s podcast, we discuss being yourself. We explore evolutionary biology, Dunbar’s number, Aristotle, status hierarchies, eating olives and different cultural approaches to individualism and collectivism. We ask how to objectively disambiguate authenticity and inauthenticity and suggest some metrics for measuring our inner feelings and behaviour. Finally, we share moments from our lives where we were guilty of inauthenticity.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Trait personality and state variability https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656616300514 - Does intraindividual variability of personality statesimprove perspective taking?https://edoc.hu-berlin.de/bitstream/handle/18452/21157/jintelligence-06-00050.pdf?sequence=1 - Variability in state authenticity predicts daily affect and emotion regulation https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-98395-001 - Distinguishing between authenticity and personality consistency in predicting well-beinghttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1162908818300379- Tim Urban’s What’s our problem https://www.overcomingbias.com/p/tim-urbans-whats-our-problem For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage: Clariosophic via Wikimedia Commons
Our relationship with temptation stretches back to stories from the bible and antiquity. Whether it is eating the forbidden fruit or opening Pandora’s box, temptation seems intimately linked to human nature. But is it our responsibility to remove temptation from others or is this an area where the so-called nanny state seeks to interfere with our personal choices?In this week’s podcast, we discuss temptation. We focus our attention on the example of bringing cake into the office. In doing so, we discuss deontology and consequentialism, ego depletion, the marshmallow test, and the economic theory of time inconsistency. Nick presents his temptability index and we reveal our favourite cakes and gastronomic temptations.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Bringing cake to the office is as harmful as passive smoking https://news.sky.com/story/bringing-cake-to-office-as-harmful-as-passive-smoking-uk-food-watchdog-says-12789287 - The psychology of temptation https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/473700 - House of Lords: Regina v Looseley https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200102/ldjudgmt/jd011025/loose-1.htm - Ten prohibited advertising categories https://www.asa.org.uk/type/broadcast/code_section/10.html For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage by Dennis Wilkinson via Flickr
In the UK we have all become accustomed to living in a democratically stable country. Yet if you trace back history it reveals that even stable countries are susceptible to a coup d’etat. This got us thinking, how do you stage a successful coup?In this week’s podcast, we discuss coups. We examine recent examples of coups around the world and ask if coups are making a comeback? We reveal the difference between coups and revolutions, draw insights from a dataset on coups and muse over historical case studies in the UK context such as the Harold Wilson plot. Finally, we draw up a fictitious plot to overthrow the British government and put forward our list of would-be demands and policies.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63885028 - Coups are making a comeback https://www.axios.com/2022/01/30/coup-attemps-countries-around-world - Armed Forces continuous attitude survey: 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/armed-forces-continuous-attitude-survey-2022 For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As the northern hemisphere continues to endure the depths of winter, we cast our minds back to the summer holidays of last year. Busy holidays are often filled with enduring reflections, while others that are full of rest and relaxation can feel comparatively void of memories. So what should we be optimising for holidays - fun or memories?In this week’s podcast, we discuss holiday optimisation. Should we be designing our holidays to maximise memory capture or having an enjoyable time? We discuss memory models, Daniel Kahneman’s cognitive psychology approach to life satisfaction, the peak-end rule and how holidays can foster social bonds and affect wellbeing. Finally, we share our most memorable holidays and design our own perfect holiday.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Leisure and subjective well-being: A model of psychological mechanisms as mediating factor https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258511569_Leisure_and_Subjective_Well-Being_A_Model_of_Psychological_Mechanisms_as_Mediating_Factors - High income improves evaluation of life but notemotional well-being https://www.princeton.edu/~deaton/downloads/deaton_kahneman_high_income_improves_evaluation_August2010.pdf - If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1057740811000209 - What promotes the happiness of vacationers? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35721877/ - How emotions change over the course of a trip https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0047287512465961 - Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well-being https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smi.1434 - Thinking, Fast and Slow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
At the time, the decision of what to study feels like one of the most important decisions we will ever make. It is only with the wisdom of hindsight that many of us realise the degree we studied had little bearing on our lives. But do the degrees we study have an impact on our future careers and is this impact measurable?In this week’s podcast, we discuss choosing a degree. What motivates students to select particular degrees over others? And why does there seem to be a discrepancy between what students decide to study and getting a job in the thing they are studying? We unpack the idea of ‘risky’ degrees, weigh in on the STEM subjects vs arts degrees debate and Nick reveals which is the best degree to study if you want a successful career. Finally, we share the degrees we would do if we had our time again.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Stereotypes about fields of study https://johnjconlon17.github.io/website/Conlon_Patel_stereotypes.pdf - The degrees that make you rich... and the ones that don't https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41693230 - Employment and earnings outcomes of higher educationgraduates https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/718225/SFR_18_2017_LEO_mainText.pdf For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
We often think of our leaders as serious and dignified figures that don’t engage in any fun or frivolity. Those that reach the highest levels of office are expected to remain above reproach as examples to the rest of us. But do we set unrealistic expectations for our leaders and is it acceptable for us to see them enjoying themselves?In this week’s podcast, we discuss partying prime ministers. We debate the idea of public image in an age of social media, and the nature of responsibility and how it is interpreted. We muse over the pastimes of previous prime ministers, defecating monarchs, and ask whether there is a level of hypocrisy in the expectations we set for those that govern us. Finally, we speculate on which former leaders would have had the most colourful social media histories.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Sanna Marin: Partying Finnish PM cleared of neglecting dutieshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63517303 For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage via Twitter
If you were an avid cinema-goer in the 1980s and 1990s, it would’ve felt like almost every blockbuster film was set in New York. But fast-forward to the present day and the number of films set in the city has declined sharply. Why aren’t films set in New York anymore and is it part of a more general trend of films not being set in the real-world?In this week’s podcast, we discuss New York in film. We hark back to the gritty glamour of 1980s New York, discuss how globalisation may have changed the international film industry and analyse the highest grossing films of previous decades. Nick presents his realism index for films and we share some of our favourite films set in New York.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- List of films set in New York City https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_set_in_New_York_City - Satisfaction with own life five times higher than with U.S.https://news.gallup.com/poll/389375/satisfaction-own-life-five-times-higher.aspx For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage: hendricks via hdwallpapers.net
As loyal listeners to the podcast will know, we regard the Conservative politician Sir Gavin Williamson as a source of almost endless fascination. His personal idiosyncrasies and unusual career path seem unique. But do politicians play by the same rules as the rest of us or are they held to an entirely different standard?In this week’s podcast, we discuss Sir Gavin Williamson. We sketch out the synergies between politics, sport, finance and the arts, present data on personality traits for leadership and speculate on the personality types of previous prime ministers. Finally, we share our worst character traits and reveal who we regard as the most underrated prime ministers.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Gavin Williamson text messages unacceptable, PM says https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63530070 - Commons watchdog hints at potential Gavin Williamson investigation https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/15/commons-watchdog-hints-potential-gavin-williamson-investigation- Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review http://www.timothy-judge.com/Judge%2C%20Bono%2C%20Ilies%2C%20%26%20Gerhardt.pdf For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage: Number 10 via Flickr
Nick recently made the surprising discovery that Mrs. Brown’s Boys continues to attract millions of viewers each week on prime-time television. So, we asked ourselves, why are there films, music and television programmes that appear to be universally loathed, but are inexplicably popular? Are there any identifiable traits or patterns that can lead us closer to explaining this phenomenon?In this week’s podcast, we discuss things that seem universally hated but are popular. Is it the result of a marketing ploy by film, television and public relation executives, or is it simply a mismatch between the cultural status of a particular product and its perceived level of quality? We discuss the Nash equilibrium, try-hards, shy Tories, Kanye West and Mrs. Browns Boys. Finally, we share some of the guilty pleasures in our cultural consumption.A few things we mentioned in this podcast:- Mrs Brown’s Ultimate Funniest Moments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rC2rfCj3sk - Mrs Brown's Boys Wins Situation Comedy BAFTA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilb_1EP4NRY - Limmy has his say on the James Corden/Ricky Gervais Patter Theft Scandal (warning - very strong language) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtHgdb3x-7Q - Most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time https://stacker.com/stories/195/most-widely-watched-universally-hated-movies-all-time - Shy Tory factor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shy_Tory_factor- 10 Reasons We Love To Hate Kanye West https://liveforlivemusic.com/features/the-top-10-reasons-to-hate-kanye-west/This week’s podcast was suggested by one of our loyal listeners, Carl.For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.comImage by Cosmopolitan UK.
We’ve all experienced that feeling after a long, perhaps arduous, journey of finally arriving back home. In fact, it may not even matter if it was a trip down to the local supermarket or halfway across the world, the feeling of arriving back at home safely and securely feels universal. But have we invented this idea of home?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss going home. How does the feeling of home work for nomads and those without a home? Does our concept of home change depending on how far away we are from it? We explore the idea of homeownership, shibboleths, privacy and Nick proposes a test for feeling at home based on the level of homesickness. Finally, we share the things we most look forward to upon arriving home.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- What do Nomads call home? https://uncorneredmarket.com/what-do-nomads-call-home/
- Rising numbers of UK renters say their situation is causing depressionhttps://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/rising-numbers-of-uk-renters-say-their-situation-is-causing-depression.html
- The Science of a Happy Home https://buildpathio.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets/happy_homes/resi%7Cscience_of_a_happy_home_report_2020.pdf
- The Dwelling https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-9342-6_10
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Some of our listeners will only know the late Robbie Coltrane from his performances as Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series, despite a long and varied career in film and television. But what happens when one of our cultural references dies? Is it our responsibility to find new ones, and if so, where do we start looking?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss cultural references. We explore the measure of a good cultural reference and debate whether they can be mobilised for culture war debates. In addition to Robbie Coltrane, we make reference to the Humphreys milk adverts, the Milk Tray man, aluminium Christmas trees, The Shining, and cringey memes. We also share some of our most embarrassing and revealing cultural reference moments.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Edinburgh International Film Festival via Flickr
Historians often refer to the Renaissance, the Enlightenment period in England and 1960s pop music as golden ages. These are seen as periods of great advancement in the arts and scientific discovery. But how do you get one?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss golden ages. How do you foster a golden age, what are the required conditions and can we predict one in advance? We explore the history of golden ages, put forward a model for determining a golden age lifecycle and finally, make predictions about where you are likely to find a future golden age.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Perseus Digital Library: Hesiod, Works and Days https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0132%3Acard%3D109
- Wikipedia: Golden age (metaphor) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_age_(metaphor)
- List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1960 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_1960
- List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1970 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_1970
- List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2010 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_2010
- List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_2020
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Ludovice Bertron via Flickr
Do high budgets for films and television series lead to high-quality productions? Or does spending too much money actually make the end product worse?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss big budgets. We use Amazon’s Rings of Power series to question whether a large budget is a necessary condition for success in film and television. We discuss the economic theory of resource scarcity, hubristic planning, white elephants, the Mythical Man-Month, and the Swedish warship Vasa. We widen the lens of the conversation to ask how large budgets affect decision-making and even draw an analogy between large film budgets and military spending. Finally, we share some of our favourite high and low-budget films.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Big-budget films are getting worse — and we can prove it https://www.vox.com/2016/4/4/11351788/batman-v-superman-terrible-reviews
- Why movies cost so much to make (Investopedia) https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0611/why-movies-cost-so-much-to-make.aspx
- Movies Decoded: The complex relationship between budgets, box office and ratings https://medium.com/cinenation-show/2009-movie-correlations-between-ratings-box-office-and-production-budget-2dc68ce7db27
- The Mythical Man-Month https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Peter J Vost via Wikimedia Commons
What are the ingredients of a good conversation? Does it require a balance between conversational givers and takers or is it simply down to taking an interest in what your interlocutor is saying?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss conversations. We debate whether there is an optimal way to conduct a conversation and put forward a series of explanations based on our own idiosyncratic approaches. We discuss sideways conversations, the rationalist movement and share some of our most memorable conversations.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- LessWrong: Conversations https://www.lesswrong.com/tag/conversation-topic
- Good conversations have lots of doorknobs https://experimentalhistory.substack.com/p/good-conversations-have-lots-of-doorknobs
- Do conversations end when people want them to? https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2011809118
- Michael Parkinson interviews Meg Ryan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blpq-Iwu25s
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Alan Warren via Wikimedia Commons
There seems to be an ever-growing list of examples that reminds us we are living through an age of nostalgia for past media. Black and white photography, vinyl records and the iPod Classic are all experiencing renewed popularity, but what can we put this down to?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss future nostalgia. What are the technologies and media we will feel nostalgic about in the future and are they simply a reflection of current limitations and imperfections? We discuss The Commitments, hauntology, 90s website revivalism, artificial intelligence language models, and share some of our predictions for future technology nostalgia.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Brian Eno on technological imperfections https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/649039-whatever-you-now-find-weird-ugly-uncomfortable-and-nasty-about
- Steam: Into the Breach https://store.steampowered.com/app/590380/Into_the_Breach/
- John Cage’s 4’33” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTEFKFiXSx4
- CGI from The Mummy Returns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYHaarxQTFk
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
It’s a question that has left many puzzled. What, in fact, is a sandwich? Is it the classic two slices of bread, Earl of Sandwich creation? Or is it simply anything in a similar arrangement?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss sandwiches. Tom harks back to his Swedish heritage by posing the question, is an open-sandwich a sandwich? From here we discuss logical positivism, neural networks and Quine’s seminal work ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism’. Finally, we share some of our favourite sandwich creations and experiences.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Logical Empiricism https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/logical-empiricism/
- Two Dogmas of Empiricism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Dogmas_of_Empiricism
- John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Montagu,_4th_Earl_of_Sandwich
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image by FreeFoodImages via Wikimedia Commons
As King Charles III was proclaimed the new monarch of the UK and the Commonwealth realms, we were left questioning if the era of deference is a thing of the past or if it does still hold some meaning today.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss deference. Do kings and queens deserve the level of deference they receive or is it an anachronism? We attempt to define the key components of deference, speculate on the differences between deference and respect, discuss the If-By-Whiskey fallacy, Robert Sapolsky’s seminal study of savanna baboons, the Household Cavalry and of course, the Queen’s funeral.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The origins of deference: When do people prefer lower status? https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-05214-001
- Prospect: How deference is smothering the conversation Britain needs https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/deference-smothering-conversation-britain-needs-monarchy-republic-queen-elizabeth-king-charles
- The London School of Economics and Political Science: Representing (Ir) Reverence: what The Crown can tell us about our relationship with the monarchy today https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/researchingsociology/2018/03/21/representing-irreverence-what-the-crown-can-tell-us-about-our-relationship-with-the-monarchy-today/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
What makes certain types of crime cool and are there any rules? Why is it that the arts and media glorify different forms of criminality over others?
In this week’s podcast, we delve into the world of cool criminals. We discuss the difference between pirates and privateers, the Byronic hero, the mafia, Baader Meinhof and Narco ballads. Nick presents his theory on how to make crimes cool and we speculate on the origins of coolness itself. Finally, we share some of our favourite crimes and criminals.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Lance Gooden wants to make privateering great again https://texassignal.com/lance-gooden-wants-to-make-privateering-great-again/
- Too Great a Cruelty: ARCHAEOLOGY's Top Ten Vicious Pirate Actshttps://archive.archaeology.org/online/reviews/pirates/poll.html
- Baader-Meinhof: The glamorous and beguiling face of militant violencehttps://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/long-reads/baader-meinhof-germany-terrorists-b829163.html
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As Britain enters a new era with the passing of the Queen, we revisit a previous podcast on the past, tradition and nostalgia. We even make mention of the new King.
Do you prefer Rembrandt or Rothko? The Vatican or The Shard? A Georgian terrace or a 1960s housing estate? Ever wondered why we stopped building beautiful old buildings and how architectural modernism came to dominate our skylines?
This week we discuss the theory of the Tartarian civilization. It claims that our most ornate buildings are the work of a lost civilization called the Tartarian Empire and attempts to explain the rise of architectural modernism. We set out the theories for and against modernism, deconstruct survivorship bias and new urbanism and discuss a famously anti-modernist town designed by Prince Charles. Nick presents a taxonomy of theories that may explain divergent tastes in architecture and we share our own architectural predilections.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Whither Tartaria? astralcodexten.substack.com/p/whither-tartaria
- Poundbury en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundbury
- Celebration, Florida en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebration,_Florida
- Richard H. Driehaus Architecture Competition www.driehauscompetition.com/en/
- Londoners grow fond of the Shard yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/ar…rs-grow-fond-shard
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com Image: Chris Downer via Wikimedia Commons
Do you remember the Suez Crisis, Soviet Union, using a phone box, smoking on planes or 9/11?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the historical present. When does our historical frame of reference start and when does it end? We look at why young people seem to overgeneralise from their experience and whether knowledge and values are generation-specific. We discuss the Beloit College Mindset Lists, the British sitcom Are you Being Served?, and Mini-discs, before finally testing our own subjective timeline from a list of historical events.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: CatJar via Wikimedia Commons
Square-rimmed glasses, skinny jeans and 1940s clothing are all subject to aesthetic considerations. Are these driven by the whims of fashion or are they part of a deeper and more obscure notion of ‘good’ taste?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss taste. Are there objective elements to taste or is it purely subjective? We discuss the case of John Lewis, Hipsters, Donald Trump, and the Russian aristocracy. We explore the barber pole model for fashion and ask if there is a difference between social status and taste-making ability. Finally, we rank our own taste.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr
The US and China, Manchester United and Liverpool, Truss and Sunak. It seems wherever you look, rivalry abounds. As the UK enters a new era of government, we take a look back at a podcast on rivals. Is rivalry just an extension of competition and is it actually good for us to have a rival? Why do we often need rivals to propel us into action?
We discuss whether rivalries spur us on to ever greater achievements or distract us with unnecessary competition. Is a nemesis necessary in order to define our success, or do they simply lure us to the edge of the Reichenbach Falls? Join us as we plunge headlong into the debate.
In this podcast we examine the impact of national and ideological rivalries, attempting to determine whether fierce competition with an outside agency makes societies more or less productive. We look at historical case studies such as the Cold War, but also investigate the influence of personal rivalries on individual achievements, asking whether bearing a grudge really makes a difference.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Gallup’s favourability ratings https://news.gallup.com/poll/1624/perceptions-foreign-countries.aspx
- ‘Rivalries can improve individual athletic performance’ https://psychcentral.com/news/2014/07/04/rivalries-improve-individual-athletic-performance/72073.html#:~:text=New%20research%20looks%20at%20the,increase%20performance%20levels%20among%20players
- Measuring political rivalry and estimating its effect on economic growth https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315489692_Measuring_political_rivalry_and_estimating_its_effect_on_economic_growth
- Melman: ‘The United States has been transformed into a second-rate industrial economy’ by the arms race. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1818097?seq=1
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
As the UK Conservative leadership race enters the final stretch, we take a look back at a previous podcast on power transitions where we discussed the United States' change in administration from Trump to Biden. What are the potential pitfalls when one government is replaced by another? Is there a recipe for success or can we always expect issues and uncertainty?
- 2022 Conservative Party leadership election (UK) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Conservative_Party_leadership_election_(UK)
A beginning is a very delicate time. The transition from one set of leaders to another can be fraught with difficulty. Talking before the US Capitol riots brought this so sharply into focus, we discuss what makes for a smooth handover of power.
In this podcast we discuss the factors that lead to turbulent power transitions and whether we can predict how they will go. We examine historical precedents from monarchical successions, enforced regime changes and democratic handovers, and question whether leaders are more or less vulnerable just after they have ascended to the throne. This podcast was recorded prior to the unruly invasion of the US Capitol Building - how accurate were our predictions regarding whether Donald Trump would attend Joe Biden's inauguration?
