Small Differences
53 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingChris A. has recently immigrated (or *brexited) from the UK to Norway and finds herself in the process of acquiring a new language and culture. Knut M. is a native Norwegian who never has a good answer to the question "where're you from"? In this podcast they investigate all the minor differences that may bring their worlds closer together.
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Episodes
Episode 52: It Comes Out When It Comes Out
March 04, 2019 09:30 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBIn Knut's first white Christmas for a while, baking vocabulary is tested, the LD50 of sugar is explored, and crispy vs. soggy biscuits are debated. Chris struggles to defend British Christmas desserts' heavy dependence on dried fruit.
Episode 51: Carring Around
September 30, 2018 18:30 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBIn an episode inspired by listener emails, Knut and Chris talk about driving behaviour in Norway vs. the UK, and why Norwegian sheep prefer to be on the road. This week’s episode is presented in SurroundLingo™.
Episode 50: You Do What The Dog Wants
September 15, 2018 19:15 - 1 hour - 78 MBKnut has a puppy. Chris has a new language to learn. 🎉 Extended summer holiday Small Differences to celebrate our 50th episode! 🎉
Episode 49: Tiny Diluted Train Track
August 30, 2018 03:45 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBKnut learns how to be a train commuter; Chris hides from the sun; nobody grills. The Small Differences Social Club gets a very exclusive carpet.
Episode 48: Homeopathic Oreo
June 03, 2018 19:45 - 1 hour - 44.7 MBKnut and Chris pack in Norwegian national day, contrasts between Norway, the UK and Estonia, how to make digital government non-creepy, and strange flavours of UK snack food. Nobody makes any announcements.
Episode 47: A Boiled Frog
April 24, 2018 12:45 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBKnut and Chris chew over the whole Facebook thing. Knut has another announcement.
Episode 46: The King Kong of Flies
April 20, 2018 12:15 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBKnut mulls Scandinavian conformity. Chris has an insect problem.
Episode 45: Protestant Ski Ethic
April 20, 2018 07:30 - 1 hour - 51.3 MBThe problem: Norway is too good at winter sports.
Episode 44: Horse Milieu
March 11, 2018 06:00 - 52 minutes - 37 MBChris has a new hobby; Knut has an announcement.
Episode 43: Everything's (Not) Fucked
February 12, 2018 06:15 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBChris has inadvertently stumbled on a ground truth about the difference between the UK and Norway, and it's making her uncomfortable.
Episode 42: Rolling Your Eyes While Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants
February 11, 2018 20:45 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBKnut and Chris welcome 2018 — and technically their third consecutive calendar year of recording Small Differences — by discussing Big History, Vikings, and Jesus.
Episode 41: Internal Class Struggle
December 31, 2017 18:15 - 1 hour - 43.6 MBTo celebrate a year of co-hosting, Knut and Chris discuss what it was like to grow up alongside people with more money, and one seminally Norwegian solution for evening out financial inequality. Chris also celebrates making Knut uncomfortable for the second episode in a row. Skype is a 🍆.
Episode 40: How Do You Make A Scottish Cringe?
December 24, 2017 15:45 - 57 minutes - 40.6 MBKnut and Chris discuss chips on shoulders, and what it's like to have a crushing sense of inferiority while simultaneously feeling superior. The official Small Differences drink is invented, and Knut considers whether to use the small or large fake.
Episode 39: Denmark 2.0
December 19, 2017 08:00 - 58 minutes - 41.1 MBIt's Chris's turn to visit Copenhagen, this time as a pseudo-Norwegian. Notes on football, mayonnaise, and the behaviour of Norwegians and the English abroad is compared. Knut hires a chatbot; Chris does culture.
Episode 38: A Byproduct of Mastery
December 03, 2017 08:15 - 55 minutes - 40.4 MBKnut and Chris discuss why learning a new language doesn't get any easier, and the costs of pursuing mastery. Knut also gives an important tractor update.
Episode 37: A Crack in the Facade
November 20, 2017 17:15 - 49 minutes - 34.5 MBA slightly-the-worse-for-wear Knut and Chris record from Webdagene 2017. Discussed this week are retro sexism, cultural appropriation, and whether Norway is less ‘woke’ than expected. Knut’s Gruberesque pauses are left in, mostly just to troll listener Even.
Episode 36: That's Fine For Chris
October 27, 2017 14:15 - 1 hour - 46.9 MBKnut and Chris discuss Norwegian privilege in the world, and how Norway treats its own disadvantaged people. Knut attempts Scottish candy.
Episode 35: Reds!
September 29, 2017 18:45 - 1 hour - 50 MBKnut and Chris discuss the recent parliamentary election in Norway, tinfoil hat products, and the Labour Party's secret plan to improve Norway's landscape.
Episode 34: Box Intolerance
September 18, 2017 17:30 - 1 hour - 43.4 MBChris relates adventures in apartment-bidding; Knut considers modding his bike. Some of Norway's many hundred Norwegian birthday songs are recommended. Bonus topics: hugging at work, tile paint, and dumping your landlord.
