South Mimms U
195 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsThe university where the subjects other educational institutions won't touch are taught, debated, and laughed at. You'll laugh and learn at the same time. We're real but we're not real. We take thought to its logical limits in the service of stretching your mind and opening new ways of thinking. No subject is taboo, no conclusion too weird. Join us and 'think different'. Email: [email protected]
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Episodes
Lost for words? The Keysmash Romance proves you don't need any
December 11, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBThe Keysmash is when you're lost for words - of anger, of love, or frustration - and you smash the keys to get your feelings across. Strangely, that can lead to romance. It does for two of our South Mimms academics. And all during the recording of this podcast.
Lost for words? The Keysmash Romance proves you don't need any
December 11, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBThe Keysmash is when you're lost for words - of anger, of love, or frustration - and you smash the keys to get your feelings across. Strangely, that can lead to romance. It does for two of our South Mimms academics. And all during the recording of this podcast. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Help yourself; give up self-help books!
December 11, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBSelf-help literature is a huge industry. It doesn't do anyone any good, except the authors. Actually, self-books make you more anxious. It's time to wean yourself off them says South Mimms U.
South Mimms U - Lost for words? The Keysmash Romance proves you don't need any
December 11, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBThe Keysmash is when you're lost for words - of anger, of love, or frustration - and you smash the keys to get your feelings across. Strangely, that can lead to romance. It does for two of our South Mimms academics. And all during the recording of this podcast.
Help yourself; give up self-help books!
December 11, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBSelf-help literature is a huge industry. It doesn't do anyone any good, except the authors. Actually, self-books make you more anxious. It's time to wean yourself off them says South Mimms U. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Are our offices turning into hothouses of labour?
December 11, 2019 14:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBRadical designs for new more productive office spaces are threatening to dehumanize the workforce, and some of the most cutting edge ideas are coming from South Mimms U. Listen to what your workplace might look and feel like in the future!
South Mimms U - Why plants are more sentient than we thought... and sexually attractive too!
December 11, 2019 14:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBGround-breaking research into the roots of plant sentience and emotions is beging carried out at South Mimms U, but it's also uncovered a strange new sexual cult.
Why plants are more sentient than we thought... and sexually attractive too!
December 11, 2019 14:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBGround-breaking research into the roots of plant sentience and emotions is beging carried out at South Mimms U, but it's also uncovered a strange new sexual cult. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Are conspiracy theorists ready to believe ANYTHING!?
December 11, 2019 14:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBPeople love a good conspiracy theory, but when one of our academics fakes one to see just how easy it is for it to spread he does realise that he's actually... part of a wider conspiracy! And it's all about ravens at the Tower of London too! The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
Ditch the policitians! Could Artificial Intelligence do a better job of leading us?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 17 minutes - 11.7 MBIf we're being led by donkeys why not ditch the humans and let Artificial Intelligence have a go?! As an experiement we created an AI candidate which won an election here in South Mimms, but power seems to have gone to its head! The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
Is it time to go back to Victorian Porn?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBWe need a new kind of porn, so says our Entrepreneurship lecturer as she explains why there's a gap in the crowded porn market for frills and lace and glimpses of bare ankles! Oh my! Intriguing.
Strange tales from the twitchersphere
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBBird watching is sexy again. The Twitchers are out in force. Listen to strange adventures from the hide at the edge of reason. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Ditch the policitians! Could Artificial Intelligence do a better job of leading us?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 17 minutes - 11.7 MBIf we're being led by donkeys why not ditch the humans and let Artificial Intelligence have a go?! As an experiement we created an AI candidate which won an election here in South Mimms, but power seems to have gone to its head!
South Mimms U - Strange tales from the twitchersphere
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBBird watching is sexy again. The Twitchers are out in force. Listen to strange adventures from the hide at the edge of reason.
South Mimms U - Should Steve Jobs be made a saint?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBSteve Jobs is revered by people of all faiths and none, so why not make him a saint - an actual (dead) deity?! Our religious studies department is trying to do just that.
