A LOAD OF BS ON SPORT

Friends,There is no dry January on A Load of BS. It’s time for much needed refreshment.Vodkast & Soda In my 2021: My Year of Total BS essay, I shared with you some personal ruminations on BS and this publication’s motivation. Put simply, the raison d’être of A Load of BS is to try to explain why we do the things we do.  Furthermore, I’d like to include your questions in my podcasts. My next two conversations are with Melissa Hogenboom and Dave Trott.Melissa is a BBC science journalist who wrote ‘The Motherhood Complex’, an exposé of the  challenges women endure in motherhood - from fighting a system which, despite progress, is still skewed in favour of men’s needs, to the creation of a new identity in the face of physical & psychological change.Dave is an advertising legend having founded 3 extraordinarily successful agencies, written 5 books on creative thinking and been voted Most Creative Agency In the World by Advertising Age.If you have a question you’d like me to share with Dave or Melissa, please email me at danielsjross@gmail.com and I’ll credit you in the show.The Cosmopolitan David AaronovitchTalking of explaining why we do the things we do, this week’s podcast is with journalist, author & broadcaster David Aaronovitch. While David’s frames of reference are broad, here we focus on conspiracy theories, the subject of David’s book Voodoo Histories. Talking of conspiracy theories, mine’s a Virgin Mary.Today we explore:Why we choose to believe what we believeWhat's so attractive about conspiracy theoriesJews in conspiracy theoriesThe elitist, moral high ground that believers typically takeCombatting conspiracy theoriesQAnon and departures from realityThe importance of truthThe real agency we have over social media algorithms And what David is truly optimistic about for the futureOne for the roadCan I ask you a small favour before I close up? Go to Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts, and leave me a 5 star review. It does me the world of good in this cold Winter weather ❤️. And if you haven’t signed up here yet for all my writings and pod archives, now is the time to do so at aloadofbs.substack.comNext week, I’m talking to experimental psychologist and leading scholar in evolution and human behaviour Dr Jesse Bering about fetishes, afterlife and other taboos.Daniel 🍾 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an episode on my reflections and motivations on 2021 talking A Load of BS, where I want to take it in 2022, and, importantly, why I want to hear more from you!In this end of year episode, I'm also sharing how I got started, what I've learned and what are the core messages at the heart of A Load of BS.In essence, my goal is to shine light on the peculiarity, uncertainty and complexity of our existence, and give context and comfort to our associated anxieties and fears. We tend to view confusion as a bad thing, but confusion is often at the heart of learning.And finally a thank you to my 2021 guests and a big shout out to some of the amazing people joining me in 2022 (e.g. Ruby Wax, David Aaronovitch, Dr Jess Bering, Guillem Balague, Patrick Fagan, Jeff Kreisler, Ted Slingerland, Melissa Hogenboom, Dr Dimitris Xygalatas and Chris Rawlinson).Subscribe and follow A Load of BSPlease subscribe and follow me on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to and download your podcasts and leave me a review. You can also find me @danielsjross on Twitter, where your feedback and ideas are very encouraged.Final thanks go to my editor Nathan Meirinho who I highly recommend for post-production work, and my sponsor CrankWheel for their belief in A Load of BS.Happy New Year!Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,Welcome to the Christmas holiday episode of 'A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast'. This will be the last of 2021 and we are going out with a bang by welcoming back Rory Sutherland and co-author Pete Dyson to discuss their new book 'Transport for Humans: Are we nearly there yet?'CrankWheel sponsors A Load of BSFirstly, I am excited to introduce you to my new sponsor, and that is CrankWheel.Some people have the ability to paint a picture in a few words. CrankWheel is for the rest of us. CrankWheel gives you zero friction screen sharing during voice calls. You send a link to the other person and they enter that seamlessly on any browser, any device. No log ins, no registering, no what's my bloody password! CrankWheel is particularly great for those first sales calls or for onboarding new customers. It's really for any business looking to engage with customers more efficiently. A Load of BS subscribers can use CrankWheel unlimited for 2 months by signing up at get.crankwheel.com/loadofbs.And we’re offComfort break over, we're back on the road. Now you may have read my Monday BS piece a few weeks ago previewing today's conversation with a little riff on the wonders of the London Underground. Well today you get the full fat version and I can assure you that the cream has risen to the top; in fact it's spilling over and clogging the arteries like the M25 on Boxing Day. What fun! This anniversary appetizer is bursting with flavour, celebratory abandon and indulgence; and since so many of us will be battling the motorways and trains to reach loved ones in the coming days, what more appropriate treat for today than transport design to keep you toasty.I should introduce my guests. Rory is well-known to many of you as Global Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy, behavioural