Nasty, brutish and short or the Garden of Eden? We explore the Return to Monke meme and ask whether we are right to yearn for a more primitive lifestyle.

In this podcast, we examine our origins as hunter-gatherers and explore whether things were better or worse before we became civilised. We look at food scarcity, environmental damage, child mortality rates and a whole host of other fun stuff. We also address the morality of primitivism and consider what would actually happen if we all tried to Return to Monke.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Know Your Meme: Return to Monke https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/return-to-monke

- The Unabomber manifesto: Industrial society and its future http://editions-hache.com/essais/pdf/kaczynski2.pdf

- Life expectancy in hunter-gatherers https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-319-16999-6_2352-1#:~:text=Excepting%20outside%20forces%20such%20as,individuals%20living%20in%20developed%20countries

- Are hunter-gatherers the happiest humans to inhabit earth? https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/01/551018759/are-hunter-gatherers-the-happiest-humans-to-inhabit-earth?t=1608278213042

- Uncontacted tribes: What do we know about the world's 100 hidden communities? https://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/there-are-more-than-100-uncontacted-tribes-in-the-world-who-are-they

- Holocene calendar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_calendar

For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email [email protected]

Some art forms seem to have passed their creative peak, no longer acting as an outlet for human ingenuity and innovation. But how do we know that they are truly moribund and not just having a bit of a rest?

In this podcast we look at art forms that appear to have stopped generating genuinely novel work, and see if there are any broader lessons we can draw regarding their life cycles. We also consider whether some art forms are better suited to longevity than others. Finally, we discuss the concept of a golden era and wonder which heydays would have been the most fun to have lived through.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- The 32 Most Iconic Poems in the English Language https://lithub.com/the-32-most-iconic-poems-in-the-english-language/

For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email [email protected]

Image: Herry Lawford via Wikimedia Commons

As Donald Trump’s impeachment trial continues, we take a dispassionate and analytical look at his personality, motivations and leadership model with guest psychologist, Susie Ballentyne.

In this podcast we try to deconstruct the leadership style and behaviour of Donald Trump, asking what made him so different from many of his predecessors. We look at Trump’s background and trajectory as a leader and try to understand how it shaped his Presidency, as well as analysing his world view and his approach to consensus and conflict. Finally, we look at the links between narcissism and popularity.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- The mind of Donald Trump https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/

- Politifact - Donald Trump’s Scorecard https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/

- The real reason Donald Trump lies https://www.ft.com/content/b752121c-127a-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e

- Entrepreneurial personalities in political leadership https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317659012_Entrepreneurial_personalities_in_political_leadership

For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email [email protected]

What is a show-off and are we right to be irritated by those who display certain types of skills? Be warned, various swear words are analysed in this podcast for their role in categorising annoying people.

This podcast considers what constitutes a useful talent, and whether overtly displaying our abilities is necessarily pretentious or ostentatious, and therefore worthy of ire. We analyse both the reason we feel that a show off is annoying and the reason that somebody might show off in the first place. Finally, we delve into the use of rude words to describe irritating people and determine whether they represent a useful taxonomy of human behaviours.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Assholes: A Theory by Aaron James https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assholes:_A_Theory

- Attempts to define the douchebag: https://thoughtcatalog.com/lorenzo-jensen-iii/2016/06/31-hilarious-ways-to-explain-exactly-what-a-douchebag-really-is/

- Prestige v Dominance, according to Robin Hanson: https://www.overcomingbias.com/2020/11/prestige-is-mob-enforced-dominance.html

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com

Image: Fraser McGruer

In the wake of a relatively successful British vaccination programme, we ask what it is to be proud and whether we have any right to bask in the glory of others’ achievements.

In this podcast we try to define pride, characterise its emotional hue and determine whether it is good or bad. We look at the things we feel proud of (whether individual or group achievements) and try to understand what underlying factors drive pride. Finally, we consider how pride affects decision-making. Quite a good podcast, even if we do say ourselves.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- British diplomat saves student: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-54961075#:~:text=A%20British%20diplomat%20has%20been,rocks%20into%20the%20deep%20water

- Britain is a ‘much better country’ than France, Belgium and the US: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55175162

- Survey data on nationalism: https://www.cessda.eu/content/download/4150/47019/file/CESSDAWorkshop_Data_nationalism_29.05.18_slides.pdf

- Sports fans have higher self-esteem https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/23/why-being-a-sports-fan-and-rooting-for-a-team-is-good-for-you.html

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com

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 are more or less vulnerable just after they have ascended to the throne. This podcast was recorded prior to the unruly invasion of the US Capitol Building - how accurate were our predictions regarding whether Donald Trump would attend Joe Biden's inauguration?

