Cognitive Engineering

Our 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 so, we discuss deontology and consequentialism, ego depletion, the marshmallow test, and the economic theory of time inconsistency. Nick presents his temptability index and we reveal our favourite cakes and gastronomic temptations.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Bringing cake to the office is as harmful as passive smoking
• The psychology of temptation
• House of Lords: Regina v Looseley
• Ten prohibited advertising categories

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

In 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 historical case studies in the UK context such as the Harold Wilson plot. Finally, we draw up a fictitious plot to overthrow the British government and put forward our list of would-be demands and policies.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup
• Coups are making a comeback
• Armed Forces continuous attitude survey: 2022

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

As 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 discuss memory models, Daniel Kahneman’s cognitive psychology approach to life satisfaction, the peak-end rule and how holidays can foster social bonds and affect wellbeing. Finally, we share our most memorable holidays and design our own perfect holiday.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Leisure and subjective well-being: A model of psychological mechanisms as mediating factor
• High income improves evaluation of life but not
• emotional well-being
• If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right.
• What promotes the happiness of vacationers?
• How emotions change over the course of a trip
• Effects of short vacations, vacation activities and experiences on employee health and well-being
• Thinking, Fast and Slow

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

At 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 what students decide to study and getting a job in the thing they are studying? We unpack the idea of ‘risky’ degrees, weigh in on the STEM subjects vs arts degrees debate and Nick reveals which is the best degree to study if you want a successful career. Finally, we share the degrees we would do if we had our time again.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Stereotypes about fields of study
• The degrees that make you rich... and the ones that don't
• Employment and earnings outcomes of higher education
• graduates

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

We 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 how it is interpreted. We muse over the pastimes of previous prime ministers, defecating monarchs, and ask whether there is a level of hypocrisy in the expectations we set for those that govern us. Finally, we speculate on which former leaders would have had the most colourful social media histories.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Sanna Marin: Partying Finnish PM cleared of neglecting duties

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

If 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 changed the international film industry and analyse the highest grossing films of previous decades. Nick presents his realism index for films and we share some of our favourite films set in New York.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• List of films set in New York City
• Satisfaction with own life five times higher than with U.S.

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

As 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 leadership and speculate on the personality types of previous prime ministers. Finally, we share our worst character traits and reveal who we regard as the most underrated prime ministers.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Gavin Williamson text messages unacceptable, PM says
• Commons watchdog hints at potential Gavin Williamson investigation
• Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review

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

Nick 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 of a marketing ploy by film, television and public relation executives, or is it simply a mismatch between the cultural status of a particular product and its perceived level of quality? We discuss the Nash equilibrium, try-hards, shy Tories, Kanye West and Mrs. Browns Boys. Finally, we share some of the guilty pleasures in our cultural consumption.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• Mrs Brown’s Ultimate Funniest Moments
• Mrs Brown's Boys Wins Situation Comedy BAFTA
• Limmy has his say on the James Corden/Ricky Gervais Patter Theft Scandal (warning - very strong language)
• Most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time
• Shy Tory factor
• 10 Reasons We Love To Hate Kanye West

This week’s podcast was suggested by one of our loyal listeners, Carl.

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

We’ve all experienced that feeling after a long, perhaps arduous, journey of finally arriving back home. In fact, it may not even matter if it was a trip down to the local supermarket or halfway across the world, the feeling of arriving back at home safely and securely feels universal. But have we invented this idea of home?

In this week’s podcast, we discuss going home. How does the feeling of home work for nomads and those without a home? Does our concept of home change depending on how far away we are from it? We explore the idea of homeownership, shibboleths, privacy and Nick proposes a test for feeling at home based on the level of homesickness. Finally, we share the things we most look forward to upon arriving home.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

• What do Nomads call home?
• Rising numbers of UK renters say their situation is causing depression
• The Science of a Happy Home
• The Dwelling

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

Some of our listeners will only know the late Robbie Coltrane from his performances as Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series, despite a long and varied career in film and television. But what happens when one of our cultural references dies? Is it our responsibility to find new ones, and if so, where do we start looking?

In this week’s podcast, we discuss cultural references. We explore the measure of a good cultural reference and debate whether they can be mobilised for culture war debates. In addition to Robbie Coltrane, we make reference to the Humphreys milk adverts, the Milk Tray man, aluminium Christmas trees, The Shining, and cringey memes. We also share some of our most embarrassing and revealing cultural reference moments.

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