Is it time to go back to Victorian Porn?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBWe need a new kind of porn, so says our Entrepreneurship lecturer as she explains why there's a gap in the crowded porn market for frills and lace and glimpses of bare ankles! Oh my! Intriguing. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
Should Steve Jobs be made a saint?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBSteve Jobs is revered by people of all faiths and none, so why not make him a saint - an actual (dead) deity?! Our religious studies department is trying to do just that. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Is it time to go back to Victorian Porn?
December 05, 2019 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBWe need a new kind of porn, so says our Entrepreneurship lecturer as she explains why there's a gap in the crowded porn market for frills and lace and glimpses of bare ankles! Oh my! Intriguing.
Is modern life being deliberately obfuscated?
December 05, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBObfuscation seems to be all around us. Nothing is straight-forward, nothing is clear, everything is being obfuscated. It's done deliberately and most of it comes from our Department of Obfuscation here at South Mimms. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Can art be nothing and nothing... art?
December 05, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBHow many times have you heard the phrase, 'That's not art that's... nothing'? Or 'I could do that, it's nothing special!'? We debate the idea that, actually, 'nothing' can be art, and art can be 'nothing.' We've even put on exhibition (of nothing) to prove it.
Can art be nothing and nothing... art?
December 05, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBHow many times have you heard the phrase, 'That's not art that's... nothing'? Or 'I could do that, it's nothing special!'? We debate the idea that, actually, 'nothing' can be art, and art can be 'nothing.' We've even put on exhibition (of nothing) to prove it. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.
South Mimms U - Is modern life being deliberately obfuscated?
December 05, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBObfuscation seems to be all around us. Nothing is straight-forward, nothing is clear, everything is being obfuscated. It's done deliberately and most of it comes from our Department of Obfuscation here at South Mimms.
Can art be nothing and nothing... art?
December 05, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBHow many times have you heard the phrase, 'That's not art that's... nothing'? Or 'I could do that, it's nothing special!'? We debate the idea that, actually, 'nothing' can be art, and art can be 'nothing.' We've even put on exhibition (of nothing) to prove it.
South Mimms U - Serial Killer Studies
November 13, 2019 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBWe're all fascinated by Serial Killers - you can't turn on the TV or browse through a bookstore or download a true crime podcast without stumbling across one (or two). That's why South Mimms U created its Serial Killer Studies course. It's one of a kind. And its lecturer, Mark Scitkovsky, is committed to deepening our understanding of why we're so obsessed with serial killers and what makes the real ones tick. It's all a little unsettling, especially as Mark himself seems... well... a bit un...
South Mimms U - Should we live like vinyl and re-engage with the analogue?
November 13, 2019 19:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBThe re-emergence of vinyl records is more than a passing phase or a niche interest for nerdy music buffs or hipsters. It's a movement to reclaim the essence of life - human life is analogue! Digital is cold empiricism. The basis, perhaps, of the neoliberal project to turn us all into drones. Our head of music. Dave Dave David believes we need to turn on, tune in, and do more than move the needle to the first track... we have to live like vinyl. In the end, life is a pressing that we only pla...
An introduction to Serial Killer Studies
November 13, 2019 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBWe're all fascinated by Serial Killers - you can't turn on the TV or browse through a bookstore or download a true crime podcast without stumbling across one (or two). That's why South Mimms U created its Serial Killer Studies course. It's one of a kind. And its lecturer, Mark Scitkovsky, is committed to deepening our understanding of why we're so obsessed with serial killers and what makes the real ones tick. It's all a little unsettling, especially as Mark himself seems... well... a bit un...
Should we live like vinyl and re-engage with the analogue?
November 13, 2019 19:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBThe re-emergence of vinyl records is more than a passing phase or a niche interest for nerdy music buffs or hipsters. It's a movement to reclaim the essence of life - human life is analogue! Digital is cold empiricism. The basis, perhaps, of the neoliberal project to turn us all into drones. Our head of music. Dave Dave David believes we need to turn on, tune in, and do more than move the needle to the first track... we have to live like vinyl. In the end, life is a pressing that we only pla...
Why are lawyers getting excited about emoji's? 💃
November 13, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe wrong emoji can get you into trouble - and into court! That's what resident (and highly paid) South Mimm's U lawyer. Terence Prole, says. He cites cases and research into the rising importance of emoji's in litigation. What do they mean? How can you interpret them in a legal situation? Are emoji's an entirely new language, or just a different way for the same old emotions, lies, and prejudices to be expressed pictographically? Terence is also keen to create his own emoji - and he explain...
