Cognitive Engineering

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Trump ranked as worst president https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/20/presidents-ranking-trump-biden-list?

- George W Bush the worst president ever https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/george-w-bush-the-worst-president-in-history-192899/

- The Secretary Problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_problem

For more information on Aleph Insights...

Tech it or leave it: what is the best technology? The bed, writing, antibiotics? In this podcast we ask: how do we define technology, and can we objectively measure the best of it? We take a look at potential metrics - from the number of people who benefit to quantifying the overall happiness created - and wonder whether the best is yet to come.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

The missing link: why are we fascinated by lost media? From Celebrity Number Six to the original Backrooms photo, Love's Labours Won to absent Doctor Who episodes: what is it about lost media that intrigues and inspires us? In this podcast, we discuss the neurological itch that solving such mysteries can scratch, and how any media - in the age of the internet - is at risk of vanishing. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: Red...

Click bait and switch: has the internet swapped out knowledge for monetisation? Search engine optimisation, advertising run amok, users as customers: has the internet become a little bit crap and, if so, how do we fix it? In this podcast, we discuss the problem with the internet's funding model, whether it could learn a thing or two from the BBC, and continue a seemingly futile quest for a decent cheese-ranking website. A few thing...

In this podcast, we're discussing old age and when, exactly, it befalls us. Do we simply wake up one day absent of youth? Or can we estimate its proximity by certain metrics, such as daily medication or number of grandchildren? We take a look at how old age has been historically codified, and reason why it might not be just a number. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The Sorites Paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sori...

Leisure bound: what exactly makes a hobby a 'hobby'? In this podcast, we discuss all things structured fun. From train spotting to Morris dancing, board games to beach-going, we consider what actually constitutes a hobby - an activity for its own sake? Or are other metrics, like regularity, important? - and how their nature has changed through the decades. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - A history of trainspotting http...