Cognitive Engineering

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

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 decli

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 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-win

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 Insi

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

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. 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 civilisations and 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

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://ww

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_email 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 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 ourselves A 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.youtu

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: - Katylee Bailey apologises for ‘bragging’ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tiktok-bradford-buys-house-apology-b2320588.html - ‘Bragging, Humblebragging, and Gratitude’ https://www.proresource.com/bragging-humblebragging-gratitude-do-you-know-the-difference/ - Humblebrag subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/humblebrag/ -

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://alephinsight

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. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - 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

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_the

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://w

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.nyti

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? 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/vi

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

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

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 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@alephins

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/jintelligen