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- List of UK Prime Ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_the_United_Kingdom

- List of Italian Prime Ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Italy

- No evidence of a significant 4-year cycle in US crime http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com

Image: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

If you like wasting your time on pointless activities, join us as we talk to Chris Lear from the Magpie Crossword Magazine and discuss why humans enjoy puzzles.

In this podcast, we explore the weird and wonderful world of the cryptic crossword community. We also try to solve the puzzle of why we willingly devote time and energy to tasks which are deliberately designed to be difficult and have no obvious benefits. Finally, you can try your hand at answering one of our guest’s fiendish clues. Answers on a postcard to Aleph Insights.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Magpie Crossword Magazine: https://www.piemag.com/

- Categories of insight: https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/3857/Categories%20of%20insight.pdf;jsessionid=EC7EB351382427E244C7566AC18448C3?sequence=1

- Need for Cognition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_cognition

- Need for Cognition and the Big 5: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00223989709603517#:~:text=Significant%20positive%20direct%20relationships%20were,and%20engage%20in%20effortful%20thought

- SPOILER ALERT: Chris Lear gives an example clue in this episode. Want to check the answer after you have listened? Scroll to the bottom of these notes.

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com

Image: Karlo Pusic via Stock Snap

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Answer to Chris Lear's example clue:

‘Taylor’s hit a brown-to-black clearance?’. The answer to this is ‘TWENTY-TWO’, and the clue is in a particular cryptic form known as the ‘double definition’. In this case, the two definitions are ‘Taylor’s hit’ and ‘a brown-to-black clearance’. The first definition refers to Taylor Swift’s 2012 hit ‘22’, and the second is the score for a brown-to-black clearance in snooker. What makes this a great clue is the consistency of the ‘surface reading’ (what it looks like the clue means), which seems to refer to the 1980s snooker legend Dennis Taylor. In addition, the clue has several components that might mislead a cryptic crossword fan - e.g. the word ‘hit’ which could indicate an anagram, the word ‘black’ which often means the letter ‘b’, and the word ‘Taylor’ which might look like an alternative spelling for ‘tailor’, which again could indicate an anagram.

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 difference.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Gallup’s favourability ratings https://news.gallup.com/poll/1624/perceptions-foreign-countries.aspx

- ‘Rivalries can improve individual athletic performance’ https://psychcentral.com/news/2014/07/04/rivalries-improve-individual-athletic-performance/72073.html#:~:text=New%20research%20looks%20at%20the,increase%20performance%20levels%20among%20players

- Measuring political rivalry and estimating its effect on economic growth https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315489692_Measuring_political_rivalry_and_estimating_its_effect_on_economic_growth

- Melman: ‘The United States has been transformed into a second-rate industrial economy’ by the arms race. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1818097?seq=1

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com

What’s it like to celebrate Christmas in the southern hemisphere? Are there things about Christmas that don’t make sense in summer?

Things mentioned in this podcast:

- Was Jesus born on 25 December? https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-was-jesus-born/

- Average monthly temperature of cities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_average_temperature

- Things to do in Wichita at Christmas https://www.google.com/search?q=wichita+christmas+events&oq=wichita+christmas&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.2239j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;events&rciv=evn&sxsrf=ACYBGNQUDj2uHQUMZqneSzGli7vHGsO5jw:1574686584061#htivrt=events&htidocid=F7M37PunUtLJvVeVJpA8-A%3D%3D&fpstate=tldetail

For more Cognitive Engineering episodes find us on iTunes, Google Play or wherever you get your podcasts, or add this RSS feed to your preferred player https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44

Passwords have become an integral part of our everyday lives, keeping our money, our data and our secrets safe. But what makes a good one, or a bad one for that matter? Click, friend, and enter.

In this podcast we look at how hackers exploit passwords and analyse the common themes that make them easy to hack. We also consider whether having password restrictions (e.g. mandating password length or character requirements) may actually be doing more harm than good. Finally, we explore how passwords and security might evolve in the future as authentication technologies advance.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

World’s worst passwords https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/news/worst-passwords-2020 8

6 reasons biometrics are bad authenticators https://www.csoonline.com/article/3330695/6-reasons-biometrics-are-bad-authenticators-and-1-acceptable-use.html

Have I been pwned? https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Breached websites: https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites

Why 2FA SMS is a bad idea

https://blog.sucuri.net/2020/01/why-2fa-sms-is-a-bad-idea.html

PIN number analysis https://www.datagenetics.com/blog/september32012/

Password Cracking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-RbOKanYs

Yildirim and Mackie (2019), Encouraging users to improve password security and memorability https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10207-019-00429-y

Password Managers https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2019/02/20/password-managers-have-a-security-flaw-heres-how-to-avoid-it/

XKCD https://xkcd.com/936/

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here http://podcast.alephinsights.com and for more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com

Image: Santeri Viinamäki via Wikimedia Commons