South Mimms U - Why are lawyers getting excited about emoji's? 💃
November 13, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe wrong emoji can get you into trouble - and into court! That's what resident (and highly paid) South Mimm's U lawyer. Terence Prole, says. He cites cases and research into the rising importance of emoji's in litigation. What do they mean? How can you interpret them in a legal situation? Are emoji's an entirely new language, or just a different way for the same old emotions, lies, and prejudices to be expressed pictographically? Terence is also keen to create his own emoji - and he explain...
Why are lawyers getting excited about emoji's?
November 13, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe wrong emoji can get you into trouble - and into court! That's what resident (and highly paid) South Mimm's U lawyer. Terence Prole, says. He cites cases and research into the rising importance of emoji's in litigation. What do they mean? How can you interpret them in a legal situation? Are emoji's an entirely new language, or just a different way for the same old emotions, lies, and prejudices to be expressed pictographically? Terence is also keen to create his own emoji - and he explain...
We need the right to say, tweet or post nothing!
November 13, 2019 07:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBModern digital life seems to be an endless flow of tweets, posts, texts, call, searches. and the a constant flurry of annoying alerts. Social media dominates our lives and we're all expected to like or re-tweet or reply to everything and anything which happens to appear on our constantly glowing screens. It's causing us anxiety from FOMO to trolling. Perhaps we need to stop and, for a while, just say nothing. Tweet, text, post... nothing. Just be ourselves, in the moment, in nature. That's w...
South Mimms U - We need the right to say, tweet or post nothing!
November 13, 2019 07:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBModern digital life seems to be an endless flow of tweets, posts, texts, call, searches. and the a constant flurry of annoying alerts. Social media dominates our lives and we're all expected to like or re-tweet or reply to everything and anything which happens to appear on our constantly glowing screens. It's causing us anxiety from FOMO to trolling. Perhaps we need to stop and, for a while, just say nothing. Tweet, text, post... nothing. Just be ourselves, in the moment, in nature. That's w...
South Mimms U - Will AI replace university lecturers?
November 06, 2019 07:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBWill Artificial Intelligence or AI take over every aspect of our lives? Will AI take our jobs? At South Mimms University we hope not. But our Computer Studies department has created an AI Lecturer. That's making our human lecturers nervous. Can AI take over the role of the human teacher in Education? Surely not! We asked one of our flesh and blood lecturers to debate the subject and the perils and dangers of AI with this prototype AI lecturer here at South Mimms U. It's a funny, entertaining...
Will AI replace university lecturers?
November 06, 2019 07:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBWill Artificial Intelligence or AI take over every aspect of our lives? Will AI take our jobs? At South Mimms University we hope not. But our Computer Studies department has created an AI Lecturer. That's making our human lecturers nervous. Can AI take over the role of the human teacher in Education? Surely not! We asked one of our flesh and blood lecturers to debate the subject and the perils and dangers of AI with this prototype AI lecturer here at South Mimms U. It's a funny, entertaining...
South Mimms U - True happiness is giving up and accepting mediocrity
November 04, 2019 09:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBIt's a bold claim but striving for excellence is a dead end. Not only philosophically but biologically. In fact, evolution isn't about the 'survival of the fittest' it's about the triumph of the 'good enough'. That's what the head of Mediocrity Studies at South Mimms U believes. She uses the thesis in the new book by Daniel S. Milo, Good Enough, to argue that we'd all be happier if we accepted mediocrity - being somewhere in the middle, not too good and not too bad and definitely not a geniu...
True happiness is giving up and accepting mediocrity
November 04, 2019 09:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBIt's a bold claim but striving for excellence is a dead end. Not only philosophically but biologically. In fact, evolution isn't about the 'survival of the fittest' it's about the triumph of the 'good enough'. That's what the head of Mediocrity Studies at South Mimms U believes. She uses the thesis in the new book by Daniel S. Milo, Good Enough, to argue that we'd all be happier if we accepted mediocrity - being somewhere in the middle, not too good and not too bad and definitely not a geniu...
South Mimms U - The best parents are lazy parents - be an opossum mum & sloth dad!
