The DemystifySci Podcast

chevron_right

How crazy ideas survive contact with experts– Dr. Angus Fletcher, DemystifySci #395

Jan 27, 2026

Guest

Angus Fletcher

Dr. Angus Fletcher, a narrative theory professor who applies narrative neuroscience to training, discusses why bold ideas fail when they collide with status, identity, and emotional insecurity. He explores how timing, framing, and roleplay help soften resistance. Short, practical conversations cover narrative vs. logic, military testing of narrative training, and how to make mundane truths feel compelling.

01:22:38

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Narratives Are Emotional Safety Nets

People cling to a single narrative because it stabilizes their daily life and thwarts new ideas.
Breaking narratives provokes anger then panic unless people can generate alternatives themselves.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Let People Generate Alternatives

Give people initiative by prompting them to recount alternatives they once considered.
That makes them comfortable generating new branching possibilities rather than feeling imposed upon.

insights

INSIGHT

Inherited Beliefs Come From Fear

Brains import inherited narratives when fear undermines their own hypothesis-generation.
Scientists inherit theories when they feel fragile about career and control.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Why new ideas trigger threat responses

04:52 • 2min

chevron_right

Getting people to generate their own alternatives

07:14 • 41sec

chevron_right

Inherited versus constructed narratives

07:55 • 1min

chevron_right

Why brains import narratives under fear

09:13 • 4min

chevron_right

Emotional security and scientific conservatism

12:52 • 44sec

chevron_right

Status, prestige and openness to revolution

13:36 • 2min

chevron_right

When breakthroughs become highest-status achievements

15:32 • 2min

chevron_right

Why early revolutions felt less rigorous

17:27 • 3min

chevron_right

Science as utility versus truth

20:01 • 5min

chevron_right

Causes are narratives, not pure logic

24:32 • 3min

chevron_right

Narratives are possible, falsifiable explanations

27:13 • 3min

chevron_right

Science needs both utility and aesthetic meaning

30:33 • 10min

chevron_right

Making mundane explanations sublime

When math becomes myth in science

41:19 • 4min

chevron_right

Art, sublime and burning down illusions

45:31 • 2min

chevron_right

Re-engaging ordinary people with science

47:05 • 9min

chevron_right

Military interest: testing narrative theory

55:47 • 5min

chevron_right

Training operators: validating narrative intelligence

01:00:18 • 5min

chevron_right

Distinguishing cranks from revolutionaries

01:05:38 • 7min

chevron_right

Creativity studies vs narrative imagination

01:12:39 • 6min

chevron_right

Role play trains imagination and common sense

Paradox Lost, the Material Principles of Natural Philosophy

Anastasia Bendebury

Dr. Michael Shilo DeLay

#3318

• Mentioned in 13 episodes

Dr. Faustus

Christopher Marlowe

The play follows Doctor Faustus, a German scholar who, dissatisfied with traditional forms of knowledge, turns to magic and makes a pact with the devil Mephastophilis. In exchange for his soul, Faustus gains 24 years of unlimited power and knowledge. The play explores themes of knowledge, power, and sacrifice, serving as a cautionary tale about the perilous nature of unchecked ambition and the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Set in various European locations, it reflects the Renaissance spirit and the intellectual climate of Elizabethan England.

#659

• Mentioned in 46 episodes

King Lear

William Shakespeare

King Lear, written by William Shakespeare around 1604-1606, is a tragedy that follows the story of King Lear, who decides to retire and divide his kingdom among his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. The division is based on the eloquence of their declarations of love for him. However, Lear's youngest and favorite daughter, Cordelia, refuses to flatter him and is disinherited. The play unfolds with Lear's descent into madness, the betrayal by his elder daughters, and the subplot involving the Earl of Gloucester and his sons. Ultimately, the play ends in tragedy with the deaths of Lear, Cordelia, and several other main characters, highlighting themes of deception, power, and the consequences of poor judgment.

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

PATREON

https://www.patreon.com/c/demystifysci

PARADOX LOST PRE-SALE: https://buy.stripe.com/7sY7sKdoN5d29eUdYddEs0b

HOMEBREW MUSIC - Check out our new album!

Hard Copies (Vinyl): FREE SHIPPING

https://demystifysci-shop.fourthwall.com/products/vinyl-lp-secretary-of-nature-everything-is-so-good-here

Streaming:

https://secretaryofnature.bandcamp.com/album/everything-is-so-good-here

PARADIGM DRIFT

https://demystifysci.com/paradigm-drift-show

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

#consciousness , #humanbehavior, #creativity, #intelligence, #decisionmaking, #psychology, #meaning, #innovation, #learning, #thinking, #history, #philosophy, #communication, #leadership, #physicspodcast, #philosophypodcast

MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci-shop.fourthwall.com/

AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98

DONATE: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD

SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@UCqV4_7i9h1_V7hY48eZZSLw@demystifysci

RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss

MAILING LIST: https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S

SOCIAL:

- Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci

MUSIC:

-Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671

Home Top podcasts Popular guests Top books