Distinguishing cranks from revolutionaries

This episode explores why bold ideas so often fail not because they’re wrong, but because they collide with expert identity, status, and narrative inertia. Drawing on Professor Angus Fletcher’s work across literature, neuroscience, and elite military training, the conversation reveals how resistance forms...and how it can be softened without surrendering truth. We learn why timing, framing, and emotional security matter more than raw correctness when challenging entrenched thinkers. It’s a practical guide for theorists, researchers, and creators who want their ideas to survive first contact and actually be heard.

Part 2: https://youtu.be/_e8PDmutK0w

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00:00 Go! Narrative resistance and why new scientific ideas fail

00:05:20 Inherited beliefs, status, and emotional security in science

00:13:15 Why revolutions in science rarely start rigorously

00:18:46 Consensus, utility, and the difference between science and truth

00:24:30 Science as story: rationality, beauty, and belief

00:32:30 Enchantment, myth, and magical thinking in science

00:38:48 Making unsexy truths emotionally compelling

00:47:10 Narrative intelligence vs modern science communication

00:55:54 Isolation at the edge of expertise

00:58:14 From neuroscience to narrative theory

01:00:31 Why the military took narrative theory seriously

01:05:53 Cranks, outsiders, and how breakthroughs get validated

01:10:32 Why optimization fails for humans

01:17:14 Narrative imagination vs creativity theory

01:21:10 Roleplay as preparation for difficult conversations

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