Episode 33: What Do You Call The Outside of a House?
September 10, 2017 06:15 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBKnut restarts his doctoral thesis; Chris contemplates buying a house. Knut tells jokes.
Episode 32: Catalyser of FOMO
August 30, 2017 20:30 - 1 hour - 46 MBAs Knut and Chris struggle to get back on the work bandwagon after the summer, they are invigorated by machine learning, Javascript, idiots, and Michael Cera.
Episode 31: It Tastes Foreign
August 22, 2017 06:00 - 1 hour - 67.4 MBLinks: How to Toast Bread Without a Toaster | Epicurious.com Marmite - Wikipedia Irn-Bru - Wikipedia The Pop vs. Soda Page — In case you wanted to know which US states call soda soda. Julebrus - Wikipedia Sunset Yellow FCF - Wikipedia Beware the loyalty scheme rebrand - Marketing Week — “thanks to phenomenon informally known as the ‘Marmite distribution’ – only those who love or hate something care enough to comment about it” — not sure that's exactly what this means, but ok...
Episode 30: Norwegian Boat People
August 09, 2017 05:45 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBLinks: The Viking Ship Museum Vehicle registration plates of Norway - Wikipedia Kollensvevet — the Holmenkollen zipline Horse-fly - Wikipedia Toxoplasmosis - Wikipedia Naïve. Super - Wikipedia Storytel on the App Store Adrian Mole - Wikipedia How to Install a Laminate Floor | how-tos | DIY Jotunheimen - Google Maps Jotunheimen - Wikipedia Besseggen - Wikipedia The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) How to use a cheese slicer on norwegian brown cheese - YouTube Shipp...
Episode 29: Turning Off The Slack Jailitor
July 11, 2017 17:30 - 1 hour - 63.1 MBAs Knut and Chris brace themselves for an implausibly long summer holiday, Knut conducts a crucial A/B test, Chris laments how nobody fixes anything anymore, and holiday plans — and reading — are discussed. Knut proposes a novel way of sending listener feedback.
Episode 28: Origin Stories 5: A Small Career Suicide
June 29, 2017 19:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBIn the fifth (of three, and definitely final) episode in our academy miniseries, it's Chris's turn to explain why she ditched the academy, and why she's probably not going back.
Episode 27: Origin Stories 4: Knut 2.0
June 22, 2017 17:15 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBHow and why Knut got out of the academy.
Episode 26: Origin Stories 3: Nipple On The Science Boob
June 17, 2017 18:45 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBIn the third episode about what it's like to be former academics, Knut and Chris go deep: statistics, uncertainty, why science is wrong, Guinness, having animals thrown at you, and Sisyphus Cliff's Notes.
Episode 25: Origin Stories 2: Intellectual Honeymoon
June 11, 2017 20:00 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBIn the second episode covering Small Differences' tales from the academy, Chris and Knut chat about nerding out on your study subject, PowerPoint, and Liam Neeson.
Episode 24: Origin Stories 1: Hipster Precocious Nine-Year-Old
June 02, 2017 19:15 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBIn the first of three related episodes, Knut and Chris explore how they came to be former academics, and what exactly is wrong with the academy in their respective countries. This week: where it all started.
Episode 23: Hat On A Stick
May 28, 2017 09:30 - 1 hour - 66.5 MBChris and Knut celebrate Norwegian National Day with bunads, songs for small boys, parades, choirs, and the right to celebrate however one damn well pleases. Detours include punctuation pedantry, terrorism, and how to be more Scandinavian. Bonus 'After Dark' session: Knut and Chris chat about learning Norwegian, in Norwegian.
Episode 22: The Waiting Sausage
May 20, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBKnut and Chris report back after a week in Berlin that featured design sprints, trees, bicycles, burritos, cigarette smoke, and plenty of ballroom. Also covered: cash, privacy, and big government. And Knut finally mentions the war.
Episode 21: Remedial Troll
May 05, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBIn an episode that deals — more or less — with folklore, Knut and Chris tackle traditional Norwegian fairytales and Scottish mythical creatures. Chris resolves only to communicate using emoji; Knut is oppressed.
Episode 20: Renaissance Potato
April 27, 2017 17:00 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBThis week Knut and Chris discuss cheese-slicer injuries, bagpipes, drinking outdoors, unparliamentary speech, school leavers going nuts, Norwegian conformity (or lack thereof), reindeer migration, and basement trolls.
Episode 19: Inverse Marshall Plan
April 19, 2017 17:45 - 1 hour - 94.6 MBKnut and Chris go large for Påske. Obviously there is some food talk, but the real meat is discussing foreigners who don't know how to behave on the traditional Easter cabin trip, or dress for mountain weather. Advisory: this episode contains New Testament rapping (though mercifully not by us. Although Chris does sing.)