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- List of UK Prime Ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom
- List of Italian Prime Ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Italy
- No evidence of a significant 4-year cycle in US crime http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Image: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
Summer is here and in this week’s podcast we decided to weigh in on an age-old question: which is the most annoying insect?
We discuss the different species of cricket, explore data on the most annoying sounds, the flight strategies of mosquitoes, psychological warfare and how transitive inference is used by wasps. Peter presents his framework for insect annoyingness, while Nick presents an alternative framework that drills down into the concept of annoyingness itself. Finally, we share our findings and reveal our favourite insects.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Noise Nuisances of the Nation https://techtalk.currys.co.uk/tv-audio/noise-nuisances-of-the-nation/
- 7 Of The Loudest Insects In The World Ranked By Decibels https://schoolofbugs.com/loudest-insects-in-the-world/
- The 10 Most Annoying Sounds and Why They Bother Us https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20121012/10-most-annoying-sounds
- You Bug Me. Now Science Explains Whyhttps://www.npr.org/2011/05/17/135703137/you-bug-me-now-science-explains-why?t=1656042115017
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
For some time the consensus has been that democracy is the most desirable form of government. But if democracy is so great, why aren’t companies run like countries?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss democracy in business. We explore the multitude of company arrangements and ownership structures, Peter explains his principles for benevolent governance and how they differ from running a business and we trace back the origins of democracy to test whether the analogy between democracy in government and in business holds. Finally, we share the system of government we would most like to live in.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Workplace Democracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_democracy
- Why Companies are not Democracies and That’s (Probably) a Good Thing https://medium.com/battle-room/why-companies-are-not-democracies-thats-probably-a-good-thing-75c4d869d9c3
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As widespread strikes continue across the UK and around the world this summer, in this week’s podcast we delve into strike action. We discuss what makes a successful strike, whether they are an effective bargaining tool, and if they actually work.
We recount the history of strikes in the UK and US, account for the steep decline in striking since the 1970s, and provide a few speculative reasons for why you don’t see as many strikes these days. We diagnose the problems facing the world economy and disclose some of our worst-ever jobs.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Working days lost due to strike action in the public sector - monthly (UK) https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/timeseries/f8xz/lms
- Bargaining Power, Strike Durations, and Wage Outcomes: An Analysis of Strikes in the 1880s https://davidcard.berkeley.edu/papers/bargain-strikes.pdf
- Rubinstein bargaining model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubinstein_bargaining_model
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image by Nick Efford via Wikimedia Commons
When we think of propaganda these days it’s hard not to conjure up images and posters from the Second World War, but was it always this way?
This week we discuss propaganda. Does propaganda work anymore or have we, as a society, become immune to propaganda? We explain the concept of “rewired propaganda”, internet memes, clickbait and the differences between misinformation and disinformation. We debate the hypothesis that propaganda is more about style rather than substance and finally, share some of our all-time favourite pieces of propaganda.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Influenza of Evil https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/01/13/evil-is-anti-inductive/
- Overview of 21st Century Propaganda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_of_21st-century_propaganda
- Propaganda as Signalling https://www.almendron.com/tribuna/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/propaganda-as-signaling.pdf
- The Psychology of Fake News https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661321000516
- ‘The Lambeth Walk’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdmk3GP3iM
- Modern Political Propaganda: Definition, Examples and How to Spot it https://www.liberties.eu/en/stories/political-propaganda/43850
- The Propaganda Model: Still Relevant Today? https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-137-32021-6_5
- Rewired Propaganda https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2941192
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Does being a subject matter expert make you good at predicting events? This week, we delve into economist Tyler Cowen's blog on International Relations scholars and their views on Russia and Ukraine, and discuss international relations, analysis, and forecasting. We consider what makes for good analysis and the importance of having a sound methodology, diversity of thought, and understanding our own biases.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Tyler Cowen: How did the IR community get Russia/Ukraine so wrong? https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2022/05/how-did-the-ir-community-get-russia-ukraine-so-wrong.html
- Conversations with Tyler https://conversationswithtyler.com/
- The Good Judgement Project https://goodjudgment.com/
- Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know? By Philip E Tetlock https://www.amazon.co.uk/Expert-Political-Judgment-Good-Know/dp/0691128715
- No True Scotman fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman
- Cognitive Engineering: Hindsight Bias https://alephinsights.com/podcast/2021/08/hindsight
- Poll: Will Russia Invade Ukraine https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/31/poll-russia-ukraine-invasion-crisis-biden-response/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image by Tim Reckmann
Do you ever arrive at a train station early only to gaze up at the timetable in utter confusion as you search for your train? As you stand there bewildered, do you ever wonder if there is a better way to present this kind of information?
In this week’s episode, we discuss the exciting topic of train timetables. Why are there different train scheduling systems in different places and can technology help to cut through the complexity? We discuss London postcodes, the perils of standardisation and Shannon entropy. We also reveal the most complicated line on the London Underground network and offer a suite of our own solutions for optimising train travel. Sit back and enjoy the journey.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image by Diamond Geezer via Flickr
Why is YouTube full of documentaries and Netflix packed with drama? Which comes first, the medium or the content?
In this week’s podcast, we traverse the history of media consumption, examine YouTube consumer behaviour and explore the differences between traditional programming and the production of YouTube videos. We debate whether we are living in a golden age of series drama and speculate on where you might find the next media growth area. We end by sharing our concept ideas for YouTube channels of the future.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- State of the YouTube Address – an overview of YouTube usage and growth https://pex.com/blog/state-of-the-youtube-address/
- List of Most-Subscribed YouTube Channels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-subscribed_YouTube_channels
- How Much Does Animated Video Cost? https://www.wyzowl.com/how-much-does-animated-video-cost/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image by ZyMOS via Wikimedia Commons
Autocorrect, spell check and 'smart compose' were ostensibly invented to make our writing lives easier. But are they taking over and making us redundant?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss predictive text. Now that there are a slew of freely available AI text-based software applications, should we be disturbed by AI innovations that closely resemble human writing skills? Do they lead to the grave implications claimed by some or should they be seen as benign creations? We discuss GPT-3, AI Dungeon and the implications for children, communications professionals and authors. Finally, we play out a predictive text scenario live in the studio.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- GPT-3, Bloviator: OpenAI’s language generator has no idea what it’s talking about https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/22/1007539/gpt3-openai-language-generator-artificial-intelligence-ai-opinion/
- A Complete Overview of GPT-3 — The Largest Neural Network Ever Created https://towardsdatascience.com/gpt-3-a-complete-overview-190232eb25fd
- Broca's area https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broca%27s_area
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
If you were able to time travel back into the past, how would you go about proving you were from the future? Is there a set of predictions you could offer that would improve your chances of being believed?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss what it is that makes a person from the future different to those from the present day and what technology or innovation we might replicate to persuade the disbelieving. We also look at the illusion of explanatory depth, the concept of proof, rationality and the Flashman Papers Series. Finally, we disclose our desired guest list for a dinner party made up of historical attendees.
- Javier, alleged time-travelling TikToker https://www.tiktok.com/@unicosobreviviente?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
- I, Pencil by Leonard Read https://mises.org/library/i-pencil
- Why it took so long to invent the wheel https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-it-took-so-long-to-inv/#:~:text=According%20to%20Anthony%2C%20%22It%20was,only%20once%2C%20in%20one%20place
- The Science of Cycology https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~rlawson/cycleweb.html
- The misunderstood limits of folk science: an illusion of explanatory depth https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062901/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Are general tools more useful than specific tools? Is it better to have one thing that tries to do everything or many things that only attempt a single function?
In a world awash with multifunctional tools and devices, in this week’s podcast, we discuss multifunctionality. How should we design tools to perform multiple tasks and does multifunctionality lie in the object or in the user? We discuss cobblers cutting keys, stores that sell both darts and televisions, and Swiss army knives. Finally, we share some of our favourite tools and implements.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Borlands Darts and Television https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.9616074,-3.1802346,3a,38.1y,295.43h,83.33t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6Mwzr9NNwZJSKvTlyLtNrA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 -The Craziest Multi-Tool Ever Made Kills in 100 Different Ways https://www.wired.com/2013/10/you-can-kill-a-man-100-ways-with-this-crazy-swiss-army-knife/
- 25 Multi-functional Products https://goodordering.com/blogs/blog/25-multi-functional-products
- Runcible Spoon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runcible
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Whenever a new conflict emerges, the two sides seem to almost naturally fall into an underdog scenario. It’s a concept that looms large in our collective imagination, but is there any evidence the underdog does any better than the top dog?
In this week's podcast, we discuss the underdog. What are the benefits of being an underdog and why is the concept more prevalent in sport and warfare than other domains? We survey how the underdog effect operates in historical military campaigns, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and share our favourite underdog stories and examples.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- ‘Small Axe’ by Bob Marley and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2fjqcThFoM
- Wallets, Ballots, or Bullets: Does wealth, democracy, or military capabilities determine war outcomes? https://academic.oup.com/isq/article/57/2/303/1789068?login=true
- Military victories against the odds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_victories_against_the_odds
- Small Firm Effect https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/smallfirmeffect.asp
- The gap between large and small companies is growing. Why? https://hbr.org/2019/08/the-gap-between-large-and-small-companies-is-growing-why
- Three professional footballers versus 100 kids in a football match https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_5u2eQG59o
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
If there’s one thing that was made easier by the Covid-19 lockdowns, it was holding meetings online. Now that lockdowns are hopefully a thing of the past, are we once again condemned to the horrors of trying to arrange physical meetings?
This week, we discuss the problems with booking meetings. How do you schedule meetings with people coming from different places and is there a way to do it properly? We discuss the set cover problem, information theory and ask if organising meetings solidifies power structures in organisations and groups. We debate whether we should do away with meetings completely or find a way to universally enforce shareable calendars. Finally, Nick and Fraser illustrate a real-life example of scheduling madness.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Co-ordination, timing, and common knowledge https://economics.mit.edu/files/17316
- Set cover problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_cover_problem
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
The old adage that ‘violence is never the answer’ was put to the test when the actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at this year's Oscars ceremony. Are there instances where violence is acceptable? And if so, how much violence is proportional?
In this week’s podcast, we unpack the infamous Oscars slap and apply an analytical lens to the concept of violence more broadly. We discuss the narrow legal conditions that apply to violence, the historical use of violence in Hollywood films and the presence of violence in early human history. During our discussion we also present the continuum of force, the execution paradox and a game theory approach to the use of violence, as well as the surprising correlation between lead and the decline of violent behaviour in society.
- Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myjEoDypUD8
- Reasonable Force Law and Legal Definition https://definitions.uslegal.com/r/reasonable-force/
- Lead–crime hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Jared Eberhardt via Wikimedia Commons
Are quizzes and puzzles dying in the era of the internet - where any answer is seemingly a click away - or can they be Google-proofed?
This week, we ask our in-house crossword expert to tell us what types of questions create answers that are hard to search for, how a puzzle question should be structured, and what features make for a good puzzle. We also discuss what makes something un-Googleable and consider the implications for human knowledge sharing. If listening to this podcast doesn’t make want to go to your next local pub quiz night, nothing will.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Quizmaster devises Google-proof questions to stop pub quiz smartphone cheats https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/quizmaster-devises-google-proof-questions-to-stop-878011
- Google-ability and Google ability http://ken-jennings.com/blog/archives/46
- ‘How Google Works’, according to Google developers (note: this doesn’t tell you how Google works) https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/guidelines/how-search-works
- The ‘Tip of my Tongue’ subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/
- Cognitive Engineering podcast: Why do we like puzzles? https://alephinsights.com/podcast/2021/01/why-do-we-like-puzzles
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image via BristolLive
Brands often build loyal bands of acolytes who can verge on the fanatical. It's easy to find evidence of people professing their love for Apple, Google or HP Sauce, but untangling the reasons why they fall in love with particular brands is more difficult.
The idea for this week's podcast comes from loyal listener, Helge. Based on his suggestion, we delve into what kind of brands inspire loyalty, what it means to be loyal to a brand and why people emotionally attach themselves to brands in the first place. We discuss the marketing concept of “value alignment”, cognitive biases associated with brand loyalty and, finally, we share the brands to which we remain steadfastly loyal.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Captcreate via Flicker
You won't believe the 10 ways that listening to this podcast could change your life!!! This week we discuss writing and whether it is the author's responsibility to engage their audience or the reader's responsibility to buckle down and concentrate.
We look at whether the quality of writing affects the quality of the argument and if it is the case that some subject matter cannot be reduced to simple language. We discuss the idea of irreducible complexity and Flesch–Kincaid readability tests. Peter presents his ‘naive information theory’ and Nick proposes an economic model based on the market of ideas. Finally, we share some of our most loved pieces of text that we still regard as terrible writing.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Feld et al., ‘Writing Matters’ https://janfeld.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/8/9/118933153/writing_matters.pdf
- Flesch-Kincaid readability tests https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid_readability_tests
- Are Reading and Writing Building on the Same Skills? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11145-018-9874-1
- Cognitive Engineering podcast: Simplification https://alephinsights.com/podcast/2021/06/simplification
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Geoffrey Barker via Wikimedia Commons
What constitutes a good question? In this week’s podcast, we examine one of the gripping questions of our time: are there more doors or wheels on planet Earth?
We use the wheels vs doors debate as a gateway into the dynamics of questions and information exchange, considering how a question should be defined and whether it is the same as generating a hypothesis. In doing so, we discuss logical positivism, value of information theory, Fermi analysis and the Zen Buddhist concept of Mu. Finally, we share the best and worst questions we’ve asked or been asked.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- More wheels or doors? https://twitter.com/newyorknixon/status/1500000428985286657
- Vienna Circle https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/vienna-circle/
- Fermi Estimate https://brilliant.org/wiki/fermi-estimate/
- Manhattan Project https://www.britannica.com/event/Manhattan-Project
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Do you ever wonder what happened to that kid at school? Are there classmates with whom you've lost touch, but would love to catch up with? Or does the whole thing fill you with dread? In this week’s podcast, we discuss school reunions.
We start by probing the reasons behind the popularity of the school reunion film trope of the 1970s and 80s, ask whether school reunions are more than just a benchmarking exercise with our peers, and question the impact of social media on getting together with our schoolmates. Finally, we attempt to guess what our fellow podcast participants were like during their school days.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Impossibility of The Big Chill Today https://www.splicetoday.com/moving-pictures/the-impossibility-of-the-big-chill-today
- Google Books Ngram for ‘School Reunion’ https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=school+reunion&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cschool%20reunion%3B%2Cc0#t1%3B%2Cschool%20reunion%3B%2Cc0
- Just before COVID-19, American migration hit a 73-year low https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/12/15/just-before-covid-19-american-migration-hit-a-73-year-low/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr
If you applied for a job at a company that claimed it was merely years away from sending a robot to Mars would you be suspicious? What if the company was run by Elon Musk?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the difference between startups and scams. Do all companies need to pretend to be bigger than they are to generate early revenue and success? We outline the legal conditions required to commit fraud, the infamous Theranos case and set out some red flags for determining if a company meets the scam test. Finally, we share some examples of where we may have stretched the truth ourselves.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Jobfished: the con that tricked dozens into working for a fake design agency https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60387324
- Theranos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theranos
- 12% of corporate leaders are psychopaths https://fortune.com/2021/06/06/corporate-psychopaths-business-leadership-csr/#:~:text=My%20colleagues%20and%20I%20found,of%20psychopathy%20shows%20obvious%20signs
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
We all know the recipe for a classic Disney film: animation, soppy morals, uplifting songs and inspiring plots. But what makes something quintessential or classic? Does defining the features of a brand tell you something about its identity?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss Disney films. We ask what cinematic elements make for a classic Disney film? We discuss the Disney renaissance of the late 80s and early 90s, the Sporcle quiz and brand coherence vs brand consistency. Finally, we share our favourite non-Disney Disney films.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Encanto trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaimKeDcudo
- ‘Brand Coherence’ https://drivecreativeagency.com/brand-coherence-care/#:~:text=In%20a%20nutshell%2C%20brand%20coherence,interactions%2C%20to%20name%20a%20few
- Samsung’s autonomous sentry gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SGR-A1
- Volkswagen currywurst https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_currywurst
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Are borders real or imaginary? Do borders require a territory or area of land, or are there domains without physical space that still contain borders?
In this week’s podcast, and in light of recent events, we discuss the complexity of borders and jurisdictions. We explore territorialism in the animal kingdom, the history and economics of borders, and how borders can shape national identity. Finally, we share some of our favourite borders.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Chimp war https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/jun/21/chimpanzees-territory-killing-neighbours
- The chitmahals of West Bengal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India%E2%80%93Bangladesh_enclaves
- What exactly is the point of the border?https://theconversation.com/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-the-border-99990
- India–Bangladesh enclaves https://thecorrespondent.com/147/borders-dont-just-keep-people-out-they-define-their-worth/19459705650-bbf0f324
- List of territorial disputes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_disputes
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Do you know what servo or katana means? How about doula or damask? A recent study into word recognition among English speakers has found that how recognisable a word is to you may depend on contextual factors, such as nationality or gender.
In this week's podcast, we discuss words and language. Is there a difference between understanding a word and understanding how it is used? Does our recognition of certain words tell us something about where we fit into society? We discuss the Shy Tory effect, Urban Dictionary, and debate the differences between American and British English. Finally, we share a few words of our own to see how recognisable they are (or not).
- Word prevalence norms for 62,000 English lemmas https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-018-1077-9#Tab1
- Words known better by males than by females and vice versa https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-018-1077-9/tables/2
- Words known much better in the US than in the UK and vice versa https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-018-1077-9/tables/1
- Urban Dictionary https://www.urbandictionary.com/
- Shy Tory Factor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shy_Tory_factor
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Zemleanichnaya via Wikimedia Commons
Does an adventure require facing danger and seeing the world, or can you simply go on an adventure around your living room?
In this week’s podcast we discuss adventure. What exactly is an adventure and how do you do it properly? We attempt to unravel what makes an adventure interesting, why we undertake them in the first place and what their essential elements are. We analyse the structure of adventure stories, debate Shannon entropy theory and share some of our own favourite adventures and most loved stories.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Hero’s Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey
- The return trip effect https://www.vox.com/2015/6/10/8756765/return-trip-effect
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Thriol via Flickr
Why is work important? The pandemic has spawned new movements dedicated to fighting against the oppression of wage labour. So this week, we take a look at the burgeoning Anti-work movement. One that started off as a minor subreddit and has now grown into a popular idea.
We discuss what makes the Anti-work movement influential and ask if it is a positive sign that people are questioning modern work patterns. We also cover the concept of Bullshit Jobs, inefficiencies in the job market and techno-utopianism. Finally, we speculate about what we would be doing if work was no longer a necessity. Enjoy this podcast at your leisure.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Job Leavers in the US https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNS13023705
- US Real Median Wages https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q
- Cognitive Engineering Podcast: Good Things Coming from Bad Things https://alephinsights.com/podcast/2020/04/good-things-coming-from-bad/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: C&S Northway via Flickr
Is Tracey Emin entitled to ask the current Government to take down artwork that she gave to the Government when David Cameron was in office or is that unreasonable? We look at whether it is ever permissible to ask for a gift back.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss gifts and ask what rights you have when you give a gift to someone and whether these rights change depending on who the gift is for. We explore the complex moral and legal implications of giving a gift, the curious case of engagement rings and discuss why ISIS fighters have a penchant for the Toyota Hilux. Finally, we share some of our best and worst gift experiences.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Tracey Emin requests No 10 take down her neon artwork https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60066844
- Joan Edwards – a curious case of a generous bequest https://www.gedye.co.uk/article/joan-edwards-a-curious-case-of-a-generous-bequest/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com Image: Gratuit via Free Images Live
The human body is full of seemingly uncoordinated processes and sensations. Needing to pass and then drink water in quick succession, developing an insatiable hunger just before bedtime, getting an itchy nose when your hands are both full. It often feels like there are some inherent design flaws in the human species.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss redesigning humans. Why are some biological processes seemingly so inefficient? How could we optimise the human species using physiology from different parts of the animal kingdom? We also discuss the brain stimulation concept known as "wireheading", provide a novel solution to the Prisoner’s dilemma and unpack the inner workings of human anatomy and DNA, to muse on questions of existence.