scientist, founder of Nudgestock festival, writer and the man responsible for making the Sevenoaks to London Blackfriars line fashionable again.Pete Dyson is the Principal Behavioural Scientist at the Department for Transport. Pete established a new BS Team at DfT in 2020 to tackle the COVID response and recovery,  and the impact of future transport technologies on behaviour. Today is about the potential of behavioural science to design our transport systems for human, rather than engineers', consumption.Today Rory and Pete tell us about:The fetishization of speed and punctualitySolving the conundrum (waste?) of HS2Who Homo Transporticus isHow we actually understand what customers wantGetting to Exeter when you're not in a rushSeat backed train tablesProducts which nobody wants until they own themThe Brummie obsession with driving and roadsIntelligent rationing of trips into London and other BS experimentsSee you in 2022 with some amazing guestsAnd do subscribe on your favourite platform (Apple, Spotify), share with friends for Christmas, leave a review and we'll be back together in the New Year. Happy holidays and be well to all of you. 🧑‍🎄Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,Welcome to another episode of 'A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast'. This week, I welcome back psychologist, technologist and businessman Nir Eyal to talk more about habits and distractions; what forms them and how we overcome the worst of them.This episode is no different from part 1 for its tempo, energy and richness of content. Today however, we're zooming in on distractions rather than the subject of habits.These 25 minutes are packed with practical and simple tips on how to value and manage your time better. Get rid of those to do lists, cancel all pointless meetings immediately and drop into the mind of Nir Eyal.Today, we're talking about:Why we get distractedThe internal and external triggers of distractionThe 4 steps to becoming IndistractableThe terror of to-do listsWhy we love meetings, and how to run them betterAnd of course Nir's quick fire round including his favourite book recommendation:‘Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity’ by Rory SutherlandThese podcasts are my greatest project and they are only worthwhile with your support!You can find my podcasts on all the usual platforms, Apple, Spotify or wherever you might listen. Do subscribe and follow A Load of BS there, and give me a 5 star review if you enjoy it! And you can let me know what you think of it all on Twitter @danielsjross.You can also find all my podcasts and articles here, where I encourage you to sign up.Now prepare to be distracted, again.Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,Welcome to another episode of 'A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast' with me Daniel Ross. This week, I welcome Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer at The Times newspaper. Henry is without doubt one of the very best practitioners of his art and I hope you sense his thoughtfulness and erudition in this conversation.Before The Times, Henry was a football correspondent at The Telegraph for 21 years and prior to that he wrote at The Independent in its very earliest days.Henry was named Specialist Correspondent of the Year at the British Sports Journalism Awards in 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2013, and Football Writer of the Year in 2016. In 2010, he was named among the top 10 most influential sportswriters in Britain by the trade publication Press Gazette.He also makes regular appearances as a pundit on Sky Sports' Sunday Supplement and BBC Radio 5 Live.Outside of journalism, he has ghost written books with former FA Chief Executive David Davies and with ex-Liverpool players John Barnes, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard. He also wrote his own tome in 2017 'Fifty Years of Hurt: The Story of England Football' which I suspect would have sold even more copies had it been released a year later after England's ride at the 2018 World Cup in Russia!Today, I talk with Henry about:His love for his craftWhat he wants his readership to feelTurgenev, Tolstoy and the Russian World CupAn enlightened England generationGroupthink in football narrativesFootball ritualWhy Gareth is good, Bobby was brilliant and Fabio a flopWhy football is the only sport with hooligans andEnglish entitlementDo share 'A Load of BS' with others. These podcasts are my greatest project and they are only worthwhile with your support! You can find my podcasts on all the usual platforms, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Do give me a 5 star review! And let me know what you think of it all on Twitter @danielsjross.ShareNext week, I'm going to bring you Part 2 of my interview with psychologist, writer and tech provocateur Nir Eyal where we'll discuss how to overcome the urge to check your mobile every 2 minutes!Now game on! Daniel ⚽ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can find my podcasts on all the usual platforms, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Do give me a 5 star review! And let me know what you think of it all on Twitter @danielsjross.These podcasts are my greatest project and they are only worthwhile with your support!If you’re new to A Load of BS, do subscribe or follow me so new pods land automatically in your favourites!Fellow BSers,Welcome to another episode of 'A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast'. This week, I welcome psychologist, technologist and businessman Nir Eyal. Nir is the Habits and Distractions man having written two best selling books on the subjects - Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.AccoladesIndistractable received critical acclaim, winning the Outstanding Works of Literature Award as well as being named one of the Best Business and Leadership Books of the Year by Amazon and one of the Best Personal Development Books of the Year by Audible. The Globe and Mail called Indistractable, “the best business book of 2019.”In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review, Time Magazine and Psychology Today.Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Today, he writes, consults and teaches the methodologies that he espouses in his books.InvestmentsYou might not be surprised to hear that Nir also invests in habit forming products. His portfolio includes Eventbrite, Kahoot!, Product Hunt and Canva.Nir's styleDespite recording this in Nir's evening time in Singapore, what will stand out to you in this conversation is Nir's insatiable enthusiasm for and clarity on his subject. He is a superlative wordsmith whose messages are conveyed with punch but are always backed by thought and research. He is not afraid to challenge  much of today's conventional wisdom in how we consume technology.In Part 1 of our conversation, I talk to Nir about:How to build healthy habits in people's livesHabits vs. addictionsWhether technology is hijacking our brainsNir's unfair investing advantageHow products influence our decisionsThe purpose of brand advertisingBreaking customers' habitsNegativity bias: why we remember the bad stuff first andThe wonder of TikTok, the lunacy of Clubhouse and, of course, the magic of podcastsNow prepare to be distracted.Daniel 😀 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,Welcome to another episode of 'A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast' with me Daniel Ross.From Lineker last week down the middle to Finkelstein centre right, I'm ringing the changes for this midweek game to welcome writer, Times newspaper commentator and Conservative Party moderniser, moderate, maven and former advisor to William Hague, George Osborne and David Cameron - the Baron of Pinner, Danny Finkelstein.Prior to his work helping to transition the Conservatives between Major key, very minor key and then David Cameron, Danny was Director of the think tank the Social Market Foundation. He was also the Chairman of the Policy Exchange, an independent charity seeking free market and ‘localist’ solutions to public policy questions. And to give you a titbit away from the LinkedIn theocracy, Danny is an obsessive Beatles fan. Indeed, his study desk and bookshelf are split between Holocaust tomes, reflecting, in part, research for a book on his family which he's currently in the process of writing, and Paul McCartney lyric sheets.Danny was named political commentator of the year at the Editorial Intelligence Comment Awards in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Last year, he published 'Everything in Moderation', a compilation of his Times essays over the last 20 years which reflect, indeed, his sense for moderation, proportion and social psychology.You can find all my podcasts on all the usual platforms: do subscribe on Apple, Spotify and others, and give me a 5 star review! And let me know what you think of it all on Twitter @danielsjross.If you’re new to A Load of BS, subscribe here to get the pods and newsletter straight into your inbox.Today, Danny and I discuss:Perspective and empathyWhy a sense of proportion mattersWhy politics mattersBourgeois stability and big ideasRobert Cialdini's 'click, click, run'COVID, Brexit and self-interestEconomic growth as the driver of polarisation vs. congenialityJournalism's role in policing our systemsBooks referenced by Danny:'Everything in Moderation: The must-read collection of Daniel Finkelstein’s greatest columns in The Times''The Best and the Brightest', by David Halberstam'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion', by Robert Cialdini'How to be an Alien', by George Mikes'Mindwise: How We Understan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast. Today, as we take a turn in the road towards other areas of BS, I am thrilled to welcome none other than Gary Lineker to the show to discuss the psychology of sport with me.For many, Gary needs little introduction, but I'm going to give you one anyway because that's how these things work. We need a little build up, some anticipation. Gary was one of the great footballers of his generation, joining his boyhood club Leicester City in 1978 where he played for 7 years before a move to the great Everton side of the mid-1980s where he dazzled sufficiently to attract the attention of Barcelona where he played under Terry Venables. Then came the big move (I say with definite bias) to Tottenham Hotspur in 1989 where he won the FA Cup in 1991 (I game I attended I may add) before finishing his career with a brief stint in Japan.Gary also played 80 times for England scoring 48 times. Since his glittering athletic career, he has moved seamlessly into media in which his mainstay has been hosting Match of the Day for over 20 years. And so much more, including his famous Walkers Crisps TV commercials and his just launched TV gameshow 'Sitting on a Fortune', or as Gary remarked on Twitter, not 'Shitting on a Fortune.'In this episode, we talk about:What self-confidence means to GaryWhat Gazza was doing before the 1990 World Cup semi-finalWhat it feels like taking a World Cup penaltyThe characteristics that make