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBForget the 'Tiger Mom' be an opossum or a sloth. That's the message from Head of Health and Social Care at South Mimms U, Ginger Rice. She's just written a book which debunks the active, helicopter parent myths that are making our kids and, more importantly, most parents stressed and careworn. We're all rushing around trying to do everything we can to make our kids happy and successful, and none of it matters. The kids will be alright on their own. In fact, they'll be happier and more succe...
Why most CEO's aren't even as clever as a baboon
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBWhat value are CEO's? They get paid a lot but do they deliver value for money? At South Mimms U we've uncovered experiments which show that you might as well give a baboon an expense account and a big corner office to play in. It's get your stock price rising and your employees will be happier as the arbitrary, self-serving orders from the boardroom dry up. South Mimms U's professor of Corporate Development has some challenging views and advice for corporate c-suite players. You will never l...
Buffoononomics or Absurdists for Trump
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe world of politics is in turmoil. Populists are on the rise everywhere. With every Tweet Donald J. Trump propels that trend forward. But is it so bad? Why are many of the world’s commentators experiencing such high levels of anxiety? There’s another way to look at this situation. It might actually be good for us – philosophically. What if Trump is the best thing to happen to the world? Why? Because precisely because he is absurd. That’s what the head of Philosophy at South Mimms U believe...
South Mimms U - Does Google Make You Feel Unoriginal?
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 13 minutes - 9.38 MBGoogle makes you feel unoriginal. It's a great search engine sure, but it's too good. When you want to know something, it finds it for you in a millisecond, but when you've thought up what you believe is a great idea, it takes that same millisecond to show you that someone else - perhaps millions of other people - have thought of it long before you did. It makes you feel bad. You get depressed, demotivated, you lose the will to think creatively anymore. At South Mimms U we think that's bad f...
South Mimms U - Why most CEO's aren't even as clever as a baboon
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBWhat value are CEO's? They get paid a lot but do they deliver value for money? At South Mimms U we've uncovered experiments which show that you might as well give a baboon an expense account and a big corner office to play in. It's get your stock price rising and your employees will be happier as the arbitrary, self-serving orders from the boardroom dry up. South Mimms U's professor of Corporate Development has some challenging views and advice for corporate c-suite players. You will never l...
South Mimms U - Buffoononomics or Absurdists for Trump
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBThe world of politics is in turmoil. Populists are on the rise everywhere. With every Tweet Donald J. Trump propels that trend forward. But is it so bad? Why are many of the world’s commentators experiencing such high levels of anxiety? There’s another way to look at this situation. It might actually be good for us – philosophically. What if Trump is the best thing to happen to the world? Why? Because precisely because he is absurd. That’s what the head of Philosophy at South Mimms U believe...
The best parents are lazy parents - be an opossum mum & sloth dad!
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBForget the 'Tiger Mom' be an opossum or a sloth. That's the message from Head of Health and Social Care at South Mimms U, Ginger Rice. She's just written a book which debunks the active, helicopter parent myths that are making our kids and, more importantly, most parents stressed and careworn. We're all rushing around trying to do everything we can to make our kids happy and successful, and none of it matters. The kids will be alright on their own. In fact, they'll be happier and more succe...
The best parents are lazy parents - be an opossum mum & sloth dad!
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBForget the 'Tiger Mom' be an opossum or a sloth. That's the message from Head of Health and Social Care at South Mimms U, Ginger Rice. She's just written a book which debunks the active, helicopter parent myths that are making our kids and, more importantly, most parents stressed and careworn. We're all rushing around trying to do everything we can to make our kids happy and successful, and none of it matters. The kids will be alright on their own. In fact, they'll be happier and more succe...
Does Google Make You Feel Unoriginal?
November 04, 2019 08:00 - 13 minutes - 9.38 MBGoogle makes you feel unoriginal. It's a great search engine sure, but it's too good. When you want to know something, it finds it for you in a millisecond, but when you've thought up what you believe is a great idea, it takes that same millisecond to show you that someone else - perhaps millions of other people - have thought of it long before you did. It makes you feel bad. You get depressed, demotivated, you lose the will to think creatively anymore. At South Mimms U we think that's bad f...