A LOAD OF BS ON SPORT

Fellow BSers,Welcome to A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast with me Daniel Ross. Today, my guest once again is Gerald Ashley, a re-formed financial markets man and now BS expert with strong interests in change, risk and decision making.Indeed, Gerald has written books on the subject, is a regular media contributor and happily is hitting the live speaking circuit again after too long a gap. That story we know.Today, we're talking about:Our over connected world and the pressures this bringsPandemic costsThe BS replication crisis and its party tricksUnsettling scienceAnd, of course, we end with Gerald's quick fire roundIf you haven't already, please subscribe to my writings and pods on Substack and hit the subscribe button on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen.We pick up today's conversation with another though on the subject of connectivity.Book recommendations:Little Book of Banana Skins, by Donough O'BrienReckoning with Risk: Learning to Live with Uncertainty, by Gerd GigerenzerThe Diaries of Samuel Pepys, by Samuel PepysGerald's own books:Two Speed World: The impact of explosive and gradual change - its effect on you and everything elseThe Tangled World: Understanding human connections, networks and complexityAnd finally…If you like A Load of BS, do leave me a 5 star review on Apple, Spotify or whichever platform you listen on. Share it on Twitter and tell a friend you love me.ShareEnjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,If you're in the mood for listening to the sharpest minds talking absolute BS, you're in the right place.Which naturally brings me to my guest Gerald Ashley, and as we've done in the past, today is part 1 of 2. I think bitesize is more digestible and there's no harm in a gentle pause between this week's very savoury smack in the face of beef wellington before indulging next time in the palette cleansing ice cream finale.Gerald has years of experience in financial markets, from Baring Brothers to Dow Jones to the Bank for International Settlements. So he's been exposed to a fair share of BS in his time. He is now a speaker, advisor, broadcaster and writer on change, risk and decision making. Indeed, Gerald is one of the doyens on these subjects.He is insightful, warm and entertaining with a keen ear and eye for our delusions and dogma; both of which he is quick to quash in this conversation. Why not take a second and share the interview on social media. This is the best decision you’ll make all week; and there’s no risk, only upside.ShareToday, we're talking about:Birds foraging for food and what that teaches us about dramatic change and decision making cyclesWe talk about our model mania - we want to model everything and assign it a risk probability. Quick spoiler folks, you can't do itWe discuss the difference between risk and uncertainty and Gerald explains Knightian uncertainty and how credit card data is so very different from terrorist attack dataAnd as always, there's a book recommendation or twoBooks referenced in the conversation:The Origin Of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics, by Eric D. BeinhockerShare 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.Share A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast Listen on your favourite appYou 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.

Fellow BSers,Part 1 of my interview with Joe was so well received that I’m sharing Part 2 already with a tinge of melancholy; for now at least, there is no more. So like the gourmands that you are, savour this and chew well. Then get on Twitter and start the campaign for an urgent Part 3.Enough drama! In this episode, we discuss:Why we drink so much ChampagneInnovation in wine productionEnvironmental challengesJoe’s new venture Pix.com and Lots of novel wine ideasReferenced (and mainly recommended!) winesNerello Cappuccio (Sicilian red)Frappato (Sicilian red)Western Australian Grenache (a future star)Beaujolais by Vicky MonrozierRomanee-Conti La Tache (please invite me)Dark Horse Wine Barefoot MerlotSaint-Aubin winesThe Bib Wine CompanyWhen In Rome: Phillip Schofield CollectionJoe’s book referencesThe 24-Hour Wine Expert, by Jancis RobinsonOutnumbered: From Facebook and Google to Fake News and Filter-bubbles – The Algorithms That Control Our Lives, by David SumpterMimesis and Theory: Essays on Literature and Criticism, 1953-2005, by René GirardSituationist International Anthology, by Ken KnabbShare 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fellow BSers,Welcome to Part 1 of my interview with Joe Fattorini. These next episodes combine two of my loves; wine and BS, and there’s plenty of each in the other! Joe is a brilliant guest - warm, insightful and hugely knowledgeable. If you like wine, if you like BS, you'll love this show.If you think about it for a moment, we can all reflect on wine moments in our lives when deciding what to choose was riddled with anxiety; be it a romantic occasion, gifting to one’s in-laws or lubricating clients at a business dinner.Am I sending the right signals? I don’t want to appear cheap, but certainly not extravagant. I want to be original but not pick a stinker. This is a world full of symbolism and ritual.Now there may be more critical adjudications in life than sifting between your Grüner Veltliner and Gewurztraminer; but few are as much fun! See, I’m BSing already, referencing the lesser known sommelier’s favourite, Grüner Veltliner. I couldn’t help myself.Not your regular JoeKnown around the world as Obi Wine Kenobi, Joe Fattorini is co-host of the wildly successful The