- Urination https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urination
- Do Neurons Process Information Efficiently? https://jim-stone.staff.shef.ac.uk/BookNeuralInfo/lectureneuralinfoJVS.pdf
- How would lives play out if humans only died from unnatural causes (like car accidents)? https://polstats.com/#!/life
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
What is a life without risk? From going outside to eating our lunch, we take dozens of risks every day without stopping to consider them, let alone attempt to quantify them.
In this week’s podcast, we are joined by Jerry Smith, Head of Advisory at the risk analysis company, CHC Global. Jerry helps us to unpack how the insurance market operates, the idea of malicious versus benign risk, and why high impact and low probability events are difficult to insure. We also discuss how data might be used to present and examine risk in new ways.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- CHC Global https://www.chcglobal.co.uk/
- Pool Re https://www.poolre.co.uk/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As the UK Government teeters on the edge of a precipice, we look back to a key moment in the genesis of the current crisis: the lobbying scandal that brought an end to Conservative MP Owen Paterson’s political career. We use these events to analyse the issue of politicians’ pay.
In this week's podcast, we consider the issue of optimal remuneration for our political classes. We debate whether we would get better politicians, with fewer vested interests, if they were paid more money. We also chart the history of salaries in British politics and examine how the UK stacks up against other countries. Finally, we debate how to incentivise talented people to take up a career in politics and interrogate whether or not there is a correlation between the rates of pay among politicians and levels of corruption.
It’s one of Britain’s most loved yet least considered products: the humble crisp.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the association between colour and crisp flavours. We ask all the burning questions: What does your favourite crisp flavour say about you? Have crisp packets always been the same colour? Is there really a definitive colour palette for each flavour? Along the way, we take you through the contentious history of crisps, differences in preference across countries and generations, and search for an objective basis for the colour of crisp packets.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- So long, salt and vinegar: how crisp flavours went from simple to sensational https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/14/so-long-salt-and-vinegar-how-crisp-flavours-went-from-simple-to-sensational
- Generation ready salted https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2014/08/30/generation-ready-salted
- Crisp packet colours should have an international flavour standard https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/crisp-packet-colours-should-have-an-international-flavour-standard-20200306-h1mc8u
- On tasty colours and colourful tastes? Assessing, explaining, and utilizing crossmodal correspondences between colours and basic tastes https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13411-015-0033-1
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons
Taking a walk through the woods with the family pet can sometimes unearth some unexpected surprises. Sticks, stones or even, buried treasure.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss what counts as treasure and how you might distinguish it from trash. We survey the historical legal definitions of treasure, assess the likelihood of a detectorist striking gold and present examples of how finding treasure can ignite our imagination and become a bridge to the past. Finally, we share the treasures we would most like to discover ourselves.
- Detectorists jailed for stealing £12m Viking hoard of gold and silver https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/nov/22/detectorists-jailed-for-stealing-12m-viking-hoard-of-gold-and-silver
- Buried treasure: record UK haul fuelled by rise in metal detectorists https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/03/buried-treasure-record-uk-haul-fuelled-by-rise-in-metal-detectorists
- A Survey of Metal-Detector Users in the UK https://tuhat.helsinki.fi/ws/files/120984316/Searching_for_Answers.pdf
- Missing Gold Fabergé Egg Found by Scrap-Metal Dealer https://fadmagazine.com/2021/09/23/missing-gold-faberge-egg-found-by-scrap-metal-dealer-and-pair-of-royal-sculptures-reunited-to-feature-in-va-exhibition/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Pixabay
"If I could talk with the animals, just imagine it..."
In this week's podcast, we discuss what it would be like if we could indeed talk with animals. We consider the ethics of such conversations and try to work out what our non-human friends might be able to teach us. We also dive into topics such as language processing, communication and intelligence.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Are We on the Verge of Chatting with Whales? https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/are-we-on-the-verge-of-chatting-with-whales/
- Philosophical Investigations by Wittgenstein https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54889e73e4b0a2c1f9891289/t/564b61a4e4b04eca59c4d232/1447780772744/Ludwig.Wittgenstein.-.Philosophical.Investigations.pdf
- Wittgenstein and the Lion https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/blog/wittgenstein-and-the-lion
- Arrival https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrival_(film)
- Tardigrade Becomes First 'Quantum Entangled' Animal in History https://www.livescience.com/tardigrade-quantum-entangled-experiment
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he "certainly broke no rules" as questions continue to plague the government over parties during lockdown last Christmas. In the wake of the Christmas party scandal, we think it is timely to revisit our podcast on ministerial accountability.
Christmas parties row: Three gatherings to be investigated by top civil servant https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-59591610
Some government ministers seem to constantly court controversy, while others manage to fly smoothly under the incompetence radar. Is this down to luck or judgement, and what is it realistic to expect from our politicians?
In this podcast, we examine ministerial accountability using Gavin Williamson as a case study. We consider whether it is realistic to expect a government minister to be infallible, and if so what level of fallibility is acceptable. We also delve into concepts of ministerial responsibility and honour, and try to understand when something is a minister’s fault.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Crichel Down Affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichel_Down_affair
- List of political scandals in the United Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_scandals_in_the_United_Kingdom
- Institute for Government chart of ministerial resignations https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/charts/ministerial-resignations-outside-reshuffles-prime-minister
- Gordon Brown - Taking Responsibility https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CND6i2o7tTE&t=3s
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Chris McAndrew via Wikimedia Commons
Magic, spells and wizardry aren’t things you normally associate with local government(unless you're in Environmental Services). But in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, a man employed as the ordained city wizard was let go after 23 years of toil and trouble.
In this week’s podcast, we address the vital topic of unemployed wizards. We start by discussing if there might be more value in employing a wizard than a strict accounting metric would suggest, then ask if we should be placing an 'existence value' on oddities in public spending. Finally, we share the joys of placing importance on pointless luxuries and celebrate the superfluous.
- Council to stop paying The Wizard $16,000 a year after 23 years on the payroll https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/126624095/council-to-stop-paying-the-wizard-16000-a-year-after-23-years-on-the-payroll?fbclid=IwAR2mxd3cUAKsNS6yC8I1dRucIZfFun0YDo2E_VmmZ7xt1irIKo2YEQ4dReM
- Aleister Crowley’s concept of Magick https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magick_(Thelema)
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: New Zealand Defence Force
Irritability, sleeplessness, muscle tension and fatigue are all potentially caused by too much noise. Was Schopenhauer right when he called noise the "most impertinent of interruptions"? This week, we discuss the issue of noise pollution... ...as quietly as we can.
The European Environment Agency estimates there are 10,000 premature deaths from noise exposure each year. So why are our cities noisier than ever and what can we do about it? We debate whether susceptibility to noise correlates with age, explore the idea of information overload and ask why we get drawn into the promise of stimulation even when it may be causing us harm. Finally, we share strategies for counteracting and coping with the noisy world around us.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Cities are reportedly noisier than ever https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/apr/25/cities-are-louder-than-ever-and-its-the-poor-who-suffer-most
- European Environment Agency report: Noise in Europe 2014 https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/noise-in-europe-2014
- Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214874/
- Shift Blog: How to avoid notification overload https://tryshift.com/blog/tips-tricks/how-to-avoid-notification-overload/
- Noise: How to overcome the high, hidden cost of inconsistent decision making https://hbr.org/2016/10/noise
- Paris bids to turn volume down in ‘City of Noise’ https://www.thelocal.fr/20150311/officials-to-turn-down-the-volume-on-paris/
- Decibel Hell: The effects of living in a noisy world https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1253729/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
How often do you use the interrobang, asterism or SarcMark? Do you ever find yourself scrolling to find the perfect emoji? Or perhaps you might feel frustrated by the overuse of punctuation?!?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss new punctuation. In a world awash with corporate-speak and scare quotes, what should we add or remove from conventional punctuation and how could it be optimised? We consider punctuation we would like to borrow from other languages, Nick coins a new term for an emoji and we discuss the history of proposed punctuation that didn’t quite stick. Finally, we reveal our favourite pieces of punctuation...
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- User Guidelines and Netiquette by Arlene H. Rinaldi https://web.augsburg.edu/~erickson/edc220/netiquette/rinaldi.html
- Uncommon punctuation marks and how to use them https://www.proofreadnow.com/blog/uncommon-punctuation-marks-and-how-to-use-them
- Emojipedia https://emojipedia.org/
- Punctuation that failed to make its mark https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20151104-punctuation-that-failed-to-make-its-mark
- The 14 common types of punctuation in English https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/what/fourteen-punctuation-marks.html
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
With the UK's terrorism threat level being raised from substantial to SEVERE, following the 14 November incident in Liverpool, we are revisiting our podcast with Jerry Smith from CHC Global.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-terrorism-threat-level-raised-to-severe
Ever wondered how we measure the amount of terrorism? We talk to Jerry Smith from CHC Global, who explains how the Global Terrorism Database has been keeping track of terrorist events all around the world for 50 years.
This podcast covers the painstaking process of collecting structured information about terrorism and considers how you standardise the measurement of something so chaotic and destructive. It explores how the Global Terrorism Database goes about collecting information, categorising events and maintaining data quality to create one of our favourite datasets.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The Global Terrorism Database www.start.umd.edu/data-tools/globa…ism-database-gtd - CHC Global www.chcglobal.co.uk/ - Analysis of terrorist event frequency www.jstor.org/stable/27638538?seq=1
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here podcast.alephinsights.com/ and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website alephinsights.com/
Image: IDF via Flickr
Do you prefer Rembrandt or Rothko? The Vatican or The Shard? A Georgian terrace or a 1960s housing estate? Ever wondered why we stopped building beautiful old buildings and how architectural modernism came to dominate our skylines?
This week we discuss the theory of the Tartarian civilization. It claims that our most ornate buildings are the work of a lost civilization called the Tartarian Empire and attempts to explain the rise of architectural modernism. We set out the theories for and against modernism, deconstruct survivorship bias and new urbanism and discuss a famously anti-modernist town designed by Prince Charles. Nick presents a taxonomy of theories that may explain divergent tastes in architecture and we share our own architectural predilections.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Whither Tartaria? https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/whither-tartaria
- Poundbury https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundbury
- Celebration, Florida https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebration,_Florida
- Richard H. Driehaus Architecture Competition https://www.driehauscompetition.com/en/
- Londoners grow fond of the Shard https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2014/04/13/londoners-grow-fond-shard
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com Image: Chris Downer via Wikimedia Commons
With Remembrance Day occurring next week, it seems only fitting to re-release a podcast we recorded in 2018. In this podcast, we discuss Remembrance Day, what it means, why we commemorate, and how its purpose has changed over the decades.
Remembrance Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Day
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
You don’t see any job listings for archers, spinners or falconers on LinkedIn these days, yet these trades were once thriving professions performed by ordinary people. Many of these jobs only survive through historical reenactment at fairs and festivals, which invites the question: in hundreds of years from now, which jobs of today will be regarded as cultural heritage for future reenactors?
This week, we discuss heritage jobs of the future. In typical fashion, we delve into the data and lay down hypotheses for why some jobs may be more appealing to reenact than others. We present a framework for how likely a job is to be reenacted in the future, debate which jobs of today are ripe for reenactment and ask what constitutes a classic heritage job in the first place. Finally, we reveal the jobs we would most like to reenact ourselves.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Heritage Open Days in England https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
- Kentwell Hall https://www.kentwell.co.uk/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Feed the cat, take the bins out, listen to this podcast. From the timeless paper and pen to the more recent digital calendar or kanban board, to-do lists - whatever their form - are an attempt to remove chaos and inertia from our lives. But do they work?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the efficacy of to-do lists. We try to ascertain whether there is an optimal number of things that should go on a to-do list, delve into the great irony that to-do lists are rarely ever completed and attempt to discover if there is something fundamental about writing lists in the first place. We discuss the birth of early forms of writing, the psychological phenomenon known as the Zeigarnik effect and why studies show that producing a to-do list may bring you closer to achieving your goals. Finally, we disclose some of the things we just can’t seem to cross off our own to-do lists.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Zeigarnik Effect https://www.psychologistworld.com/memory/zeigarnik-effect-interruptions-memory
- The Cognitive Effect of Making Plans https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21688924/
- Going on Holiday? Leave the ‘To Do’ List at Home https://www.ft.com/content/06ffe40d-fdcc-4be8-b536-810cedce7ed1
- The Psychology of the To-Do List – Why Your Brain Loves Ordered Tasks https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/10/the-psychology-of-the-to-do-list-why-your-brain-loves-ordered-tasks
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
We take for granted the speed, reliability and ubiquity of today's internet, but it wasn't ever thus. Do you remember AltaVista, the ZX Spectrum or the iconic tones of a dialup modem? What about the absurdly long wait times to download an image or to log in to an internet chat room? We indulge our nostalgia to gain insights into the evolution of one of humankind's most important inventions.
In this week’s podcast, we look back on the early years of the internet. What will future historians write about the internet? What inspired its creation and who were the key figures and innovators in its design? We assess the capacities and limitations of the primitive internet, reveal where you are likely to find the next internet innovation and suggest industries and sectors that have been forever changed by its arrival. Finally, we reminisce about moments when we realised the age of the internet had finally dawned.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- I Bought a Million Dollar Piece of Internet History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuJFvgfBV54
- History of Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_technology
- Wired UK https://www.wired.co.uk/
- CERN https://home.cern/
- From Arpanet to the Internet https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/arpanet-internet
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: SecretLondon123 via Flickr
Why do some small things give us so much pleasure? Tidying up the desk, putting on new socks or changing the washing-up sponge, all seemingly insignificant and yet capable of providing us with an immense sense of joy and satisfaction.
In this week’s podcast, we discuss pleasure. We ask why we routinely undervalue the things from which we derive pleasure, if we spend too much money on big things and not enough on small things, and whether the removal of pain is the same thing as the manifestation of pleasure. Nick also outlines his taxonomy of pleasure generation. Finally, we discuss the most prominent predictors of happiness and share our own memories of sheer bliss.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Sun surveys Britons to find the top fifty ‘simple pleasures’ https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14632933/brits-reveal-simple-pleasures/
- What correlates with happiness and life satisfaction? https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction
- The World Happiness Report https://worldhappiness.report/
- What government interventions improve wellbeing? https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/277593/What_works_to_improve_wellbeing.pdf
- Velten et al. (2018): Lifestyle Choices and Mental Health https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: David Jackmanson via Flickr
Greatness is a tricky subject: it is difficult to pin down yet we know it when we see it. In this week’s podcast, we mark the passing of technology pioneer and Aleph Insights hero Sir Clive Sinclair by discussing what makes greatness.
We discuss objectivity versus subjectivity: can we simply call someone great or is it a title for which unspoken, yet consistent criteria exist? We also look at whether greatness is historically contingent, reliant on being in the right place at the right time, but also whether greatness can be revoked because of changing social mores and revisionary analysis. We address the inherent problem of trying to measure greatness through counterfactuals and examine formal systems that seek to institutionalise the conferment of greatness. Finally, Nick shares his brush with the late Sir Clive and we debate our personal heroes and why we regard them as great figures.
- Sir Clive Sinclair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Sinclair
- Nietzsche on Human Greatness https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10790-016-9570-9
- The 'lone genius' myth: Why even great minds collaborate https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210308-the-lone-genius-myth-why-even-great-minds-collaborate
Image: Charis Tsevis via Flickr
Humans have been on the move since time immemorial. But with the fabled age of discovery well and truly over are there still geographical mysteries left to uncover? Is there an innate human capacity for exploration and what drives our desire to venture into uncharted territory?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss discovery. Is human exploration a metaphysical quest in search of the unknown or is it a process that simply assists technological advancement? We discuss the long history of human migration, some of the quirkier recent human discoveries and ponder the unconquerable vastness of space. We suggest where you are likely to find the next frontier of discovery and consider the daring peregrinations of our ancient ancestors.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Berkner Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkner_Island
- Sandy Island, New Caledonia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Island,_New_Caledonia
- 65% of Earth Is Unexplored https://sentientmedia.org/earth-is-unexplored/#:~:text=Still%2C%20we've%20only%20mapped,percent%20of%20the%20Earth%20unexplored
- Hypothetical star https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothetical_star
*Maybe the age of discovery isn't over just yet. Shortly after this podcast was recorded scientists discovered a new island in Greenland. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/28/scientists-discover-worlds-northernmost-island-off-greenlands-coast
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Does being the first to market give you a competitive edge? Is first-mover advantage still the harbinger of success that economic theory suggests? When does being the first mean you might end up finishing last?
In this week’s podcast we discuss first-mover advantage. Now that Amazon have suspended their drone delivery service, will it be easier for others to succeed? We present some of the most significant inventions in recent history and assess how pivotal first-mover advantage was to their success. We evaluate the economic principles of first-mover advantage and Peter unleashes another of his eponymous typologies with the “Coghill Taxonomy of Failure”. Finally, we ask which market is ripe for disruption and Nick announces a novel plan for his own market raid.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Amazon's Drone Deliveries in Doubt https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/08/03/amazons-drone-deliveries-doubt-cambridge-cutbacks/
- The Slow Collapse of Amazon’s Drone Delivery Dream https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-drone-delivery-prime-air
- The Half-Truth of First-Mover Advantage https://hbr.org/2005/04/the-half-truth-of-first-mover-advantage
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Why is it that public spaces, like petrol stations, shopping malls and airports, are depressing and boring? These spaces are extremely useful and functional, but why do they seem to lack any real architectural flair or soul?
This podcast discusses the trade-off between the utility of a building and aesthetics. We examine what factors should influence the design of a building (e.g cost of maintenance, experience of the occupants, etc.) and whether it is possible to strike a balance between architectural style, functionality and cost. Peter also explains the eponymous 'Coghill Hierarchy of Architecture' and we provide examples of buildings that we believe are well-designed and others that should have been left on the technical drawing board.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- A History of the Elephant & Castle https://blackcablondon.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/a-history-of-the-elephant-castle-part-one/?preview_id=4256&preview_nonce=1167df0030&preview=true
- The Real Concrete Island? https://web.archive.org/web/20201108113646/https://www.ballardian.com/the-real-concrete-island
- Reddit: Liminal Space https://www.reddit.com/r/LiminalSpace/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Gerald England via Creative Commons
Some fashions come and go quickly, but others move in slower cycles (e.g. the bowler hat). What drives the rate at which given fashions shift, and most importantly, what does this mean for the future of facial hair?
In this podcast, we delve into enduring fashions and try to understand how their cultural context, evolving meaning and basic function might contribute to their longevity. We examine the history of bowler hats, vests and beards to see whether they tell us anything important about elongated fashion life-cycles. Finally, we make our own predictions about the fashion trends of the future. Anna Wintour take note.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Every England World Cup Squad Ever: A complete run down https://www.thatsagoal.com/world-cup-2018-predictions-betting-tips/world-cup-2018-group-g/every-england-world-cup-squad-ever-a-complete-run-down
- The Rise and Fall—and Rise—of Facial Hair https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/01/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-facial-hair/282951/
- Facial Hair Throughout the Ages https://www.halcyonmaps.com/facial-hair-throughout-history
- Scott Alexander’s ‘barber pole’ model of fashion https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/04/22/right-is-the-new-left/
- Who Killed Men's Hats? https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/05/04/152011840/who-killed-mens-hats-think-of-a-three-letter-word-beginning-with-i?t=1630044230251
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
As the UK continues its withdrawal from Afghanistan and the covid-19 pandemic lingers on, this week we revisit a podcast from March about the effectiveness of governments.