up a successful dressing roomGeneralisation vs. specialisation andGary's superstitionsGary’s book recommendation and desert island tunesRod: The Autobiography, by Rod StewartSoul Limbo, by Booker T. & The MG’sGary’s Desert Island Discs, 1990 (which he’s not very proud of)More big names are talking BSIt's a testament to the interest, breadth and appeal of behavioural science, and this podcast, that people like Gary Lineker are keen to join me and share stories and insights so openly and warmly. Talking of which, in my next episode I'm switching back to politics and social psychology in conversation with writer, Times commentator and Conservative Party moderniser, moderate, maven and former advisor to William Hague, George Osborne and David Cameron - Danny Finkelstein. It's a brilliant conversation which I'm excited to share with you all.Give Gary and me a Twitter reviewIf you like this episode, please go to Twitter right now and give Gary (@garylineker) and me (@danielsjross) a nice review. We'd both love that. And if you haven't subscribed to all my pods and articles on Substack yet, please join us.Subscribe nowAnd do follow the pods on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen.No more fuss, it's time for kick-off! (Sorry)Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,Welcome to A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast and to Part 2 of my conversation with Washington based political strategist Marc A. Ross.For those of you who tuned in to Part 1, you'll remember Marc's exuberant, ebullient and entertaining style; his infectious enthusiasm for his subject. And you'll also remember that we covered a lot of ground. Marc shared his great anecdote about Clinton's candy shop in regard to exerting power and influence, we discussed the delusions required to make it as a politician and we talked a lot about the reality of the Hill (and indeed political affairs in general) beyond the media hysteria.Today, we pick up the baton to discuss a wild array of topics which will enlighten you:Sanders, Corbyn and political self-sabotageThe illusion of similarityFloundering Kamala HarrisRory Sutherland's 'make it pink' boardroom strategyProblems with the polling industryCampaign school: the mathematics behind the US electionDiversity in politicsTrump disinfectant and the pirate ship of rejectsWill Trump run again? Hopefully off the treadmillBooks we reference:The Clustering of America, by Michael J. WeissAmerican Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, by Colin WoodardAlchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity, by Rory SutherlandThe Win Without Pitching Manifesto, by Blair EnnsConfessions of an Advertising Man, by David Ogilvy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,If you liked House of Cards (UK version wins every time) or The West Wing, you’re in for a treat. This week, I welcome political strategist, namesake and keeper of our eponymous tartan and ice shelf, Marc A. Ross to A Load of BS. Marc’s storytelling, his exuberance and his experience at the forefront of global politics glitters through both Part 1 and Part 2 of our conversation. Marc is a political nut; he fell in love with Reagan’s campaign in 1984 as a young teenager and has been immersed ever since. You’ll hear in the pod that Marc’s knowledge and interests fly way beyond home affairs; he is no partisan, his outlook is utterly global and he is a keen student of our British system amongst other, believing firmly that a broad lens gives perspective.He is the founder of Caracal, a communications and political intelligence firm specializing in international trade, commercial relations, economic diplomacy and global business. He is also the founder of Brigadoon, a global membership network helping leaders make better connections and helping them better understand the emerging issues shaping commerce and culture.This only scratches the surface of Marc’s affiliations. Best is to see here for the fullest picture.If that quality of build up hasn’t attracted you to subscribe to A Load of BS (if indeed you aren’t already!), then here is your moment. I won’t reveal names just now, but trust me, we have some quite phenomenal individuals joining me over the coming weeks.Subscribe nowToday, we're talking about:Power and influence, vs. controlClinton’s Candy Shop & reciprocityPolitical attractiveness & M&M’s ad strategyDelusions of grandeur: what it takes to be a successful politicianConfirmation bias & The West WingHow politics really works beyond the sport of media reportingNotable figures referenced by MarcThomas Sowell: American economist, social theorist, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover InstitutionTom “The Hammer” DeLay: Texan, former Republican Party Majority Leader who Marc worked for as his first job in WashingtonRoger Ailes: former chairman and CEO of Fox News, media consultant for various American PresidentsHenry Kissinger: American politician, diplomat and geopolitical consultantShare and win absolutely nothingIf you like my shows and weekly writings, do share on Twitter and with friends. There’s no giveaway apart from my eternal appreciation and love; and the enormous dopamine hit you’ll get buy doing it. Trust me, it works.ShareListen on your favourite platform You can also find all my podcasts on your favourite platform: do subscribe on Apple, Spotify and others, and give me a 5 star review! And let me know what you think of it all, here or on Twitter @danielsjross.Now enjoy the show!Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.