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

The Tartarian Empire

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

Crisps

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

The Art Of Conversation

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

Golden Ages

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 education
graduates 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

Choosing a Degree

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

Staging a Coup

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 states
improve 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-being
https://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.com

Image: Clariosophic via Wikimedia Commons

Being Yourself

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

Noisy Neighbours

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

Declinism

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.com

For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

Marketing

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

Grudges

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=WyhJhf6Q7lg

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

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

The Art of the Return

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

User Interfaces

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 life
https://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.com

Image: Andreas Weigand via Flickr

Daniel Kahneman

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

Agree to Disagree

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

Bearded Soldiers

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

Why History?

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.

National Treasures

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

Hobbies

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 time
https://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

Am I Old?

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.

Big Companies

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

Crap Internet

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

Lost Media

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

Best Technology

Chris, Fraser and Nick discuss the public perception of WannaCry and what it tells us about how people perceive risk.

WannaCry and risk perception

Was Theresa May right to call the general election? When sound decision making does not necessarily guarantee the outcome you want.

Good Decision Bad Outcome

Chris, Nick and Fraser explore why the humbling of important public figures is particularly satisfying.

Political Schadenfreude

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

Democracies versus dictatorships

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

Taking Stuff For Granted

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

Rude Vs Polite

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/

Americanisms

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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Tidiness

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

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

Emotions and Decision-making

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

Summer Re-release: Optimised Fruit

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

Summer Re-release: Dated Films

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.

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