The Covid pandemic has seen a sharp rise in government spending, and large scale testing and vaccination programmes. Some of these have been successful, while others less so. We look at whether, on balance, governments are an effective mechanism for achieving desirable outcomes.
In this podcast, we explore the rationale for having governments in the first place and consider what activities it is appropriate for them to carry out. We look at what happens when the government gets it wrong and also examine what various data sources say about the relative effectiveness of the private and public sectors.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Chicago School of Economics www.investopedia.com/terms/c/chicago_school.asp
- Milton Friedman – Four ways to spend money investorjunkie.com/economics/milto…ys-spend-money/
- Principle-Agent Problem www.investopedia.com/terms/p/princi…%20and%20agent.
- Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Good and Bad Government www.visittuscany.com/en/attractions…ad-government/
- PSIRU report summarising some of the evidence www.epsu.org/sites/default/file…ncy%20EN%20fin.pdf
- The effects of bad government www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/…d-government/
- What’s so bad about government anyway fee.org/articles/whats-so-bad…ig-government-anyway/
- What is rent-seeking? corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/…concept,It.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Identifying a friend or family member from a baby photo seems like a trivial task. Conversely, showing someone a photo of a child and asking them to determine the corresponding adult can be immensely difficult. Why does matching the faces of friends and family to photos create the illusion that it is a simple and straightforward task?
In this episode, we look at hindsight bias. Why do our brains present versions of the past to suit the present and is there a qualitative difference between image recognition and extrapolation? We discuss hypothesis generation, intractable computational problems, and the limits of probability distribution in analysis. Finally, we see what evolutionary insight can be gleaned from matching photos of babies to their adult selves and put our own biases to the test by interpreting family photos.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- 30 celebrity baby photos https://www.insider.com/27-celebrity-baby-photos-that-show-how-theyve-changed-over-the-years-2017-7#mandy-moore-holds-a-beer-bottle-in-her-baby-photo-2
- Unfamiliar face matching with photographs of infants and children https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6001712/
- Unfamiliar faces are not faces: Evidence from a matching task https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/204312685.pdf
- When age-progressed images are unreliable: The roles of external features and age range https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1355030616301290
- Comparative evaluation of automatic age progression methodologies https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220057621_Comparative_Evaluation_of_Automatic_Age_Progression_Methodologies
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Jabiz Raisdana via Flickr
When bad luck befalls us, we often say, “wrong place, wrong time.” Rather than accepting that our daily choices continually expose us to new and ever-changing risks, we tend to view life events in terms of good and bad luck. But to what extent are we in control of our own fortunes and can we find solace in the aphorism, “you make your own luck”?
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the virtues of luck and circumstance by exploring the relationship between risk and good fortune. Is the measure of one’s luck simply moderated by our appetite for risk? Why do we only bemoan our luck once we turn out to be unlucky? And are our perceptions of good and bad luck shaped by our morality and values? We learn where in the world you are most likely to be struck by lightning, ponder the validity of imposing a tax on mountain-climbers and share some of our own experiences of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image via pxfuel
What makes an idiot? Sometimes those who are meant to be the best and brightest among us say the most idiotic things. This suggests intelligence and idiocy are not mutually exclusive characteristics. Can we prevent our own stupidity from becoming manifest or are we all just idiots in waiting?
In this podcast, we look at the existence of intelligence and idiocy. We unpick recent examples of utter idiocy and shed light on the biological necessity of intelligence. We attempt to distinguish between intelligence and levels of IQ, and question why people that may say idiotic things often turn out to be brilliant in other areas. Is intelligence merely a product of evolutionary biology and to what extent is it simply confidence in different clothing? Finally, we share some of our own most idiotic moments.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Lunar New Deal: Gohmert suggests altering moon's orbit to combat climate changehttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/lunar-new-deal-gop-rep-gohmert-suggests-altering-moon-s-n1270219
- Why smart people are more likely to believe fake news https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/01/why-smart-people-are-more-likely-to-believe-fake-news
- Intelligence and socioeconomic success: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal research https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289606001127?via%3Dihub
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Sean Ganann via Flickr
Traditionally newspapers are published daily or weekly, but what if they were only published every ten years or perhaps, even longer? How would you decide what stories to include and which ones should be left on the cutting room floor?
Inspired by a chapter in Tim Harford’s new book, “How to Make the World Add Up: Ten Rules for Thinking Differently About Numbers”, our latest podcast examines the news media. We look at how reporting has evolved over time, whether the constant influx of news is creating “news fatigue” instead of educating society, and attempt to unravel what should make an event significant or newsworthy. We try our hand at putting together our ten-year newspaper and discuss what we would include as special features and why.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Pew Research Center: All News By Topic https://www.journalism.org/2011/12/21/all-news-topic/
- Wikipedia: 2010s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010s
- Wikipedia: 2nd Millennium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_millennium
- How to Make the World Add Up: Ten Rules for Thinking Differently About Numbers https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/How_to_Make_the_World_Add_Up.html?id=ziOcDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image via pxfuel
Opposites are one of the first things we teach children: big-small, short-long, happy-sad. But how universal is the idea of opposites? What's the opposite of a banana for example?
In our latest podcast, we take an in-depth look at the concept of opposites. We attempt to define opposites, exploring whether they are based on categorical or quantifiable features, or some intuitive interpretation of context. Finally, we examine how they can be used to help us navigate our environment, supporting rapid analysis and decision-making. And if you're interested in knowing what the opposite of a banana is, Nick will reveal the analytical output of his opposite-generator model. You may find the answer surprising or predictable, rigorous or widely speculative.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Concepts and Categories: A cognitive neuropsychological perspective https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908258/
- Kaggle: Countries of the World Dataset https://www.kaggle.com/fernandol/countries-of-the-world
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Food and nutrient database for dietary studies https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/beltsville-md-bhnrc/beltsville-human-nutrition-research-center/food-surveys-research-group/docs/fndds/
- Overtly prompting people to “think in opposites” supports insight problem solving https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13546783.2018.1553738?journalCode=ptar20
- Principal Component Analysis: a review and recent developments https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2015.0202
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Bill Smith via Flickr
The word 'cheugy' has become a key weapon on the battlefield of intergenerational conflict. We might be its user, its target or utterly oblivious to its meaning. Does our relationship with the word tell us anything interesting and is the modern concept of generations a meaningful one?
In this podcast, we look at intergenerational conflict and its causes. We also attempt to determine whether the use of generational categories, such as Gen X or Millennials, represent a coherent and valid framework for understanding culture and history. Finally, we try to place ourselves within the generational continuum and decide the extent to which we are products of our time. How cheugy.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Measurement and Evaluation of Social Attitudes in Two British Cohort Studies https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251198647_The_Measurement_and_Evaluation_of_Social_Attitudes_in_Two_British_Cohort_Studies
- Generational Differences in Work-Related Attitudes: A Meta-analysis https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-012-9259-4
- Generational Differences At Work Are Small. Thinking They’re Big Affects Our Behavior https://hbr.org/2019/08/generational-differences-at-work-are-small-thinking-theyre-big-affects-our-behavior
- A Compendium of Trends in the General Social Survey 1972-2018 http://gss.norc.org/Documents/reports/social-change-reports/SC64%20A%20new%20compendium%20of%20trends.pdf
- Strauss–Howe Generational Theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory
- The Method for Determining Time-Generation Range https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2158244020968082
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Medicating Factors, CC BY-SA 4.0
In the apocryphal story of the Hartlepool monkey, the residents of the town hang a shipwrecked monkey for being a French spy. Why do we search for scapegoats and how can we prevent ourselves from blaming the wrong person?
In this podcast we examine the phenomenon of scapegoating and try to understand the human desire to find someone else to blame for our problems. We tackle the concept of blame, look at how to avoid attributing it erroneously and consider whether the monkey was in fact guilty.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Was a monkey really hanged in Hartlepool?? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-40801937#:~:text=%22There%20is%20no%20evidence%20whatsoever,retired%20teacher%20from%20the%20town
- Miscarriages of Justice Registry https://evidencebasedjustice.exeter.ac.uk/miscarriages-of-justice-registry/
- Narrative Retribution and Cognitive Processing https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338233193_Narrative_Retribution_and_Cognitive_Processing
- René Girard and the ‘Scapegoat Mechanism’ https://iep.utm.edu/girard/
- Framed: Utilitarianism and Punishment of the Innocent https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/236359854.pdf
- Wiki: Sanctions http://sanctionswiki.org/
- Freedom House rights and liberties rankings https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-world/scores
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Oliver Dixon under CC BY-SA 2.0
Is the internet becoming unusable? Does it have a life beyond the constant barrage of annoying pop-ups, cookies, self-playing video commercials, captchas, paywalls and requests to turn off your ad blocker?
In this week's podcast, we discuss all the things we think are wrong with the World Wide Web and consider what should be done to rescue the internet, looking at ideas to make it a more informative, quality-assured and user-friendly space.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Spotify Removes Tens of Thousands of Indie Songs For ‘Artificial Streams’ https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2021/01/06/spotify-reportedly-pulls-indie-songs/
- Where Does the Majority of Internet Traffic Come From? https://www.ncta.com/whats-new/report-where-does-the-majority-of-internet-traffic-come
- Kiss Your Browser Goodbye: The Radical Future of Media Beyond the Web https://www.wired.com/1997/03/ff-push/
- The Web is Dead. Long Live the Internet https://www.wired.com/2010/08/ff-webrip/
- The Appification Of Everything Will Transform The World's 360 Million Web Sites https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/12/16/forecast-2013-the-appification-of-everything-will-turn-the-web-into-an-app-o-verse/?sh=27784a7314bd
- The Appification of Everything and Why it Needs to End https://caseorganic.medium.com/the-appification-of-everything-why-it-needs-to-end-8a2214c1968f
- Mises Institute: The Truth About the "Robber Barons" https://mises.org/library/truth-about-robber-barons
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Image under CC BY 2.0
Is administering a Covid-19 test on yourself difficult, or are the instructions just confusing? How should we explain complexity and is there a limit to how much we can simplify things?
In our latest podcast, we discuss different ways of simplifying information, how to judge the right level of detail for a given context, and whether reductionism is always a useful concept. We look at how simplification can help or hinder understanding, examining some of the consequences of oversimplification.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Reddit: Explain Like I’m Five https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/
- Shannon information and Kolmogorov complexity https://homepages.cwi.nl/~paulv/papers/info.pdf
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations: do the ways people format these file types tell us something about the way they think, analyse or organise information? Or do they tell us more about ourselves, when we get frustrated by others' formatting or lack thereof?
In this week's podcast, we delve into the use of common applications and discuss the importance of formatting and structure, and whether this is linked to the quality of our analysis.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Tidy Desk or Messy Desk? Each Has Its Benefits https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/tidy-desk-or-messy-desk-each-has-its-benefits.html
- Orderliness/Disorderliness Is Mentally Associated With Construal Level and Psychological Distance https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6880731/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Texas State Library via Flickr.
Are you a fan of League of Legends or a Fortnite feen? Or do you prefer to share and create content on social media? Either way, how much have you thought about your own online behaviour or the behaviour of others?
In this week's podcast, we explore online cultures and environments. Specifically, we take an in-depth look at the world of online gaming to see what it can tell us about the evolution of online behaviours and norms, and the factors that influence our interactions with others.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- 12 Games That Can't Escape Their Own Aggressively Toxic Communities https://www.ranker.com/list/video-games-with-toxic-communities/melissa-brinks,
- 'Call Of Duty,' 'Dota 2' Ranked In Top Five Most-Toxic Subreddits https://www.forbes.com/sites/hnewman/2020/03/24/call-of-duty-dota-2-ranked-in-top-five-most-toxic-subreddits/?sh=3b1696ad7a9a
- Reddit: What online gaming community is the least toxic? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/6stfcn/seriouswhat_online_gaming_community_is_the_least/
- The 8 Friendliest Gaming Communities https://medium.com/gamerjibe/the-8-friendliest-gaming-communities-13b30b8502df
- Data on player numbers https://steamcharts.com/search/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Santtu Pajukanta via Creative Commons
The aborted attempt, by the world’s richest football clubs, to form a European Super League appears to be another salutary lesson in the self-defeating nature of greed. But, does greed always lead to the death of the goose that laid the golden eggs?
We start this podcast by examining the decision-making of the various football clubs involved in trying to establish the European Super League, asking whether it was flawed. We then look at the pros and cons of greed as a driver of behaviour. Finally, we attempt to identify where greed tends to go wrong, and what we might do to harness the energy created by greed, while avoiding its pitfalls.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- European Super League https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56795811
- Manchester United Business Model https://ir.manutd.com/company-information/business-model.aspx#:~:text=Within%20the%20Commercial%20revenue%20sector,licensing%3B%20and%20mobile%20%26%20content
- Is Greed Good? The psychology and philosophy of greed https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hide-and-seek/201410/is-greed-good#:~:text=Greed%20is%20the%20disordered%20desire,attention%2C%20admiration%2C%20and%20sex
- Greed, not generosity, more likely to be ‘paid forward’ https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/12/greed-generosity
- The Problem of Corporate Greed https://mises.org/library/problem-corporate-greed
- Relational Models Theory http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/socialpsychology/n445.xml
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: 2.0 Generic (CC by 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/9731367@N02/7643873724
How ready are you for whatever the world might throw at you?
Using the closure of the Suez Canal as a case study, this week's podcast explores the concepts of fragility and resilience. We discuss whether we can really prepare for unexpected events or should just rely on our adaptability.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The cost of the Suez Canal blockage https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56559073
- Lottery winners and accident victims: is happiness relative? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/690806/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Using the government’s 'Test and Trace' programme as a case study, this week’s podcast discusses decision-making and analysis in environments where decisions need to be made quickly.
We debate whether we should shoot from the hip or take our time when it comes to decision-making, examining the advantages and disadvantages of both ways of operating. We explore different approaches to decision-making, particularly when we are faced with a variety of constraints and varying levels of information or data.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- NHS Test and Trace 'no clear impact' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56340831
- Three keys to faster, better decisions https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/three-keys-to-faster-better-decisions
- Make Good Decisions Faster https://hbr.org/2013/07/make-good-decisions-faster
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com Image: Elprofeabra via Flickr.
As the Covid-19 vaccine rollout continues, there is an ongoing discussion in some parts of the world about the relative risks associated with various vaccines.
In this podcast, we delve into the principle of 'first, do no harm' - primum non nocere. We discuss this principle, its limitations and how we might determine if the cure is, in fact, worse than the disease. We also examine some of the consequences of medical errors on societal trust and perceptions of competency and credibility.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- AstraZeneca: Thailand delays vaccine rollout over blood clot fears https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56369550
- 10 Medical Errors That Changed the Standard of Care https://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/med-errors
- The Ten Worst Drug Recalls In The History Of The FDA https://247wallst.com/investing/2010/12/10/the-ten-worst-drug-recalls-in-the-history-of-the-fda/
- ‘Causing Death and Saving Lives’ by Jonathan Glover https://www.amazon.co.uk/Causing-Death-Saving-Lives-death/dp/0140134794
- The Acts and Omissions Doctrine https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/doing-allowing/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Are you allowed to choose the colour of your house, the height of your grass, or more importantly can you have a garden gnome?
In this podcast, we delve into the world of town planning. We discuss the evolution of urban planning, its pros and cons, and whether new cities have it right or if there are still lessons that can be learned from old towns. We also look at how town planning can affect people's happiness and examine what should be the key considerations when it comes to planning a new town.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Hampstead Garden: The History of The Suburb https://www.hgstrust.org/the-suburb/history/index.shtml
- Annual personal well-being estimates https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/datasets/headlineestimatesofpersonalwellbeing
- ‘Britain’s Love-Hate Relationship with New Towns’ https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/may/15/sterile-or-stirring-britains-love-hate-relationship-with-new-towns
- The Private Production of Urban Planning https://mises.org/library/private-production-urban-planning
- 10 Reasons Explaining the Importance of Urban Planning https://planningtank.com/city-insight/importance-of-urban-planning
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Have you ever tried to teach someone to whistle? Highly frustrating for both instructor and student. This week we examine what makes a skill difficult to teach.
This podcast looks into how skills are taught and what factors create barriers to this process. We try to classify different types of skills, as well as different types of teachers and learners. We also discuss what we have personally found difficult to master, and as a bonus Tom teaches us how to make a noise like a dolphin.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- PACEY survey on the hardest things to teach kids https://www.pacey.org.uk/news-and-views/news/archive/2020-news/april-2020/news-tricky-to-teach-new-pacey-study-reveals-the/
- Tom learns the piano in six easy steps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxAHsxDML4
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Dean Michaud via Flickr
We recently reached our five year anniversary of producing these podcasts, and (in true meta fashion) thought we would celebrate by analysing why we recognise such occasions.
At the point of recording this podcast, there have been 241 episodes of the Cognitive Engineering podcast and nearly 100,000 listens. For some reason, though, we find it much more significant that this achievement has taken us five Earth years to complete. In this podcast we examine why humans are drawn to recognise the passing of the years and whether it is useful to do so.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Places with the least seasonal variations https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2966/are-there-locations-on-earth-that-only-have-one-season#:~:text=The%20region%20on%20Earth%20that,experience%20cold%20and%20warm%20seasons
- Javanese calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javanese_calendar
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Ten years on from the Arab Spring uprisings, we look at whether revolutions constitute an effective way of improving a country’s governance, with Dr Alia Brahimi, an expert in Middle Eastern politics.
In this podcast we look at the precursors and aftermath of the Arab Spring, examining several of the affected countries - then and now - to see whether their lots have been improved. We also examine revolutions in general and consider how you might determine their success or failure, and over what period of time it is appropriate to judge their outcomes. Finally, we analyse different types of revolution and try to understand how they might be predicted.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror https://global.oup.com/academic/product/jihad-and-just-war-in-the-war-on-terror-9780199562961?cc=gb⟨=en&
- ‘Life has got worse since the Arab Spring’ https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/dec/17/arab-spring-people-middle-east-poll
- Alias Advisory https://aliasadvisory.com/
- Quality of Government data https://www.gu.se/en/quality-government/qog-data
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Shawn Hayward via Flickr
Which is more grating, constant punning or permanent snarkiness? We examine the hierarchy of humour in order to determine what is, indeed, no laughing matter.
In this podcast, we consider whether humour value can be objectively measured, and if so, whether it is a separate concept to that of wit. We also look at why we bother to attempt humour in the first place. Finally, we engage in a slightly awkward exercise to determine whether we are good judges of our own funniness.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The eleven kinds of joke according to The Onion’s founder https://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/every-joke-falls-in-one-of-these-11-categories-according-to-the-founder-of-the-onion
- The Atlantic: What Makes Something Funny? https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/03/funny-how/550910/
- Do animals have a sense of humour? https://www.livescience.com/60864-do-animals-have-humor.html
- Humor ability reveals intelligence, predicts mating success, and is higher in male https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/attachments/95822/humor-predicts-mating-success.pdf
- Walter Nash’s ‘The Language of Humour’ https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Language_of_Humour.html?id=Ef0NAQAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y
- ‘Biggus Dickus’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQkQAU9iU7I
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
What is more virtuous, delivering a pizza or administering a Covid test? As we begin to end lockdown, we discuss who was most helpful during this difficult period.
