Cognitive Engineering
375 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★ - 7 ratingsWelcome 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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Episodes
Plagiarism
May 08, 2024 12:19 - 43 minutes - 59.1 MBPlagiarism 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 e...
Madness Vs Genius
April 24, 2024 15:42 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MBWhere 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, neurodivers...
Eternal Youth
April 10, 2024 15:15 - 39 minutes - 53.8 MBThe 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, intergenerationa...
Neatness
March 27, 2024 09:00 - 45 minutes - 62.2 MBThe 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, a...
Moaners
March 13, 2024 14:25 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MBYou 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 h...
Populist Hair
February 28, 2024 10:07 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MBWhat 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...
Baddies
February 15, 2024 08:45 - 46 minutes - 63.5 MBWhen 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...
Change vs Rest
February 07, 2024 16:57 - 32 minutes - 44 MBWhen 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 c...
Figment of the Imagination
January 31, 2024 12:23 - 40 minutes - 56.1 MBPeople 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-delus...
Thinking About Romans
January 25, 2024 10:27 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MBSome 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? I...
The Art of the Return
January 17, 2024 17:45 - 32 minutes - 45.2 MBPolitical 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...
Reputation
January 10, 2024 15:15 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MBWhat 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...
Grey Rhinos
January 03, 2024 15:34 - 45 minutes - 63 MBMany 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 ...
Stick Vs Carrot
December 14, 2023 10:12 - 39 minutes - 54.2 MBIncentives 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...
Models
November 16, 2023 03:55 - 36 minutes - 50.3 MBModels 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,...
Criticism
November 09, 2023 02:23 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MBIf 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, ...
Teleportation
November 02, 2023 03:23 - 44 minutes - 60.6 MBWhat 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 his...
Great Escapes
October 18, 2023 09:58 - 38 minutes - 53.2 MBHave 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 th...
Old Vs New
October 11, 2023 09:27 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MBDo 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 n...
Grudges
October 05, 2023 19:06 - 40 minutes - 55.2 MBHistory 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 tou...
Marketing
September 27, 2023 08:53 - 43 minutes - 60.8 MBAt 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...
World War Sea
September 13, 2023 12:36 - 41 minutes - 57.1 MBRecent 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, ...
Content
August 09, 2023 08:50 - 31 minutes - 43 MBNowadays 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 conte...
Declinism
August 02, 2023 15:13 - 38 minutes - 53.1 MBIs 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 na...
Perfect Weather
July 05, 2023 12:26 - 35 minutes - 49.4 MBAs 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 human...
Exceptions
June 29, 2023 13:46 - 47 minutes - 65.1 MBSome 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 men...
True Fiction
June 21, 2023 09:30 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MBOne 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 ...
Ancient Progress
June 14, 2023 09:11 - 34 minutes - 47.1 MBWhy 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...
Noisy Neighbours
June 07, 2023 11:34 - 38 minutes - 53.1 MBWhy 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 dis...
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 communication...
The Annoying Few
May 24, 2023 08:40 - 41 minutes - 57.1 MBWe 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...
Bragging
May 17, 2023 11:38 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBIn 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 ...
Brits Abroad
May 10, 2023 09:16 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBAs 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...
Zombies
May 03, 2023 10:18 - 41 minutes - 57 MBThere’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 a...
Fact vs Fiction
April 26, 2023 09:52 - 41 minutes - 56.9 MBIf 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 th...
Astrology
April 19, 2023 14:14 - 27 minutes - 38 MBAfter 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 th...
Language
April 12, 2023 08:57 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBIs 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 a...
Leadership
March 30, 2023 08:22 - 39 minutes - 54.2 MBOne 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...
Audiophilia
March 22, 2023 11:43 - 32 minutes - 45.3 MBAudiophiles, 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 reve...
Weird News
March 15, 2023 16:21 - 33 minutes - 45.4 MBIt 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 theo...
Sitcoms
March 08, 2023 10:11 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MBDo 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 st...
Being Yourself
March 01, 2023 10:58 - 39 minutes - 53.8 MBWe’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 ho...
Temptation
February 15, 2023 10:40 - 43 minutes - 59.7 MBOur 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 s...
Staging a Coup
February 08, 2023 10:08 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBIn 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 histori...
Holidays
February 02, 2023 11:10 - 37 minutes - 51 MBAs 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 to have an enjoyable time? We d...
Choosing a Degree
January 18, 2023 09:17 - 38 minutes - 53.3 MBAt 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 ...
Partying Prime Ministers
January 11, 2023 12:21 - 35 minutes - 48.2 MBWe 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...
New York in Film
December 21, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes - 47.9 MBIf 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 chang...
Farewell, Sir Gavin Williamson?
December 14, 2022 09:42 - 45 minutes - 62.3 MBAs 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 l...
Hated but Popular
December 07, 2022 10:26 - 33 minutes - 45.4 MBNick 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 o...