Episode 18: Bear Pictionary
April 12, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBKnut reads from a Norwegian book of spells. Chris questions the bare necessities of cabin life. John Siracusa’s Follow-up is named checked for citation purposes. The Pixar movie Brave is discussed (here be spoilers).
Episode 17: Norwegian Language Vehicle
April 06, 2017 05:45 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBKnut and Chris discuss the little-known Norwegian animated movie/musical Frost. Chris cannot grasp the idea of people actually speaking Nynorsk, a written language; Knut has an identity crisis. (Bonus cover art: Knut singing while wearing a traditional sweater by Norwegian knitwear company Devold.)
Episode 16: Correction Fatigue
March 30, 2017 20:00 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBThis week, Chris and Knut discuss dugnad inefficiency, the annoyingness of feedback you have actually asked for, and FINN.no. Knut gets published; Chris just wants to eat breakfast.
Episode 15: Norwegians Are Superior
March 22, 2017 21:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBIn which Chris travels around Norway a lot using as many different kinds of public transport as possible, and Knut and Norwegians everywhere preen as the latest figures are released showing that Norway is the best at yet another thing.
Episode 14: A Good Recipe For Wind
March 15, 2017 07:15 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBThis week Chris and Knut tackle carrot peeling (and end up putting instructional videos on YouTube), Marmite, a surprising twist on the British National Anthem, and what to do about that awkward last slice of cake. Chris ducks the opportunity to have a two-minute hate; Knut gets wet feet.
Episode 13: Glottal Free Bakery
March 09, 2017 20:00 - 1 hour - 67 MBKnut explores Copenhagen the city; Chris deplores Copenhagen the tobacco product. Also discussed this week: meat, coffee, Scandinavian interoperability, Lilyhammer (not Lillehammer), and which of Norway's many uncanny valleys Chris might actually be from.
Episode 12: Too British To Be Useful
February 28, 2017 18:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBKnut and Chris compare Norwegian and British TV comedy, with a side-order of national anthems and personal space. Chris has a theory about why Americans love British television; it's Knut's turn to spill the coffee.
Episode 11: Die-Hard Door Holder
February 22, 2017 06:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBThis week, Knut and Chris talk about the movie Arrival, and what learning a new language might or might not do to your brain. Also under the microscope are doors, Janteloven, and Norwegians' unfavourable assessment of their own rudeness.
Episode 10: Phonetic Swiss Army Knife
February 16, 2017 14:15 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBIn which Knut and Chris make a lot of sounds, especially vowels. This week's episode includes intra-Norwegian racism, the bleak post-coffee podcasting future, and bonus Liv Tyler shivers. Under no circumstances fiddle with the wiring.
Episode 9: Unashamed Belly Flopping
February 07, 2017 20:45 - 58 minutes - 41.3 MBKnut and Chris talk about school trips, dødsing, the company hyttetur, Norway's Gore-Tex™-based class system and why Norwegians may be well-placed come the zombie apocalypse. Chris has issues with David Tennant, while Knut tries not to Hulk out over quote marks.
Episode 8: Gather Ye Entropy While Ye May
February 01, 2017 22:00 - 1 hour - 51.9 MBIn this short, sweet episode, Knut and Chris tie up a bunch of loose ends — including a deep dive into the toilet, or at least English and Norwegian euphemisms for using it. Other topics include the socialist slant to Norwegian work lunches, and ordering reindeer meat on Amazon.
Episode 7: Lingo-Existential Crisis
January 23, 2017 09:00 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBKnut and Chris get out of bed utrolig tidlig to try and add a different flavour (coffee) to the podcast. This week: language. Topics include the appropriateness of choosing one's own accent or dialect in Norwegian and English, and why spoken Norwegian sounds like someone trying to put on their other shoe.
Episode 6: The Bathtub Distribution
January 18, 2017 06:00 - 1 hour - 84.5 MBKnut and Chris talk about body idealism, when it's okay to touch your colleagues, and why Norwegians can't quite bring themselves to mix up their social circles. Knut wonders if Norwegians are lonely; Chris can't pronounce 'operationalise'.
Episode 5: Long Tail of Socialism
January 09, 2017 18:00 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBChris and Knut attempt to bottom out the difference between drizzle and rain, and whether it's really necessary to cover your shoes at the fitness center. Knut recommends Max Weber in the original German.
Episode 4: Consensual Wilderness
January 04, 2017 07:30 - 1 hour - 66.3 MBKnut and Chris discuss Norway's obsession with spending time outdoors, including road skiing and kappgang. Knut has pigs in his decks; Chris is excited about Skam.
Episode 3: Christmas Special: the Nisse-industrial complex
December 29, 2016 10:45 - 2 hours - 73.8 MBAfter Christmas storm Urd blows through Norway, Knut finds himself wedged in a horizontal position. Knut and Chris discuss Norwegian rap music, and how in Norway, Christmas gifts are brought by something or someone not entirely human.