In this podcast, we examine how data can be used to assess the societal value of different jobs. We look at the Covid risk exposure of different roles, consider whether salary is a good indicator of value, and explore where duty ends and altruism begins. Finally, we ask whether heroism can ever truly be measured.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Death rates by occupation (National Statistics) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19relateddeathsbyoccupationenglandandwales/deathsregisteredbetween9marchand28december2020
- Wages by occupation (National Statistics) https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/grossweeklyearningsbyoccupationearn06
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: via UCL Partners
What3words provides its users with an easy way of referring to any geographic location, but nobody knows how the three word reference is generated. Is this the right approach or should all standards be open?
This podcast looks at how open and closed standards work, investigates the pros and cons of both and considers their economic consequences. We explore existing examples of open and closed standards and delve into the relative levels of control and investment value that both models offer. We also look at the rights of users, such as the right to repair.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- What 3 Words https://what3words.com/daring.lion.race
- Why bother with What Three Words? https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/03/why-bother-with-what-three-words/
- Vendor lock-in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in
- Prisoner’s Dilemma https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/prisoners-dilemma.asp#:~:text=The%20prisoner's%20dilemma%20is%20a,expense%20of%20the%20other%20participant.
- Right to repair https://repair.eu/
- A list of format wars https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65305/winner-takes-all-8-most-dramatic-format-wars
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Wiyada Arunwaikit via Getty Images/ iStockphoto
The Covid pandemic has seen a sharp rise in government spending, and large scale testing and vaccination programmes. Some of these have been successful, while others less so. We look at whether, on balance, governments are an effective mechanism for achieving desirable outcomes.
In this podcast, we explore the rationale for having governments in the first place and consider what activities it is appropriate for them to carry out. We look at what happens when the government gets it wrong and also examine what various data sources say about the relative effectiveness of the private and public sectors.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Chicago School of Economics https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/chicago_school.asp
- Milton Friedman – Four ways to spend money https://investorjunkie.com/economics/milton-friedman-ways-spend-money/
- Principle-Agent Problem https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/principal-agent-problem.asp#:~:text=The%20principal%2Dagent%20problem%20is,roles%20of%20principal%20and%20agent.
- Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Good and Bad Government https://www.visittuscany.com/en/attractions/siena-ambrogio-lorenzetti-good-and-bad-government/
- PSIRU report summarising some of the evidence https://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files/article/files/Public%20and%20Private%20Sector%20efficiency%20EN%20fin.pdf
- The effects of bad government https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/01/effects-bad-government/
- What’s so bad about government anyway https://fee.org/articles/whats-so-bad-about-big-government-anyway/
- What is rent-seeking? https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/economics/rent-seeking/#:~:text=Rent%2Dseeking%20is%20a%20concept,It.
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Some government ministers seem to constantly court controversy, while others manage to fly smoothly under the incompetence radar. Is this down to luck or judgement, and what is it realistic to expect from our politicians?
In this podcast, we examine ministerial accountability using Gavin Williamson as a case study. We consider whether it is realistic to expect a government minister to be infallible, and if so what level of fallibility is acceptable. We also delve into concepts of ministerial responsibility and honour, and try to understand when something is a minister’s fault.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The Crichel Down Affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crichel_Down_affair
- List of political scandals in the United Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_scandals_in_the_United_Kingdom
- Institute for Government chart of ministerial resignations https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/charts/ministerial-resignations-outside-reshuffles-prime-minister
- Gordon Brown - Taking Responsibility https://youtu.be/CND6i2o7tTE?t=3
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Chris McAndrew via Wikimedia Commons
Quite aside from a pandemic, a brewing environmental catastrophe and a highly disruptive technological revolution, is the trend for protein shakes the real sign that we have moved into a dystopian nightmare?
We look at what constitutes a dystopia, how you can categorise different types of dystopia and why we conceive of them in the first place. We also attempt to measure how close we are to dystopia at the moment and explore whether we would be able to spot its arrival. Finally, we consider if there is such a thing as a good dystopia.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Are we living in a dystopia? https://theconversation.com/are-we-living-in-a-dystopia-136908
- Darren Allen’s ‘four kinds of dystopia’ https://expressiveegg.org/2017/01/03/four-kinds-dystopia/
- TV Tropes - dystopia https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Dystopia
- British Social Attitudes https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/
- The Economist - Global democracy has another bad year https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/01/22/global-democracy-has-another-bad-year
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Wes Candela via Creative Commons
Nasty, brutish and short or the Garden of Eden? We explore the Return to Monke meme and ask whether we are right to yearn for a more primitive lifestyle.
In this podcast, we examine our origins as hunter-gatherers and explore whether things were better or worse before we became civilised. We look at food scarcity, environmental damage, child mortality rates and a whole host of other fun stuff. We also address the morality of primitivism and consider what would actually happen if we all tried to Return to Monke.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Know Your Meme: Return to Monke https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/return-to-monke
- The Unabomber manifesto: Industrial society and its future http://editions-hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf
- Life expectancy in hunter-gatherers https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-319-16999-6_2352-1#:~:text=Excepting%20outside%20forces%20such%20as,individuals%20living%20in%20developed%20countries
- Are hunter-gatherers the happiest humans to inhabit earth? https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/01/551018759/are-hunter-gatherers-the-happiest-humans-to-inhabit-earth?t=1608278213042
- Uncontacted tribes: What do we know about the world's 100 hidden communities? https://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/there-are-more-than-100-uncontacted-tribes-in-the-world-who-are-they
- Holocene calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_calendar
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Some art forms seem to have passed their creative peak, no longer acting as an outlet for human ingenuity and innovation. But how do we know that they are truly moribund and not just having a bit of a rest?
In this podcast we look at art forms that appear to have stopped generating genuinely novel work, and see if there are any broader lessons we can draw regarding their life cycles. We also consider whether some art forms are better suited to longevity than others. Finally, we discuss the concept of a golden era and wonder which heydays would have been the most fun to have lived through.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The 32 Most Iconic Poems in the English Language https://lithub.com/the-32-most-iconic-poems-in-the-english-language/
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
Image: Herry Lawford via Wikimedia Commons
As Donald Trump’s impeachment trial continues, we take a dispassionate and analytical look at his personality, motivations and leadership model with guest psychologist, Susie Ballentyne.
In this podcast we try to deconstruct the leadership style and behaviour of Donald Trump, asking what made him so different from many of his predecessors. We look at Trump’s background and trajectory as a leader and try to understand how it shaped his Presidency, as well as analysing his world view and his approach to consensus and conflict. Finally, we look at the links between narcissism and popularity.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The mind of Donald Trump https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/ - Politifact - Donald Trump’s Scorecard https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/ - The real reason Donald Trump lies https://www.ft.com/content/b752121c-127a-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e - Entrepreneurial personalities in political leadership https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317659012_Entrepreneurial_personalities_in_political_leadership
For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com
What is a show-off and are we right to be irritated by those who display certain types of skills? Be warned, various swear words are analysed in this podcast for their role in categorising annoying people.
This podcast considers what constitutes a useful talent, and whether overtly displaying our abilities is necessarily pretentious or ostentatious, and therefore worthy of ire. We analyse both the reason we feel that a show off is annoying and the reason that somebody might show off in the first place. Finally, we delve into the use of rude words to describe irritating people and determine whether they represent a useful taxonomy of human behaviours.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Assholes: A Theory by Aaron James https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assholes:_A_Theory - Attempts to define the douchebag: https://thoughtcatalog.com/lorenzo-jensen-iii/2016/06/31-hilarious-ways-to-explain-exactly-what-a-douchebag-really-is/ - Prestige v Dominance, according to Robin Hanson: https://www.overcomingbias.com/2020/11/prestige-is-mob-enforced-dominance.html
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Image: Fraser McGruer
In the wake of a relatively successful British vaccination programme, we ask what it is to be proud and whether we have any right to bask in the glory of others’ achievements.
In this podcast we try to define pride, characterise its emotional hue and determine whether it is good or bad. We look at the things we feel proud of (whether individual or group achievements) and try to understand what underlying factors drive pride. Finally, we consider how pride affects decision-making. Quite a good podcast, even if we do say ourselves.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - British diplomat saves student: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-54961075#:~:text=A%20British%20diplomat%20has%20been,rocks%20into%20the%20deep%20water - Britain is a ‘much better country’ than France, Belgium and the US: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55175162 - Survey data on nationalism: https://www.cessda.eu/content/download/4150/47019/file/CESSDAWorkshop_Data_nationalism_29.05.18_slides.pdf - Sports fans have higher self-esteem https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/23/why-being-a-sports-fan-and-rooting-for-a-team-is-good-for-you.html
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
A beginning is a very delicate time. The transition from one set of leaders to another can be fraught with difficulty. Talking before the US Capitol riots brought this so sharply into focus, we discuss what makes for a smooth handover of power.
In this podcast we discuss the factors that lead to turbulent power transitions and whether we can predict how they will go. We examine historical precedents from monarchical successions, enforced regime changes and democratic handovers, and question whether leaders are more or less vulnerable just after they have ascended to the throne. This podcast was recorded prior to the unruly invasion of the US Capitol Building - how accurate were our predictions regarding whether Donald Trump would attend Joe Biden's inauguration?
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - List of UK Prime Ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom - List of Italian Prime Ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Italy - No evidence of a significant 4-year cycle in US crime http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Image: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
If you like wasting your time on pointless activities, join us as we talk to Chris Lear from the Magpie Crossword Magazine and discuss why humans enjoy puzzles.
In this podcast, we explore the weird and wonderful world of the cryptic crossword community. We also try to solve the puzzle of why we willingly devote time and energy to tasks which are deliberately designed to be difficult and have no obvious benefits. Finally, you can try your hand at answering one of our guest’s fiendish clues. Answers on a postcard to Aleph Insights.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Magpie Crossword Magazine: https://www.piemag.com/ - Categories of insight: https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/3857/Categories%20of%20insight.pdf;jsessionid=EC7EB351382427E244C7566AC18448C3?sequence=1 - Need for Cognition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_cognition - Need for Cognition and the Big 5: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00223989709603517#:~:text=Significant%20positive%20direct%20relationships%20were,and%20engage%20in%20effortful%20thought - SPOILER ALERT: Chris Lear gives an example clue in this episode. Want to check the answer after you have listened? Scroll to the bottom of these notes.
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Image: Karlo Pusic via Stock Snap
. . . . Answer to Chris Lear's example clue:
‘Taylor’s hit a brown-to-black clearance?’. The answer to this is ‘TWENTY-TWO’, and the clue is in a particular cryptic form known as the ‘double definition’. In this case, the two definitions are ‘Taylor’s hit’ and ‘a brown-to-black clearance’. The first definition refers to Taylor Swift’s 2012 hit ‘22’, and the second is the score for a brown-to-black clearance in snooker. What makes this a great clue is the consistency of the ‘surface reading’ (what it looks like the clue means), which seems to refer to the 1980s snooker legend Dennis Taylor. In addition, the clue has several components that might mislead a cryptic crossword fan - e.g. the word ‘hit’ which could indicate an anagram, the word ‘black’ which often means the letter ‘b’, and the word ‘Taylor’ which might look like an alternative spelling for ‘tailor’, which again could indicate an anagram.
We discuss whether rivalries spur us on to ever greater achievements or distract us with unnecessary competition. Is a nemesis necessary in order to define our success, or do they simply lure us to the edge of the Reichenbach Falls? Join us as we plunge headlong into the debate.
In this podcast we examine the impact of national and ideological rivalries, attempting to determine whether fierce competition with an outside agency makes societies more or less productive. We look at historical case studies such as the Cold War, but also investigate the influence of personal rivalries on individual achievements, asking whether bearing a grudge really makes a difference.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Gallup’s favourability ratings https://news.gallup.com/poll/1624/perceptions-foreign-countries.aspx - ‘Rivalries can improve individual athletic performance’ https://psychcentral.com/news/2014/07/04/rivalries-improve-individual-athletic-performance/72073.html#:~:text=New%20research%20looks%20at%20the,increase%20performance%20levels%20among%20players - Measuring political rivalry and estimating its effect on economic growth https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315489692_Measuring_political_rivalry_and_estimating_its_effect_on_economic_growth - Melman: ‘The United States has been transformed into a second-rate industrial economy’ by the arms race. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1818097?seq=1
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
What’s it like to celebrate Christmas in the southern hemisphere? Are there things about Christmas that don’t make sense in summer? Things mentioned in this podcast: - Was Jesus born on 25 December? https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-was-jesus-born/ - Average monthly temperature of cities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_average_temperature - Things to do in Wichita at Christmas https://www.google.com/search?q=wichita+christmas+events&oq=wichita+christmas&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.2239j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;events&rciv=evn&sxsrf=ACYBGNQUDj2uHQUMZqneSzGli7vHGsO5jw:1574686584061#htivrt=events&htidocid=F7M37PunUtLJvVeVJpA8-A%3D%3D&fpstate=tldetail
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Passwords have become an integral part of our everyday lives, keeping our money, our data and our secrets safe. But what makes a good one, or a bad one for that matter? Click, friend, and enter.
In this podcast we look at how hackers exploit passwords and analyse the common themes that make them easy to hack. We also consider whether having password restrictions (e.g. mandating password length or character requirements) may actually be doing more harm than good. Finally, we explore how passwords and security might evolve in the future as authentication technologies advance.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: World’s worst passwords https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/news/worst-passwords-2020 8 6 reasons biometrics are bad authenticators https://www.csoonline.com/article/3330695/6-reasons-biometrics-are-bad-authenticators-and-1-acceptable-use.html Have I been pwned? https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Breached websites: https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites Why 2FA SMS is a bad idea https://blog.sucuri.net/2020/01/why-2fa-sms-is-a-bad-idea.html PIN number analysis https://www.datagenetics.com/blog/september32012/ Password Cracking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-RbOKanYs Yildirim and Mackie (2019), Encouraging users to improve password security and memorability https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10207-019-00429-y Password Managers https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2019/02/20/password-managers-have-a-security-flaw-heres-how-to-avoid-it/ XKCD https://xkcd.com/936/
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com Image: Santeri Viinamäki via Wikimedia Commons
In response to a world threatened by automation, we seem to be flocking to artisanal products. But how much human skill is actually involved in their making, and do we really care? Sit back and listen to our sustainable, homemade podcast on the topic.
In this podcast we look at the rise in sales of artisanal products and explore the extent to which they are true to the meaning of the term. We also investigate the use of other buzzwords in marketing and attempt to understand what they indicate about consumer decision-making, generational divides and our perceptions of quality.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The artisanal tone of voice in marketing https://econsultancy.com/the-rise-of-the-artisanal-tone-of-voice-among-brand-marketers/ - Has ‘artisan’ become meaningless? https://ideas.time.com/2012/05/02/the-artisan-hoax-has-that-word-become-meaningless/ - ‘Premium mediocre’ https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2017/08/17/the-premium-mediocre-life-of-maya-millennial/ - Tesco’s fictional farms https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/mar/22/tescos-fictional-farms-a-marketing-strategy-past-its-sell-by-date - Crafty marketing https://theconversation.com/when-hand-crafted-is-really-just-crafty-marketing-47749 - The Harris Poll https://theharrispoll.com/there-are-a-lot-of-buzzwords-used-in-the-world-of-food-and-beverage-marketing-today-its-become-commonplace-to-see-advertisements-touting-products-that-are-craft-and/ - Artisan sales soar as consumers invest in quality https://www.rangeme.com/blog/artisan-sales-soar-as-consumers-invest-in-quality/
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
We review our predictions about the US Presidential Election with the benefit of hindsight, and discover how it is that Fraser can now afford a double bass.
This podcast comprises two elements. The first part is our pre-election forecasts made back in September. The second part is a discussion of those forecasts after the results were known, exploring our original beliefs at the time and how our perception of them changed once we knew the outcome. We discuss the psychology of predictions and Fraser explains how he put his money where his mouth wasn’t.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Brier Score https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brier_score - Murphy Decomposition https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/34847/revision2.pdf;jsessionid=207EB7DA71FFAF769EE2424CCC0C074C?sequence=1
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Image: Ted Eytan via Flickr
Time is defined by its measurement, and yet our system for counting something so fundamental has been allowed to develop haphazardly over the ages. We consider whether it’s time for a change.
In this podcast we discuss how our system for time-keeping evolved through history, what additional problems are generated by measuring time, and whether our current system is fit for purpose. We also consider whether there are any alternative systems that might do a better job.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - History of our current timekeeping system https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-time-division-days-hours-minutes/ - How Europeans spend their time https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3930297/5953614/KS-58-04-998-EN.PDF/c789a2ce-ed5b-4a0c-bcbf-693e699db7d7?version=1.0 - Nystrom’s ‘Tonal System’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonal_system#:~:text=The%20tonal%20system%20is%20a,in%201859%20by%20John%20W.&text=Nystrom%20advocated%20his%20system%20thus,system%20of%20arithmetic%20and%20metrology.
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Which is better, urban splendour or bucolic majesty? Our guest this week, Mikey Lear, provides a passionate defence of country living in the face of sniping from our very own metropolitan elite.
This podcast looks at the data relating to a range of outcomes for urban versus rural populations, considers why people move to the city and tries to methodically measure the relative benefits. It also examines the different characteristics of those living in both environments.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Tony Champion on commuting patterns https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02697450902827329 - Rural v urban health https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/834244/Health_September_2019.pdf - Rural v urban economy https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rural-economic-activity - Are cities good or bad for the environment? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49639003 - Are cities back? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44482291 - Urban and rural population in the UK https://www.statista.com/statistics/984702/urban-and-rural-population-of-the-uk/ - Urban and rural personality evidence https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-13/what-your-personality-has-to-do-with-your-neighborhood - British attitudes to cities https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20200203115843tf_/https://ahrc.ukri.org/newsevents/news/new-research-reveals-british-attitudes-to-cities/
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com
Image: Zerpixelt via Pixabay
Ever wondered how we measure the amount of terrorism? We talk to Jerry Smith from CHC Global, who explains how the Global Terrorism Database has been keeping track of terrorist events all around the world for 50 years.
This podcast covers the painstaking process of collecting structured information about terrorism and considers how you standardise the measurement of something so chaotic and destructive. It explores how the Global Terrorism Database goes about collecting information, categorising events and maintaining data quality to create one of our favourite datasets.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The Global Terrorism Database https://www.start.umd.edu/data-tools/global-terrorism-database-gtd - CHC Global https://www.chcglobal.co.uk/ - Analysis of terrorist event frequency https://www.jstor.org/stable/27638538?seq=1
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com/ and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com/
Image: IDF via Flickr
As the US is in the throes of a presidential election, we examine why the US electoral system seems so strange and complicated.
In this podcast we discuss the origins of the US electoral system, why it seems foreign and the rationale underpinning its complexities. We delve into the difficulties of changing such a system and consider what an idealised electoral system would look like.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Effect of the electoral college on narrow elections https://www.nber.org/papers/w27993#fromrss - US election outcomes and the popular vote https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_elections_by_popular_vote_margin - Electoral college history https://history.house.gov/Institution/Electoral-College/Electoral-College/#:~:text=Originally%2C%20the%20Electoral%20College%20provided,the%20President%20and%20congressional%20selection.&text=The%2012th%20Amendment%E2%80%94ratified%20in,the%20President%20and%20Vice%20President. - Vox on why people vote https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/1/15515820/donald-trump-democracy-brexit-2016-election-europe - Voters vote on looks https://phys.org/news/2018-04-voters-choices-based-looksbut-doesnt.html
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com Image via Creative Commons
Can behaving irrationally ever be a rational thing to do? This week we are re-releasing a podcast based on the works of the late Derek Parfit, a philosopher who specialised in personal identity, rationality, and ethics, and who had just passed away when we recorded the episode in 2017.
We focus on dynamic decision problems, specifically how we make or should make decisions that will have an impact over time or have future consequences. In what situations should we take a rational or irrational approach when it comes to decision making and can we ever be truly irrational?
