Cognitive Engineering

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 d

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 a

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-scien

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 pod

As widespread strikes continue across the UK and around the world this summer, this week’s podcast delves 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 inform

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’

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: Hindsigh

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 em

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-overvi

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

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 -

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://ww

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.co

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.or

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/sear

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? ht

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 podcas