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: Derek Parfit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Parfit Dynamic Decision Problems https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dynamic-choice/ Richard Dawkins https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-0910-7 The Prisoner’s Dilemma https://www.britannica.com/science/game-theory/The-prisoners-dilemma
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Image: Lukasz Dunikowski via Wikimedia Commons
Many decisions are binary: should we wear a face mask or not? We discuss how this might affect our thinking more broadly and whether it drives polarisation.
This podcast investigates binary thinking, looking at why and in what situations we have a tendency to think in absolute terms. We debate the advantages and pitfalls associated with binary thinking, and consider whether some of us are better at handling ambiguity and uncertainty than others. Finally, we discuss ways of managing our own and others’ binary thinking. Does that sound interesting - yes, or no?
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Cognitive Engineering Podcast: Polarisation https://soundcloud.com/aleph-insights/polarisation - Ambiguity intolerance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiguity_tolerance%E2%80%93intolerance - What drives ambiguity intolerance: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/tolerance-of-ambiguity - Ambiguity intolerance and politics https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1176 - Hofstede’s cultural dimensions: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/ - Three types of Binary Thinking, Spenser Greenberg https://www.clearerthinking.org/single-post/2020/06/23/Learn-the-three-types-of-binary-thinking - Rhetological Fallacies, Information is Beautiful, David McCandless https://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rhetological-fallacies/
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We look at the YAM cryptocurrency bug and ask whether in a digital age our capacity to mess up has spiralled out of control.
In this podcast we examine software bugs and other types of error, and discuss whether there is any connection between the size of an error and its consequence. We also attempt to classify types of errors and look at how they might be compounded by the complex systems humans have created. Finally, we consider if errors are uniquely human phenomena or whether they can occur in our absence.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- The YAM bug: https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/13/yam_cryptocurrency_bug_governance/
- The El Dorado fire: https://www.turnpikelaw.com/family-whose-gender-reveal-party-caused-lethal-el-dorado-fire-may-face-criminal-charges/
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Image: Alex Proimos via Wikimedia Commons
With the recent discovery of phosphine gas on Venus, we debate whether Dan Dare has now been vindicated.
This podcast explores what we can infer from the small amounts of data we receive from space, and whether we have sufficient data to develop meaningful models of what is happening on other planets. We also discuss the way theories and counter-theories develop and - of course - alien life itself and the probability of its existence in different forms.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - ‘Phosphine Gas in the Cloud Decks of Venus’ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1174-4 - Bill Clinton’s announcement about the Allan Hills meteorite: https://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/snc/clinton.html - Why Nick Bostrom hopes we don’t find extraterrestrial life: https://www.nickbostrom.com/extraterrestrial.pdf - The Drake Equation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation#:~:text=The%20Drake%20equation%20is%20a,in%20the%20Milky%20Way%20galaxy - The search for megastructures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere#Search_for_megastructures - Life on Venus is bad news in terms of the Great Filter https://www.forbes.com/sites/briankoberlein/2020/09/15/if-there-really-is-life-on-venus-we-could-be-doomed/
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44 Image: Carl Jones via Flickr
What is a fair way to decide an exam result in the absence of being able to sit the exam?
In this podcast we discuss the background to the controversial A-Level algorithm debacle. We also touch on the concept of fairness in examinations and consider the essence of what we are trying to measure through an exam. Finally, we look at the application of algorithms to other areas of performance assessment, such as sport.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Explanation of the OFQUAL algorithm: https://rpubs.com/JeniT/ofqual-algorithm - Accuracy of predicted grades: https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/8409/Predicted-grades-accuracy-and-impact-Dec-16/pdf/Predicted_grades_report_Dec2016.pdf - Earlier research on predictive accuracy: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32412/11-1043-investigating-accuracy-predicted-a-level-grades.pdf Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Image: dcJohn via Flickr
Is procrastination a total waste of time or can it be productive? If you have something important to do, you should really spend the next 25 minutes listening to us discuss the topic.
In this podcast we discuss why we feel the urge to procrastinate, and whether it reduces or increases stress in the long run. We also consider the nature of tasks we like to avoid and what the potential benefits of time wasting activities might be.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Wait But Why? on procrastination https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html - Svartdal et al, Behavioural Delay in Real-Time Settings https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00746/full - The science behind procrastination https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination - Westgate et al, Productive Procrastination https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551689/#:~:text=Productive%20procrastination%20replaces%20one%20adaptive,outcomes%20in%201106%20college%20undergraduates - NYT on why procrastination is an emotional problem https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/smarter-living/why-you-procrastinate-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-self-control.html#:~:text=When%20we%20procrastinate%2C%20parts%20of,in%20the%20midst%20of%20stress - Professor Tim Pychyl’s talk on procrastination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhFQA998WiA&feature=emb_title
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What does it mean when we lose something and why are some of us better at finding things than others?
We define the concept of losing something and discuss different heuristics, strategies and technologies that have developed to help us find things. We also mention the psychological impact of losing something, how much time we spend looking for stuff and consider why some people may be better predisposed to locate misplaced objects.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Humans are surprisingly unproductive with their eye movements when searching for items. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2016.2767 - Passport application data https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-passport-office-data-august-2020 - Express article on losing things https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/681961/Common-lost-items-keys-phones-glasses-revealed-list - Losing objects can induce grief https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/losing-something-you-love.htm - Losing things has a genetic component? https://www.uni-bonn.de/Press-releases/genetic-factor-contributes-to-forgetfulness
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Image: Andy F via Wikimedia Commons
Recent research suggests there will be a significant reduction in the birth rate over the course of the next century. What would this mean if it were true?
In this podcast we discuss the accuracy of population forecasts, the assumptions they are based on, and the relationship between the number of people and factors such as productivity and societal innovation. We also attempt to predict some of the implications of an aging population with fewer children and ask whether there is an optimal number of human beings.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - BBC coverage of declining fertility https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53409521 - The ‘Lump of Labour’ fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lump_of_labour_fallacy - Derek Parfit’s repugnant conclusion https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/repugnant-conclusion/
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Image via PickPic
With a case of the bubonic plague being contracted in Mongolia after consumption of a wild marmot, we consider whether disgust at certain foodstuffs serves a protective purpose.
We all experience disgust, but do we really think about it? In our latest podcast, we list some of the more disgusting foods we've come across while discussing why we find somethings more repugnant than others.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Boy eats marmot, dies https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/15/asia/mongolia-plague-death-scli-intl/index.html - Neural basis for cheese disgust https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00511/full - The mystery of disgust https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/articles/199801/mystery-disgust - The disgust test http://people.stern.nyu.edu/jhaidt/disgustscale.html
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Image: DC via Wikimedia Commons
In the age of music streaming, does the idea of an album make sense any more?
In this podcast we discuss the conceptual origins of the album and talk about the implications of its evolution from vinyl, to tape and CD, and finally to the cloud. We also touch on the artistic purpose of an album, and whether this has been destroyed or merely altered by the move to digital streaming. Fundamentally, we question the purpose of an album and whether it still has meaning.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Album sales at their lowest for 60 years https://www.nme.com/news/music/album-sales-at-their-lowest-for-60-years-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic-2636855 - Music format trends https://www.visualcapitalist.com/music-industry-sales/ - Average length of hit songs https://www.vox.com/2014/8/18/6003271/why-are-songs-3-minutes-long
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44 Image via PxHere
“Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise” - so definitely don’t listen to us, as we discuss what to do with others’ wisdom.
In this podcast we explore the value of intergenerational advice, whether age equates to wisdom and what makes someone receptive to advice, regardless of its quality. We also address the areas in which people seek advice and how this has altered over time.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Biggest life mistakes https://kathycaprino.com/2015/07/the-top-10-life-mistakes-that-make-us-struggle-most/ - Citizens Advice trends https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/difference-we-make/advice-trends/ - Citizens’ Advice Bureauxinformation film from 1940 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PjDgvc6TVU - Do old people understand what young people worry about? https://nfpsynergy.net/blog/are-kids-really-alright-biggest-challenges-facing-young-people-today-0
Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44 Image: Paul Mercuri via Wikimedia Commons
An American makes tea badly and suddenly the British are up in arms. What does the way you make tea tell someone about you?
This podcast addresses the information we obtain from little shibboleths such as making tea, and discusses whether it is accurate, valid and useful. Does it merely foster class and cultural exclusion, or do these ceremonies and their preservation still serve a valuable social purpose?
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Michelle on TikTok explains how to make ‘British Tea’ https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/living/american-tiktok-user-brits-tutorial-hot-tea-british-tea-a4463126.html
- The original ‘shibboleth’ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+12%3A5-6&version=KJV
- Tea and class https://thedailytea.com/travel/british-tea-classes-masses/
- Historical shibboleths https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shibboleths
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Image via PublicDomainPictures.net
With our current pandemic related concerns, we seem to have forgotten about other scary things, like terrorism or environmental catastrophe. Should we be concerned by our lack of worry?
We discuss whether we worry about the right things, whether we are worrying less than we used to and whether worry can even be accurately measured. What is the right amount to worry and what is the purpose of worrying? Does it serve a rational function?
Things mentioned in this podcast:
- Personal well-being, according to the ONS https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/measuringnationalwellbeing/april2018tomarch2019
- Ipsos MORI’s ‘issues index’, tracking top concerns over time https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/issues-index-archive
- Cognitive economics is a new field that takes the goings on inside of the mind seriously http://www.knowingandmaking.com/2019/05/what-is-cognitive-economics.html
- System 3: Decision making through imagination http://www.hcdi.net/back-to-the-future-system-3/
- Help to stop worrying https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/how-to-stop-worrying.htm
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Image: Icare Girard via Flickr
How bad or good is 2020 by historical comparison? Should we stop moaning and just be glad we weren’t living through 536 AD or 541 AD?
We mull over how to go about determining the overall amount of suffering in a given year and what constitutes the worst year ever. How should it be measured? Is the size of the human race at the time relevant? And are we predisposed to recency bias, where terrible events in the past are largely ignored?
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- Is 2020 the worst year ever? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECfXI_A39bA
- List of natural disasters by death toll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll
- List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll
- The Toba Catastrophe Theory https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/toba_catastrophe_theory.htm
- The ‘536 AD’ theory https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/why-536-was-worst-year-be-alive
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Image: via pxfuel
Is it better to live one day as the comic singer of a novelty number one, than 100 years as a respected indie band with a cult following?
Nick, Chris and Fraser discuss what constitutes a one-hit wonder, how it applies to other art forms and areas of human endeavour, and whether we should aim for sustained mediocrity or concentrated brilliance.
A few things we mentioned in this podcast:
- UK one-hit wonders https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_one-hit_wonders_on_the_UK_Singles_Chart
- ‘One Hit Wonderland’ by ToddintheShadows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Vav3a4PAc&list=PLLznZMqdhi_T5X0XrVX16lTN0um7Onpkf
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Image: Phil Long via Flickr
Do pre-digital relics have a purpose in our technology-driven world? How have digital technologies changed our world and what pre-digital relics are worth hanging on to.
And for the sake of nostalgia, here are some things that we grew up with that are unknown today because of the evolution of digital technology: writing a letter, calling someone on the phone for a chat, reading the papers, looking stuff up in reference books, reading maps, surprise visits, being uncontactable, remembering things like phone numbers and waiting for news.
Image via Pickpic
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Two spaces after a full stop. https://xkcd.com/1285/ - Buttons on shirts https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/03/the-curious-case-of-men-and-womens-buttons/388844/ -
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Is there wisdom in crowds and is group decision-making effective? Fraser, Nick and Peter reach a swift and conclusive judgement.
Image: by Tia Dufour via the Whitehouse https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/48937685671
Things mentioned in this podcast: - How group dynamics affect decisions https://news.stanford.edu/features/2015/decisions/group-dynamics.html - ‘Officially official’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85fx0LrSMsE - Group decision-making https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/group-decision-making/ - The Expert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
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Does fame and an ability to pretend to be someone else qualify you to be an expert on other matters?
Image: Kurt Kulac via Wikimedia Commons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Hugh Grant’s views on the government’s reaction to COVID-19 https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/hugh-grant-this-morning-matt-hancock-coronavirus-lockdown-phillip-schofield-twitter-a9511531.html - Cognitive skills and their transfer: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/26983/0000550.pdf?sequence=1 - List of actor-politicians https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_actor-politicians - Fifty years of celebrity endorser research https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mar.21315 - 24 times celebrities have been completely unrelatable during quarantine https://www.insider.com/celebrities-quarantine-social-media-distancing-have-been-completely-unrelatable-in-2020-4
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According to the adage, you can’t change the past, but can you or should you change the record of the past?
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Dominic Cummings changed his blog https://fullfact.org/health/cummings-blog-coronavirus/ - Historical Negationism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_negationism - Our World in Data, ‘Books’ https://ourworldindata.org/books - List of pages removed from Google’s search results: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/1d765aa8-600b-4f32-b110-d02fbf7fd379
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It gets everywhere - but what is it and where does it come from?
Image: by Pattadis Walarput via Pixabay.
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Where does all this dust come from? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114023.htm - Sand crisis https://www.businessinsider.com/world-running-out-sand-resources-concrete-2018-6?r=US&IR=T - Space dust https://www.universetoday.com/94392/getting-a-handle-on-how-much-cosmic-dust-hits-earth/
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Why is that some technologies are perennially about to transform our lives, but never really take off. Do they have something in common?
Image: Antonio Zugaldia via Wikicommons.
Things mentioned in this podcast: - When corporate innovation goes bad https://www.cbinsights.com/research/corporate-innovation-product-fails/ - The Death of the E-Reader https://justpublishingadvice.com/the-e-reader-device-is-dying-a-rapid-death/
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Should we be suspicious of successful people? Is high performance related to dishonesty?
Image: justlego1O1 via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - My Mother Thinks Bill Gates is Trying to Kill Us All https://medium.com/honestly-yours/my-mother-thinks-bill-gates-is-trying-to-kill-us-all-bfd47e483e9a - ‘Corrupt Corporate Executive’ on TV Tropes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CorruptCorporateExecutive - ‘Snakes in Suits’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_in_Suits - One in Five CEOs are Psychopaths, New Study Finds https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/psychopaths-ceos-study-statistics-one-in-five-psychopathic-traits-a7251251.html - Hanson on foragers v farmers http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/10/two-types-of-people.html
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Is there a wisdom in crowds, or are we all heading over the cliff like lemmings?
Image: Sérgio Valle Duarte via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - The Great Battle of Fire and Light, Wait But Why https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/08/fire-light.html - ‘Sourdough’, xkcd https://m.xkcd.com/2296/ - Mass panics of 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/29/panic-at-los-angeles-airport-lax-after-noise-mistaken-for-gunfire - Measuring the collective unconscious http://people.tamu.edu/~stevesmith/SmithMemory/Rosen_et_al_1991.pdf
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Does the way different nations have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic tell us anything about the international balance of power?
Image: priyampatel4 via pixabay
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Correlates of War dataset https://correlatesofwar.org/data-sets/national-material-capabilities - Thomas Cole, the Course of Empire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Course_of_Empire_(paintings) - Harari on the cycle of empire https://erenow.net/common/sapiensbriefhistory/55.php
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Heated argument or reasoned discussion? Is there an optimal way to frame debate?
Image: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Agreeableness and outcomes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845351/ - Marital conflict behaviours https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3777640/ - Relational models theory https://www.iep.utm.edu/r-models/ - Is it bad to bottle up anger? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140729-is-it-bad-to-bottle-up-anger - The benefits of arguing https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/conflict-matters/201802/the-benefits-arguing
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Explaining the situation or avoiding your responsibilities - are excuses valid and is there an art to them?
Image: Kārlis Dambrāns via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - ‘Sorry about the speeding, I was having sex’ https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11143817/businessman-fled-police-rolls-royce/ - Dr Paulina Sliwa on the philosophy of excuses https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/what-makes-a-good-excuse-a-cambridge-philosopher-may-have-the-answer
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How would we know if the world was ending?
Image: Daniel Case via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Ministerial reassurance over food supplies? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51775980 - A Journey to the End of Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD4izuDMUQA - Fifteen Signs before Doomsday https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteen_Signs_before_Doomsday - Timelapse of the future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD4izuDMUQA&feature=emb_logo
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Are there any positives to emerge from the global pandemic? How can we make the most of a bad situation?
Image: jamiemusialek via pixabay
Things mentioned in this podcast: - The upside of Tube strikes: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cp455.pdf
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Penicillin, the printing press, and cheese and onion crisps - What makes an invention well known rather than merely successful?
Image: anaterate via Pixabay
Things mentioned in this podcast: - ‘TRIZ’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIZ - BBC poll on the ‘best invention’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4513929.stm - Top inventions of the last 25 years https://www.productfocus.com/top-25-inventions-of-the-last-25-years/ - ‘The most important inventor you’ve never heard of’ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-most-important-inventor-youve-never-heard-of/
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Fraser, Nick and Peter discuss health data and measuring medical outcomes with special guest Neil Bacon.
Image: IWM via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Neil Bacon’s web page https://neilbacon.wordpress.com/ - Doctor’s Net UK https://www.doctors.net.uk/ - iWantGreatCare https://www.iwantgreatcare.org/ - Asthma facts and statistics https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/facts-and-statistics/ - Sir Muir Gray https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/team/muir-gray - AI 'outperforms' doctors diagnosing breast cancer https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50857759
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Here lies Matt Goss: look on his works, ye mighty, and despair.
Image: Christian Lanegger via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Tim Ferris - reasons to not become famous https://tim.blog/2020/02/02/reasons-to-not-become-famous/ - ‘One in four millennials would quit their job to become famous’ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jmaureenhenderson/2017/01/24/one-in-four-millennials-would-quit-their-job-to-be-famous/#404883e52c43 - What percentage of people are famous? https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/something-like-00086-of-the-world-is-famous/267397/ - Bloomberg’s Top 500 Billionaires https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/ - John Maltby, ‘An Interest in Fame’ https://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MfameBJP2009.pdf - Does fame make you happy? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514111402.htm
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Does experience make us wiser or simply more boring? Three middle aged men will tackle the question with a total lack of bias.
Image: Republican Party via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - ‘Young people tend to be more liberal than older people.’ https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3501174 - The politics of ageing https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201806/the-politics-ageing - The origin of ‘that’ quote https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/02/24/heart-head/ - Working-class Tories https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/11/13/tories-popular-among-working-class-rich-new-general-election/
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Small doses, or all or nothing - what is the best way to live life?
Image: Moine buvant du vin dans une cave. Artist: Unknown via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - ‘Moderation is the Key to Life’ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201707/moderation-is-the-key-life - Bill Hicks, ‘Smoking’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOdXA5GrGhs - Personality traits of binge drinkers https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00134/full - Personality types and happiness https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_your_personality_predict_your_happiness - Millennials avoiding getting drunk https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/11/young-people-drunk-acohol-millenials
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Was it useful to label Extinction Rebellion as a terrorist organisation? How is terrorism different from extremism?
Image: Extinction Rebellion via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Extinction Rebellion are included in a list of extremist groups https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/13/priti-patel-defends-inclusion-of-extinction-rebellion-on-terror-list - Global Terrorism Database https://www.start.umd.edu/research-projects/global-terrorism-database-gtd - Proscribed terrorist groups list https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror-groups-or-organisations--2 - Terrorism Act 2006 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/11/contents - UK Counter-Extremism Strategy https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counter-extremism-strategy
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We ask whether mental toughness is all in the mind.
Image: Mark Jones via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Harry and Meghan’s statement https://sussexroyal.com/about/ - Susie Ballentyne’s research page at the University of Sussex http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/476810
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Edged tools have been used by hominids for millions of years, but the elastoplast was only invented just over 100 years ago. Did we get our priorities right?
Image: DMC-FZ18 via Pixhere
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Sudesh Amman attack https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51389884 - Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the discontinuation of the dataset https://www.rospa.com/Resources/Statistics - CPSC’s injury statistics https://www.cpsc.gov/Research--Statistics/Injury-Statistics
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Emotion, recency and virtue signalling - does it matter what drives charitable behaviour?
Image: Cimon and Pero: "Roman Charity" by Jean-Baptiste Greuze via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Amelia Roberts’ charity appeal https://news.sky.com/story/charity-donations-pour-in-after-woman-finds-order-of-service-in-desk-11911407 - Givewell’s top charities https://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities - Forbes’ list of charities with the highest overheads https://www.forbes.com/sites/williampbarrett/2011/11/30/least-charitable-bang-for-the-donors-buck/#541d7d2c7456 - Givewell’s critique of ‘mega-charities’ https://blog.givewell.org/2011/12/28/mega-charities/ - Small and Loewenstein, Helping a Victim or Helping the Victim: Altruism and Identifiability https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022299422219#page-1 - The Guardian on emotive charity adverts https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2014/sep/29/poverty-porn-charity-adverts-emotional-fundraising
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
A dish best served cold, or not at all? We discuss revenge as a strategy.
Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Things mentioned in this podcast: - The ProRevenge subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ProRevenge/ - William Miller, In Defense of Revenge https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=book_chapters - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Retributive Justice https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice-retributive/ - Richard Nisbett, Culture of Honor https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Honor-Psychology-Violence-Directions/dp/0813319935 - Robert Axelrod - Evolution of Cooperation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evolution_of_Cooperation
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Does our always on, instantly connected world mean that we’ve lost the job of serendipity? Can we engineer our environment to maximise the chance of good things happening to us?
Image: The Three Princes of Serendip
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Red Dwarf - ‘Future Echoes’ https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x41k0sb - Doing the same thing twice is more fun than you think https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/04/rereading-books-rewatching-movies-decisions/587416/ - The Secretary Problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_problem - Games of Life by Karl Sigmund https://www.amazon.co.uk/Games-Life-Explorations-Evolution-Behaviour/dp/0198547838
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Does inequality actually matter? If it does, why? What problems does it cause? Is it self fulfilling? Is our objection to it a moral one, or is there there rational economic issues with it?
Image: Wellcome Collection ref ICV No 12015 V0011749
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Is there really more inequality? https://www.economist.com/briefing/2019/11/28/economists-are-rethinking-the-numbers-on-inequality - Political freedom and inequality https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/5/2/18/pdf - Is inequality actually a problem? https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/6/4/147/pdf - Predictive factors for happiness https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01176/full - Mises’ defence of inequality https://mises.org/library/inequality-wealth-and-incomes - How economic inequality harms societies | Richard Wilkinson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7LzE3u7Bw - UK Inequality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjwhnhtCwsM
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Are you a cat or a dog person? Which is best?
Image: nguyen hoangnam via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Moral Foundations Theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theory - PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report - Who’s Smarter: Cats or Dogs? Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/valley-girl-brain/201812/who-s-smarter-cats-or-dogs - Cats are just as loyal as dogs https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/cats-loyal-owners-dogs-behaviour-myth-a9118496.html - Dogs share food https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170127112954.htm Will your dog or cat eat you when you die? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/06/pets-dogs-cats-eat-dead-owners-forensics-science/ - Cat social behaviour https://www.msdvetmanual.com/behavior/normal-social-behavior-and-behavioral-problems-of-domestic-animals/social-behavior-of-cats - Evidence of dog altruism https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/study-shows-dogs-help-dogs_n_5672e57de4b0648fe302774d?ri18n=true&guccounter=1
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What’s it like to celebrate Christmas in the southern hemisphere? Are there things about Christmas that don’t make sense in summer?
Image: Milz via pixels.com
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Was Jesus born on 25 December? https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-was-jesus-born/ - Average monthly temperature of cities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_average_temperature - Things to do in Wichita at Christmas https://www.google.com/search?q=wichita+christmas+events&oq=wichita+christmas&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.2239j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;events&rciv=evn&sxsrf=ACYBGNQUDj2uHQUMZqneSzGli7vHGsO5jw:1574686584061#htivrt=events&htidocid=F7M37PunUtLJvVeVJpA8-A%3D%3D&fpstate=tldetail
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What does it mean to be out of touch? Why do we expect our leaders to be in tune with everyday people and their concerns?
Image: Ewan Munro via Wikimedia.org
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Influence of class on attitudes https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/media/38459/bsa30_social_class_final.pdf - Effect of poverty on decision-making http://www.lse.ac.uk/business-and-consultancy/consulting/assets/documents/how-poverty-affects-peoples-decision-making-processes.pdf - Principle Skinner AmI Out Of Touch meme. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/am-i-out-of-touch - FONK https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fonk - Nomophobia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomophobia
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44
Is it wrong to do amoral things in computer games? Is it ok to bully people as a goose in Untitled Goose Game?
Image: House House
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Untitled Goose Game https://goose.game/ - Ethics in the Virtual World by Garry Young https://philpapers.org/rec/YOUEIT-2
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Why do animal sounds vary between languages?
Image: Alex Andrews via Pexels.com
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Onomatopoeia in different languages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-linguistic_onomatopoeias - Idiophones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiophone - Disentangling canid howls across multiple species and subspecies: Structure in a complex communication channel https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/wolf-species-have-howling-dialects - Ylvis - What Does The Fox Say? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE
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Assuming we can’t blame a virus for its own evolutionary success, just whose fault is it when we catch something?
Image: Robert E. Bates, USCDCP via pixnio.com
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Data on childhood vaccination in England https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-immunisation-statistics/england-2017-18 - The law on transmission of STDs https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/intentional-or-reckless-sexual-transmission-infection - The NYT on the ethics of infection https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/sunday-review/the-ethics-of-infection.html - Contagiousness v deadliness from Information is Beautiful https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-microbescope-infectious-diseases-in-context/
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Can you be forever young or wise beyond your years? Is age a justifiable way of categorising people?
Image: William Mulready RA via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages of Man’ https://www.thoughtco.com/shakespeares-seven-ages-of-man-2831433 - Peak age in different sports https://www.thestatszone.com/archive/olympic-sports-how-does-peak-age-vary-13812 - Cognitive changes with age https://www.canyonranch.com/blog/health/how-your-brain-changes-with-age/ - When people get married https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/bulletins/marriagesinenglandandwalesprovisional/2016 - When people have children https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthcharacteristicsinenglandandwales/2017 - Do we become more conservative as we age? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/03/do-we-become-more-conservative-with-age-young-old-politics - Average age of first-time buyers https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47070020 - WaPo on how happiness changes with age https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/24/under-50-you-still-havent-hit-rock-bottom-happiness-wise/
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Peter, Nick and Fraser mansplain the adoption of new vocabulary for any wordies out there - totes adorbs.
Image: artyangel via pixabay.com
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Plotkin paper on information theory and language evolution https://langev.com/pdf/plotkin00languageEvolution.pdf - Bentz et al on entropy across different languages http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~lpearl/colareadinggroup/readings/BentzEtAl2017_CrossLingEntropy.pdf - Linguistic determinism https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/concepts/#LinDetLinRel
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Should we spend time worrying about the risk of freak accidents?
Image: Theo Campbell and Kaz Crossley by Theo Campbell
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Theo Campbell’s accident https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-49483153 - National Statistics death data https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths - Micromorts infographic https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/crunching-numbers-on-mortality.html - What people actually worry about https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/why-we-worry/201305/what-do-we-worry-about
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Can the call for divine intervention be a cause of harm? God only knows.
Image: wlox.com
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Willingness to pay for prayers https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/09/10/1908268116 - Hate crime advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/hate-crime/what-are-hate-incidents-and-hate-crime/ - Harrassment advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/what-are-the-different-types-of-discrimination/harassment/
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Cowboys, 49ers and Patriots - can we determine anything about a culture based on the sports it plays?
Image: KeithJJ via pixabay
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions https://data.world/adamhelsinger/geerthofstedeculturaldimension - Hofstede’s methodology https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=orpc - All-time Olympic medal table https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-most-olympic-medals.html
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Do fiery rhetoric and extreme policies help win elections?
Image: Bundesarchiv via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Kaldor-Hicks criterion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaldor%E2%80%93Hicks_efficiency - ‘That which is seen, and that which is unseen’ (Bastiat) http://bastiat.org/en/twisatwins.html - Public spending in the UK since 1900 https://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/past_spending - List of UK pressure groups https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pressure_groups_in_the_United_Kingdom
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"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience." Was George Bernard Shaw right about the lessons of the past?
Image: Public domain via Wikicommons
Special Guest: Dr Kristian Gustafson https://www.brunel.ac.uk/people/kristian-gustafson
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The internet provides a level of information resilience that mankind has never before possessed. But what happens if it breaks?
Image: Tekniska museet via flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Getting deplatformed from Apple https://boingboing.net/2019/08/13/getting-deplatformed-from-appl.html - Cloudflare outage explanation https://blog.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-outage/ - List of significant internet outages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_outage - Verizon and BGP Optimizer outage https://blog.cloudflare.com/how-verizon-and-a-bgp-optimizer-knocked-large-parts-of-the-internet-offline-today/
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Do not listen to this podcast. When is it permissible to ignore the voice of authority?
Image: Danny Lawson via PA Images
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Whaley Bridge residents who refuse to move https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-49210937
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They're persistent, irritating and difficult to ignore. Yes, Frazer, Nick and Peter discuss midges.
Image: CSIRO via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Midge facts https://www.lifesystems.co.uk/news/45-facts-about-the-highland-midge and https://www.highlandtitles.com/blog/midges/ - Parasite strategies https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsif.2013.1108 - How successful is terrorism? https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5fa3/f5d6d2ff50c200e759eba39509d179b0e33c.pdf
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Would it be wrong to take a set of instructional schematics to the barber? We discuss when vague requirements work, and importantly when they don't.
Image: J Pitts via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Goodhart’s Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law
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While Aleph Insights is on a summer break from recording podcasts, here's an episode from our archive.
Why do some films age better than others?
Image: www.starwars.com/news/the-5-most-…s-visual-effects
While Aleph Insights is on a summer break from recording podcasts, here's an episode from our archive.
What does tastiness tell us about fruit choice? Could we engineer the perfect fruit? Or are we just comparing apples and oranges?
Image: Malte Sörensen via Flickr
While Aleph Insights is on a summer break from recording podcasts, here's an episode from our archive.
Are personality tests any use? What can they tell us if anything? Or is it like a star-sign?
Take the test!
www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Image: Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers. Courtesy of Katharine Myers via Wikipedia.
Is it meaningful to assign personalities to the decades?
Image: Ezekiel via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: - The thirty-year nostalgia cycle https://thepatterning.com/2017/02/13/the-nostalgia-pendulum-a-rolling-30-year-cycle-of-pop-culture-trends/ - When did the sixties really begin? https://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/02/06/when-did-sixties-really-begin-heres-why-it-matters - Did the nineties ever end? http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150205-the-1990s-never-ended - Life satisfaction over time https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction
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GAME OF THRONES - SPOILER ALERT
Was the ending contrived? Were you satisfied by the way it ended? What makes a good ending?
Image: BagoGames via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - ‘Creative Writing Now’ on endings https://www.creative-writing-now.com/story-endings.html - NYT article: closers and clinchers https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/anatomy-endings - Unconventional ending tropes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoEnding - An IMDB poll of the ‘most iconic endings’ https://www.imdb.com/poll/b_LNZt0XG40/
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Why did Jamie's Italian fail? What goes wrong when businesses try to scale.
Image: Scandic Hotels via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Problems in the casual dining sector https://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/opinion/why-are-uk-restaurant-chains-going-out-of-business/ - The largest restaurant chains https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_fast_food_restaurant_chains
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How can we avoid the end of the world through nuclear and other cataclysmic accidents? Could Chernobyl happen again? How can we design our systems and train our people to prevent accidents? We discuss with our guest Tom Plant.
Image: Kamil Porembiński via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - World nuclear industry status report https://www.worldnuclearreport.org/IMG/pdf/20180902wnisr2018-hr.pdf - Timeline of nuclear accidents https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_radiation_accidents_and_incidents - NYT article comparing nuclear with coal https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nuclear-power-is-safest-way-to-make-electricity-according-to-2007-study/2011/03/22/AFQUbyQC_story.html?utm_term=.1cf223d52f55 - Long-run fatalities according to HSE http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm
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Grumpy Cat dies aged seven: 'Some days are grumpier than others'. A loss the meme world. Memes, what are they? Do they have some property that makes them reproduce more effectively than other ideas.
Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - Guardian obituary https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/may/17/grumpy-cat-dies-seven-internet-meme-gif - The Independent’s ‘Top Ten Memes of All Time’ https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/top-ten-memes-of-all-time-ever-most-popular-kermit-gangnam-style-a7707336.html - Know Your Meme https://knowyourmeme.com/ - A Unified Theory of Meme Death https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/12/a-unified-theory-of-meme-death/546866/ - Dancing Spiderman (not Ze Frank) https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dancing-spider-man - Ze Frank https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ze_Frank - The 'E Meme' https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lord-farquaad-markiplier-e
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The Perfect Chalk
Chalk has been used by humans as a communication tool for thousands of years. Are some technologies too good to be replaced?
Image: contri via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast: - 2015 article expounding the virtue of Hagoromo chalk (https://gizmodo.com/why-mathematicians-are-hoarding-this-special-type-of-ja-1711008881)
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Does listening to The Grateful Dead make you yearn to meet your maker, or do you acknowledge the seminality of their music? Is the term ‘influential’ overused nowadays?
Image: Warner Bros. Records via Wikimedia
Things mentioned in this podcast - Article analysing influence in pop music https://qz.com/quartzy/1133090/the-most-influential-pop-music-artists-of-all-time-according-to-social-network-analysis/ - Stanford School of Business on social media influencers https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/are-influencers-overrated - Article analysing survey data about why people follow influencers http://www.olapic.com/resources/consumers-follow-listen-trust-influencers_article/ - Federal Trade Commission reminding ‘influencers’ to disclose sponsorship https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/04/ftc-staff-reminds-influencers-brands-clearly-disclose
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
Crystal Palace goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey, provides an unintentional insight into the links between ignorance and stupidity.
Image: Wayne Hennessey by Steindy via Wikimedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: -Wayne Hennessey’s Nazi salute https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47946382 -Seymour (1929), A Study of the Relation between Knowledge, Intelligence, and Character (https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3088&context=theses) -Furnham and Chamorro-Premuzic (2006), Personality, Intelligence and General Knowledge (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608005000385) -Furnham et al (2010), Typical Intellectual Engagement, Big Five Personality Traits, Approaches to Learning and Cognitive Ability Predictors of Academic Performance (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/978185409X412147) -Psychology Today, Why Criminals are Less Intelligent than Non-Criminals (https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/201006/why-criminals-are-less-intelligent-non-criminals) -Oberauer et al (2005), Working Memory and Intelligence (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15631551) -Bauducel et al (2009), The Impact of Different Measurement Models for Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence on the Correlation with Personality Traits (https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/1015-5759.23.2.71) -Stojanoski et al (2010), Targeted Training (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30009838) -Larcienese (2005), Does Political Knowledge Increase Turnout? (http://personal.lse.ac.uk/LARCINES/pepp1.pdf) -Lynn et al (2017), Differences in Intelligence and Socio-Economic Outcomes across the Twenty Seven States of Brazil (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317551627_Differences_in_Intelligence_and_Socio-Economic_Outcomes_across_the_Twenty_Seven_States_of_Brazil)
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Some things seem difficult to purchase in the right quantities. Why do we always end up with too much celery in our fridge?
Image: Peter Griffin via publicdomainpictures.net
Things mentioned in this podcast:
WRAP report on food and drink waste http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Household_food_and_drink_waste_in_the_UK_-_report.pdf
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
Following Gavin Williamson’s sacking from Theresa May’s cabinet, we discuss the indicators of whether or not someone is telling the truth.
Image: Gavin Williamson. By UK Parliament via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast
- Rogers et al (2017), Artful Paltering (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-59847-001)
- Serota et al (2010), The Prevalence of Lying in America (https://msu.edu/~levinet/Serota_etal2010.pdf)
- Hall et al (2010), Strategic Misrepresentation in Online Dating (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407509349633)
- DePaulo (2004), The Many Faces of Lies (https://smg.media.mit.edu/library/DePaulo.ManyFacesOfLies.pdf)
- Jerrim et al (2019), Bullshitters: Who Are They and What Do We Know about Their Lives? (http://ftp.iza.org/dp12282.pdf)
- Wiseman et al (2012), The Eyes Don’t Have It (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0040259)
- Mann et al (2012), Windows to the Soul? (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257592987_Windows_to_the_Soul_Deliberate_Eye_Contact_as_a_Cue_to_Deceit)
- Aamodt and Custer (2006), Who Can Best Catch a Liar? (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232424344_Who_can_best_catch_a_liar_A_meta-analysis_of_individual_differences_in_detecting_deception)
- American Psychological Association, The Truth about Lie Detectors (https://www.apa.org/research/action/polygraph)
- Ten Brinke et al, Telling Lies in Scarce Environments (http://www.leannetenbrinke.com/uploads/2/1/0/4/21049652/ten_brinke_khambatta__carney_under_review.pdf)
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
David Cameron famously promised ‘stability and strong Government’ if he won the 2015 general election. How can we minimise our chances of our statements being undermined by subsequent events?
Image: Great Temple at Abu Simbel by youssef_alam via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast: -David Cameron’s famous tweet: https://twitter.com/david_cameron/status/595112367358406656?lang=en -Shelley’s ‘Ozymandias’: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/ozymandias -Irony: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
As London’s black cabs move inexorably towards extinction, we ponder whether the progress of civilisation is merely illusory.
Image: JamesGardinerCollection via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast -‘Meditations on Moloch’ from Slate Star Codex: https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/ -The Tragedy of the Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons -Ronald Coast, ‘The Problem of Social Cost’: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/466560
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
David Simoes-Brown, CEO of 100%Open, tells us why we should trust our feelings when it comes to important decisions.
Image: The Anger of Achilles, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast - David Simoes-Brown, CEO of 100%Open: http://www.100open.com/person/david-simoes-brown/ - Categorising basic emotions: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hide-and-seek/201601/what-are-basic-emotions
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When do you grow up? Is there a cut off age to childhood or are we constantly growing up?
Image: rawpixel.com
Things mentioned in this podcast Commons’s Model of Hierarchical Complexity: https://www.dareassociation.org/documents/GWOF_A_330277%20Introduction.pdf The Seven Ages of Man: https://jrbenjamin.com/2013/06/04/seven-ages-of-man/ David Finkelhore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Finkelhor
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
What happens when algorithms learn to be biased? What does that even mean? We talk to special guest Dr Jess Whittlestone from the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence about whether algorithmic bias is something to worry about, and whether anything can be done about it?
Image: CBS Television via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast Danks and London (2017): A taxonomy of types and sources of algorithmic bias - https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/philosophy/docs/london/IJCAI17-AlgorithmicBias-Distrib.pdf Jess Whittlestone (https://jesswhittlestone.com/), and at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence - http://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/network/jess-whittlestone/ The Equality Act 2010 - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance
For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:219479129/sounds.rss
Should transgender women be allowed to compete in women’s sports? Is it unfair on cis women if they do? Is it unfair on trans women if they can’t? Is there a coherent logic to the partitioning of sporting events?
Image: by Michael Steele via Getty Images
Things mentioned in this podcast - Martina Navratilova’s criticism of transgender women in sport https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/martina-navratilova-transgender-women-sport-cheating-rachel-mckinnon-a8783671.html - Sharron Davies’ criticism of transgender women in sport https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/47428951 - The Heraean Games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraean_Games - Eligible impairments for paralympic participation https://www.paralympic.org/classification
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Understanding how other people are going to behave is a key element of analysis and forecasting. But professional actors do this all the time. We talk to special guest Edmund Kingsley to find out what insights the acting trade can offer for analysts.
Image: Carole Raddato via Wikicommons
Things mentioned in this podcast -A summary of attribution biases. https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/biases-in-attribution/ -Acting Emotions by Elly Konjin https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acting-Emotions-Elly-Konijn/dp/9053564446 -Ed Kingsley on Spotlight https://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M81426.html -@KingsleyEdmund on Twitter https://twitter.com/kingsleyedmund?lang=en
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What’s the point of tidying up? It’s just moving stuff from one place to another. But does it offer cognitive and health benefits, and if so why?
Image: My Bed by Tracey Emin. Photo: Karen Bryan via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast Tidiness guru Marie Kondo https://konmari.com/ McMains and Kastner (2011): clutter makes concentration harder https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228167 Sitton (1984): we are more positive about people whose desks are messy https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1985-25433-001 Report about a study showing correlation between tidiness and health outcomes http://healthland.time.com/2010/06/02/what-does-a-clean-house-have-to-do-with-health/ Saxbi and Repetti (2010): correlation between perceived clutter at home and mental health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19934011 Report of a survey showing relationship between tidiness behaviour and sleep https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20110126/want-sleep-better-make-your-bed#1
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Is the slow creep of Americanisms into the British vernacular a pernicious assault on our linguistic heritage, or should we just chill?
Things mentioned in this podcast Goncalves etc al (2018) on the Americanisation of English: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1707.00781.pdf Britishisms in US English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19929249 Differences in US and English Harry Potter editions: https://www.hp-lexicon.org/differences-changes-text/
Where would we be without the likes of Da Vinci, Turing and Goethe?
Things mentioned in this podcast Jordan Peterson on the ‘curse of creativity’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocDli45faiw Wallas’ ‘The Art of Thought’: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Thought-Graham-Wallas-ebook/dp/B00MBPCBQ8 Kaufman and Beghetto on types of creativity: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228345133_Beyond_Big_and_Little_The_Four_C_Model_of_Creativity Guilford (1950) in an early attempt to characterise and measure creativity: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1951-04354-001 Article about factors that influence creativity: https://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/peeps/issue-85.aspx A review of creativity literature: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/doe/benchmark/ch15.pdf
Image: Vea y Lea via Wikipedia
Smells like… something
Why is smell the oft forgotten sense, and where does following our nose take us?
Image: Barney Moss via Flickr
Things mentioned in this podcast Wired article on why smells are hard to describe: https://www.wired.com/2014/11/whats-up-with-that-smells-language/ Smell and the reminiscence bump: https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article/37/2/179/273246
Russia after Putin - is history shaped by great men and women, or are they just in the right place at the right time?
Image: Пресс-служба Президента Российской Федерации via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast Hoffman et al (2011) - a study of the drivers of good leadership https://psyc.franklin.uga.edu/sites/default/files/CVs/Great%20man%20or%20great%20myth_-2%20(1).pdf The most influential people in history according to Wikipedia: https://www.businessinsider.com/wikipedias-most-influential-people-in-history-2016-2?r=US&IR=T Wikipedia’s list of Empires: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_empires
Is reality killing fiction?
Things mentioned in this podcast Scripted dramas are not dying out: https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/2017-scripted-tv-series-fx-john-landgraf-1202653856/ Ranker article on the ‘Dumbest Reality Shows of All Time’: https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-dumbest-reality-shows-of-all-time Vox on the rise of reality TV: https://www.vox.com/2016/1/7/10728206/reality-shows-how-many-peak-tv
Image: Anton Mak via Wikipedia
What makes a good analogy? Is Tyrion Lannister a good comparison for Michael Gove?
Things mentioned in this podcast
Michael Gove is like Tyrion Lannister: https://news.sky.com/story/is-environment-secretary-michael-gove-really-like-his-game-of-thrones-soulmate-tyrion-lannister-11559555 Funes, the Memorious by Borges: https://marom.net.technion.ac.il/files/2016/07/Funes-the-Memorious.pdf Cartesian geometry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_coordinate_system#History Sarah Palin - debt is like slavery: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/palin-isnt-racist-debt-slavery/355165/
Image: Chris McAndrew via parliament.uk
Is being polite better than being rude? Does civility really cost nothing and buy you everything? What are the costs of being polite?
Image by Jean-Étienne Liotard via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast:
Links between agreeableness and outcomes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845351/ Punshing people who are too nice: http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-14719-007 Psychology Today - ‘likeability is overrated’: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wander-woman/201101/quit-being-so-nice
Are Preppers mad? Or are they wise to get ready for Britain to crash out the EU? Should we stock up on beans and UHT?
Image: Vaciando el supermercado via Wikimedia Commons
Why do builders get such a bad rep? What makes us trust some trades people and not others?
What things do we take for granted? Will new riches make us happier?
Image: Daderot via Wikipedia
Things mentioned in this podcast
Great Expectations by Dickens: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1400/1400-h/1400-h.htm Brickman and Campbell (1971) on the hedonic treadmill: http://faculty.som.yale.edu/ShaneFrederick/HedonicTreadmill.pdf Kahneman and Tversky (1981) on framing effects: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/211/4481/453 Fujita and Deiner (2005) on life satisfaction set-points: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cd07/b0fe2babecfdf3821e9db8fc3e654fd341c6.pdf
Were Dynasties camera crews right to rescue wild engines? Should we give iPhones to uncontracted peoples? What could possibly go wrong?
Image: Christopher Michel via Wikipedia
Are personality tests any use? What can they tell us if anything? Or is it like a star-sign?
Take the test!
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
What is Remembrance for? How long should it be observed?
Image: Philip Stevens via Wikipedia
Are we more polarised than ever before?
Things mentioned in this episode: - Recent Pew Research on polarisation: http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/political-polarization/2018/ - Jonathan Wheatley on voter clustering: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/the-polarisation-of-party-supporters-since-2015/ - Poole and Rosenthal’s original paper proposing metrics for polarisation in the US legislature: http://k7moa.com/pdf/Upside_Down-A_Spatial_Model_for_Legislative_Roll_Call_Analysis_1983.pdf - American Interest article proposing causes of polarisation: https://www.the-american-interest.com/2018/05/16/the-top-14-causes-of-political-polarization/ - Brookings Institute on polarisation: https://www.brookings.edu/research/thinking-about-political-polarization/ - YouGov survey of unrepresented views: https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/08/01/where-most-fertile-ground-new-party/
Image: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
Lies damn lies and profiles! You're going to exaggerate, that's a given. So what's the best strategy?
Image: Carlo Chiostri via Wikimedia commons
Why do we have so many remakes? Why are some movies remade and others are not? Why are some so bad?
https://stephenfollows.com/
Image: Everett Collection
Why did it take 100 years to find the #49? In a world where everything is digitized, will we ever lose anything? If things don't have a digital record, will they may as well not exist?
Inverted Jenny: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_Jenny Data created per day: https://blog.microfocus.com/how-much-data-is-created-on-the-internet-each-day/ How does the Wayback Machine work?: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2015/11/16/how-much-of-the-internet-does-the-wayback-machine-really-archive/#48383d419446 How much data is on the internet?: https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/how-much-data-is-on-the-internet/ All the books in the world: http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2016/12/every-book-ever-published-would-fit-on-to-one-hard-disk/
Image: United States Post Office Department via Wikipedia
Can you be both interesting while being professional? Will humor always offend someone?
Signalling theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signalling_(economics) Countersignalling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersignaling
Image: Chris McAndrew via Wikipedia
Can big firms be innovative? Peter, Nick and Fraser are joined by a special guest Roland Hardwood.
Image: Carsten Ullrich via Wikipedia
What is up with Elon Musk? Is he OK? How bad for a business is it if the CEO goes off the rails?
Image: JD Lasica via Flickr
See http://blog.alephinsights.com/ for shownotes more episodes and other interesting things.
What is fun? Is organised fun actually fun? Can fun be manufactured?
Image: Heather Cowper via Flickr
What is balance in media? Why is it important? How do we find it? Should we give air time to climate change deniers?
Image: Gridge via Wikipedia
Do you suffer from digital alzheimer's? Are young folk wired differently? Does instant communications on many platforms impact productivity?
Image: The People Speak! via Flickr
What are 'Gentlemen's agreements'? How binding are they? What happens if they are broken? Why do the hold sometimes, but not others?
Image: MachoCarionca via Wikipedia
Flat Earthism, what is that all about? Why do people with strange beliefs bother us so much? Do they really mean it or are they joking?
Image: Orlando Ferguson via Wikipedia
What makes a cult? What makes a cult different from a religion? Are they damaging or dangerous?
Image: Scientology Media via Wikipedia
Are the British stuck in the past? Why do we keep going on about old victories and defeats? Do we look back more than other nations?
Image: National Media Museum via WIkipedia
What is political capital? Can you touch it, measure it? How does it work?
Image: Number 10 via Wikipedia
Why do some films age better than others?
Image: https://www.starwars.com/news/the-5-most-grueling-star-wars-visual-effects
Which type of english is best? Why do we prefer the sound of some language over others?
Is ticket touting wrong? Why? Is there a better way of deciding ticket pricing?
Image: Mattia luigi Nappi via Wikipedia
Why is there a culture of cheating in some games and not others? Do some teams cheat more than other?
Image: Mahmood Hosseini via Wikipedia
Colour and meaning: Why do some colours seem to have some inherent meaning? How is it that we have cultural standards for colour to indicate meaning?
Image: BagoGames via Flickr
Virtual Reality promises great things. Headline often read along the lines of "VR will make any world possible". Is this true?
Image: Maurizio Pesce via Flickr
Why are computer interfaces always so friendly?
Image: Loki, provided by Rhonda Oglesby via Flickr
In light of the recent summit between North and South Korea, and the on-off bromance between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un, we ask the question whether democracies or dictatorships offer more certainty.
Image: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen via Wikipedia
Future dread and hindsight relief. Why do we experience dread and relief for some events?
Men who change their surname when they get married are still unusual. Why is it important to some?
What's wrong with off-pitch referees? Do they make the game less beautiful? Do off-pitch refs make better or worse decisions? What effects does devolving decision-making have?
Image: KeithJJ via Pixabay
Why do we get so worked up about our territory? Where does the sense of what is ours come from? What is ownership anyway?
Image: irenne56 via Pixnio
Are older drivers less safe than younger drivers? Does just having a licence indicate you are more able to drive? What is the point of certification?
Image: ArtsyBee via Pixabay
What does tastiness tell us about fruit choice? Could we engineer the perfect fruit? Or are we just comparing apples and oranges?
Image: Malte Sörensen via Flickr
In a world were everything is available on demand, will we miss out on the pleasure of nostalgia? What Is Nostalgia Good For? Quite a Bit, Research Shows http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/science/what-is-nostalgia-good-for-quite-a-bit-research-shows.html?pagewanted=all
Why the Past Always Seems Happier Than the Present https://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-markman-phd/past-less-intense-than-present_b_987726.html
Image: Pixabay via Pexels
What are the giveaways that tell you you're in another country? What is national identity?
Image: Jorge Royan via Wikipedia
What does the gun control debate tell us about ideology? Do peoples believes cluster into similar groups? If I tell you I'm pro-life, what can you predict about me?
Evolution Explains Why Politics Is So Tribal - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/evolution-explains-why-politics-tribal/
Image: Randall Goya via Flickr
The culture of condiments: Why don't we find wasabi in fish and chip shops? What do they tell you about national culture? Why salt and pepper and not cumin and nutmeg? Why is ketchup the king of the sauces? What determines the optimal condiment arrangement? We’ve got a load of sauces and chutneys for christmas, so link it to this?
Image: Wonderlane via Flickr
Why do some animals like music, even though they don't make it? Why do we like music? Does it have a purpose?
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/watch-seal-pups-being-soothed-954976
Image: Howcheng via Wikipedia
What does it mean? Is it a big step or a small one? How could we know?Is Artificial Intelligence becoming a massive anticlimax? Is it inevitable that AI will be better than us?
Image: geraldford via Flickr
What is the most universal science? What will be true where ever you go?
Philosophical reductionism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-reduction
Image: ESO/M. Kornmesser via Wikipedia
Are animals sentient? How do we measure sentience? What is sentience anyway?
Image: http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Cow-Livestock-Nature-Head-Animal-Cow-Head-1715829
Are we better off than we were 10 years ago? What is all the free stuff worth to us?
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/sep/29/six-million-low-income-families-worse-off-than-10-years-ago
https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/
Image Clapspremiere via Wikipedia
In game purchases. Why do we hate them? Is the a moral repulsion to buying an advantage justified?
Gamer backlash against EA: https://gizmodo.com/congratulations-to-ea-games-for-posting-the-most-hated-1820391000
Relational models theory: http://www.rmt.ucla.edu/
‘Premium mediocre’ - firms trying to hide their business model: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2017/08/17/the-premium-mediocre-life-of-maya-millennial/
Image by Hachimaki
Are we as unproductive as we feel with modern technology?
Image: Jeremy Keith via Wikipedia
How do you guarantee provenance? Why are evidence trails difficult?
Image: Lyntha Scott Eiler via Wikimedia Commons
Is TV getting more violent?Are we being desensitize to horror and violence? Does something need to be done?
How dangerous is it to swim with crocodiles? To do so would you be the idiot of the century? Is the notoriety worth it?
Image: Magnus Manske via Wikipedia
Why do we ask questions when we don't really care about the answer? What information can you glean from polite questions? Wouldn't it be better if we just asked direct questions?
Image: Minnie E. Kenney Paull via Wikipedia
What makes a princess? Does looking the part make a difference? What does it mean to be the genuine article?
Image: Kevin Casper
How do you not look like a tourist? What stops street sellers badgering locals? What is the role of information in haggling?
Image: Wanderlane via Flickr
What to parking meters tell us about user interfaces. Why is it so hard to use an unfamiliar keyboard? Why is the numpad on your keyboard the opposite way up than the one on your phone?
image: ehendel via pixabay
How do you know when you need a hair cut? How do you monitor gradual change so you know when to act?
Photo: Tom Diggers via flickr
Is planning always a good idea? Are there cases where it's best not to plan? Is winging it sometimes the best strategy?
Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/schedule-planning-startup-launching-7376/
SPOILER ALERT - Chris, Nick and Fraser reveal what they think is so emotionally jarring about spoilers.
Chris, Nick and Fraser pass the time in hiding from a T-1000 by discussing automation of weaponry.
Nick, Chris and Fraser discuss whether one can reasonably expect a modern gentleman to own tan colored shoes. What can you tell about a person from their shoes?
Chris, Fraser and Peter discuss risk and outsourcing. Is it possible to reduce the risk through outsourcing?
Peter, Fraser and Nick discuss what macaque selfies tell us about the fundamentals of ownership.
Fraser, Nick, Peter and Chris discuss computer games and simulations. How are they useful to real life decision makers?
Peter, Fraser and Nick talk about the £2.42bn fine levied against Google by the European Commission for manipulating search results. Are monopolies in the tech world necessarily bad?
Chris, Nick and Fraser explore why the humbling of important public figures is particularly satisfying.
Was Theresa May right to call the general election? When sound decision making does not necessarily guarantee the outcome you want.
Peter, Nick and Fraser lament about the amnesia of humanity. How do you communicate with people in the future? How do you makes sure that important things don't get forgotten?
How much can we trust online rating systems? What can we infer from them? Peter, Chris and Fraser discuss.
Following the exposure of Facebook's content filtering rules, Peter, Chris and Fraser discuss censorship and ethics in data science.
Chris, Fraser and Nick discuss the public perception of WannaCry and what it tells us about how people perceive risk.
Chris, Peter, Nick and Fraser talk about what the seemingly idiotic behavior of flies tells us about the choices that human make.
Nick, Fraser, Chris and Peter discuss what the removal of constraints means for behaviour.
Peter, Fraser, Chris and Nick discuss mass surveillance. Is it a good thing, allowing better analysis or is it a dangerous erosion of privacy.
Nick, Chris, Fraser and Peter discuss the trolley problem in relation to the terrorist attack in Stockholm.
Do you show your frustration by hammering the lift call button? Peter, Nick and Fraser discuss the urge.
Nick, Peter and Fraser speak with special guest Michael Story of Good Judgement Inc about the uptake of good analytical practice.
Fraser, Nick and Peter talk about interfaces. What does the Blackberry keyboard tell us about generalisation and specialisation?
Peter, Nick and Fraser scrutinize the infamous distribution of pie between Bert and Ernie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am1FSGV5wRg
Nick, Peter, Chris and Fraser discuss the point at which mysteries become unexplained and when should you stop looking for something lost.
Chris, Peter and Fraser discuss the insurance industries use of social media data to assess risk in individuals.
Peter, Fraser, Nick speak with special guest Andres about what Funes's affliction tells us about thinking and perception.
Fraser, Nick and Peter experiment with their own biases, by comparing their pre-US election forecasts with their post-event beliefs.
Chris, Fraser, Nick and Peter talk about the technology of the Star Wars galaxy. Can you really have all that hardware but so little software? Why didn't R2D2 just commit the Death Star plans to Github? And what's the point of science fiction?
Chris, Nick and Fraser discuss why pseudo science crops up in some areas of life but others.
Nick, Peter and Fraser look at the controversy surrounding 'No Man's Sky', and ask if the information revolution has killed marketing.
Fraser, Peter and Chris discuss how data is making entertainment even more entertaining
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss what the Great British Bake off tells us about intellectual property.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss why it is hard to remember some important things, but easy to remember others.
Nick, Peter and Fraser talk about what the presentation of shop fronts tells up about signalling and quality.
Fraser, Peter, and Nick discuss how machine learning can be used to fight online fraudsters, with special guest Mairtin O'Riada, CIO of Ravelin.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss the value of playing games and whether they can help you learn.
Nick, Peter and Fraser ponder the length of podcasts and what that tells us about the size of an idea.
Peter, Nick and Fraser discuss the film Sunspring, written by an artificial intelligence. Is it a novelty or a sign of things to come?
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss what the Olympics show us about the the human pursuit to reach for the limits of performance.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss mechanisms of government decision making in the wake of the Chilcot Report. http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk
Fraser, Nick and Peter consider the use of Big Data for prediction of terrorist attacks.
New online ecology of adversarial aggregates: ISIS and beyond: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/352/6292/1459
In the wake of the Brexit vote, Peter, Nick and Fraser discuss what referendums can tell us, and what technology means for democracy.
Nick, Peter and Fraser return to the Library of Babel and discuss how to go about building one.
Peter, Nick and Fraser discuss what the point of averages is, and whether we will need them any more in a world of machine analysis.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss why Leicester City winning the Premier League was perhaps not all that surprising.
Peter, Nick, Fraser and special guest Andres get lost in the vastness of Jorge Luis Borges’s Library of Babel and discuss what it tells us about probability, information, language and meaning.
Peter, Nick and Fraser discuss the the hit 1980s movie, The Karate Kid, and what it suggests about learning and skills development.
Peter, Fraser and Nick discuss the threat posed by rare hamburgers, and ways of assessing risk in the absence of data.
Peter, Nick and Fraser discuss the 2016 spike in celebrity deaths, how the scientific method applies to analysing it, and some of the fundamental constraints of fame.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss what Cuftsgate tells us about classification and categorisation.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss what cosmopolitanism is, and how it affects our beliefs about the world.
The rise of Donald Trump prompts Nick, Peter and Fraser to discuss the limits of forecasting behaviour.
Nick, Peter and Fraser discuss what AlphaGo's triumph over Lee Sedol might mean for analysis and decision making.