Wine Show which has 250m viewers across 107 countries.Joe actually started his career as an academic. Between researching his MPhil on Food & Religion and teaching Structuralist Food Theory and Hotel Valuation Models, Joe wrote the world’s first textbook on selling and marketing wine in restaurants, Managing Wine and Wine Sales, a book still used in universities over 20 years later.Joe has written extensively and broadly on wine. He wrote for The Herald newspaper for 14 years, he's written for all the UK’s wine magazines and a range of American lifestyle publications. Never shy of controversy, he once wrote the 'most complained about article' ever published in Decanter Magazine.Joe was the wine consultant to the US PGA golf tour and has won numerous accolades, including IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year Award and IWC Personality of the Year. In 2018 Joe was named 22nd in the 100 Most Influential People in Wine by Drinks Retailing News, the highest placed media figure on the list.In this episode, we discuss:How Joe got into wine (sparked by school expulsion!)Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumptionWine as GodCelebrity endorsement and what makes a successful wineSymbols and rituals andWhy cleaning ladies make great whiskey tastersSharing is caringIf you like my shows and Sunday writing, do share with friends. Your support makes it all worthwhile!Share A Load of BS: The Behavioural Science Podcast Listening on your favourite appYou can find all my podcasts on your favourite platform: do subscribe on Apple, Spotify and others. 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.

Fellow BSers,Many of you have listened to Parts 1 and 2  of my interview with Rory Sutherland; ad man, author and  BS aficionado. Links above for those of you careless enough to miss them.This bonus is a perfect digestif cum coda, the Thursday eau de vie that you’ve been looking for, a 15 minute morsel to electrify your 574th consecutive tracksuit bottomed home lunch. This is a final treat from Rory, the BONUS episode in which Rory shares his story of airport arrest and a spine tingling 24 hours in jail in Qatar. The Last SupperHanging on rather desperately to gastronomic descriptors (and since Rory was behind bars overnight, I’ll let the fateful metaphor extend), this podcast is a final treat from Rory, in which he shares his story of airport arrest and a spine tingling 24 hours in jail in Qatar.I think Rory should take his story on tour. If thesps like Sir Ian McKellen and David Baddiel can do it, why on earth not SuperTED Rory? In this episode, find out why Rory was arrested, why his cravat was confiscated, alongside riffs on solving defects in Amazon Prime delivery and Rory's self-invented and Beatles inspired SI unit for regret.Win a signed copy of Rory’s bookAs a final treat, we are giving away a limited number of signed copies of Rory's book Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind Numbing Conformity. To win one, simply go to Twitter, post a review of this show, include the show link from aloadofbs.substack.com and tag me @danielsjross so I know who you are!Enjoy the show!Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with behavioural economics expert Paul Craven. After almost 30 years in asset management working for the city’s biggest names, Paul’s passion is understanding “how real people make real decisions in the real world.” Paul gives over 50 talks a year around the world to audiences from investors to doctors to lawyers to entrepreneurs explaining the tricks our minds play. Check out Paul’s website logo for one of them.If you missed Part 1 of this interview, you can find it here. There, we left off on the question of generalisation vs. specialization; and that’s where we pick up Part 2.If you’re not already a subscriber to A Load of BS, get involved! Next week, I’m sharing the outlandish story of Rory Sutherland’s capture and incarceration in a Qatari jail.I want A Load of BS in my lifeIn this episode, we discuss:The benefits of a polymathic approach to lifeTransactions vs. relationshipsAristotle’s rhetorical triangle Skill vs. luck andMinimising errors vs. maximising winnersBooks referenced in the podcastInfluence, The Psychology of Persuasion (new and expanded), by Robert CialdiniRange: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David EpsteinAlchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity, by Rory SutherlandThinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel KahnemanSubscribe to my Sunday newsletter tooFor those here who aren’t already subscribed to Sunday BS: Behavioural Science Curious, here I share 3 ideas, thoughts or provocations from my readings of the last week. Some will be expansions from my podcasts, others will reflect my wider BS reading and thinking.It’s short, sharp and fun. And will make you sound clever in meetings on Mondays! Give it a go. 😀Sign up for Sunday BSPlease give me a 5 star review if you like the podcasts and let me know what you think of it all on Twitter @danielsjross.Enjoy the show!Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with the inimitable Rory Sutherland. Rory is the Global Vice-Chairman of renowned ad agency Ogilvy, has a brain the size of a football and talks BS like the best of them.For those of you who listened to Part 1 of my interview with Rory, you'll remember that we paused with my question about Rory's own susceptibility to decision making biases. We pick up immediately with his answer to that question.In this episode, we discuss:Kahneman and susceptibility to decision making biases Solving cryptic puzzlesThe difference between music that's listenable to and endlessly re-listenable to andDeciding how to move houseBooks referenced in the podcastSeeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed, by James C. ScottThe Choice Factory, by Richard ShottonThe Silo Effect: The Peril of Expertise and the Promise of Breaking Down Barriers, by Gillian TettThe Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World, by Nicola RaihaniComing next weekPart 2 of my interview with Rory’s great friend, my new friend, the charming and eloquent Paul Craven. If you missed the teachings of Paul last week, pick it up here.Subscribe to my Sunday newsletterFor those here who aren’t already subscribed to Sunday BS: Behavioural Science Curios, here I share 3 ideas, thoughts or provocations from my readings of the last week. Some will be expansions from my podcasts, others will reflect my wider BS reading and thinking.It’s short, sharp and fun. And will make you sound clever in meetings on Mondays! Give it a go. 😀Sign up for Sunday BSAnd let me know what you think, here or on Twitter @danielsjross.Enjoy the show!Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'How real people make real decisions in the real world'My guest today is Paul Craven. Paul is a BS expert with close to 30 years experience in financial markets where he worked for Schroders, PIMCO and little known boutique Goldman Sachs. Under the umbrella now of Craven Partners, he is a keynote conference and after dinner speaker, covering topics such as decision making, investment and sales, all from a behavioural and psychological perspective. Paul is also a magician, a member of the Magic Circle and a hickory golf enthusiast.Paul’s favourite definition of Behavioural Economics is “how real people make real decisions in the real world.” And this is at the heart of what Paul and I try to disentangle in our conversation. Today’s podcast is in two parts. In Part 1 here, we discuss:Magic in business relationshipsThe bandwagon effect and confirmation biases in investingThe evolutionary value of decision making biasesHindsight bias & why Paul is too cool to do drugsChallenging pension fund investorsThe media's bias for bad newsAnd superforecastingBooks referenced in the podcastRange: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David EpsteinSuperforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, by Philip Tetlock and Dan GardnerFactfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rosling and Ola RoslingPlease subscribe and leave a review; your feedback and support is much appreciated!Enjoy the show,Daniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm delighted that my guest in this episode of Paths Less Trodden is the inimitable Rory Sutherland. Rory is vice chairman of advertising agency Ogilvy Group and is an expert on consumer behaviour, trends and the influence of the internet. He analyses what branding means, what creativity is, and the value of persuasion over compulsion. He is a speaker around the world from TED to his own behavioural science festival Nudgestock. He is also an accomplished author (he published 'Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind Numbing Conformity' in 2018 and he writes regularly for The Spectator magazine). Rory is one of the most respected creative thinkers in the ad industry. He once suggested to Microsoft that they enable people to share office documents on the internet. Hmmm. The idea was dismissed but Rory has nevertheless gone on to build a career out of the counter-intuitive and the original. With a razor sharp wit and intellect, he examines what influences our choices and why irrational thinking tends to win out.This podcast is in two parts. In Part 1 here, we discuss:The wonder of Red BullWhether our human biases are too deeply embedded for humans to change their decision makingWhy the advertising industry is insufficiently creativeWhy traditional economic theory still holds swayAnd we conclude by dangling the question whether Rory himself is as susceptible as the next person to decision making biasesP.s. apologies in advance for a little background noise in the early part of the show. Home working disruptions! The storyline is nevertheless absolutely clear.Beyond Part 2, there will also be a short bonus edition for subscribers in which Rory shares his story of an unusual and unexpected 24 hours in a Qatari jail. Be sure to subscribe here on Paths Less Trodden to get these upcoming episodes. You can also sign up to my newsletter with all my writings and podcasts right here.Enjoy the show, it's a cracker... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The quality of my guests is amazing. I am thrilled to share my conversation with Jack Butcher with you in this episode. Jack is at the forefront of the online creator economy with his business Visualize Value, a design and consulting company based in New York. He is a graphic designer by trade, having spent a decade working in Fortune 100 advertising in NYC as a creative director for multi-billion dollar brands like Mercedes-Benz, McDonald's and Unilever. In his words, ‘fun, but the opposite of freedom.'In search of freedom, he started his own advertising agency. No fun, and even less freedom. So Jack transitioned his traditional agency model into a product business that scales infinitely. That is Visualize Value, a business which now turns over $100K a month with 99% profit margin. Not too bad.In this episode, we discuss:How far the creator economy can go and its impact on traditional business modelsJack's journey from Swindon to buzzing Manhattan His design principlesScaling a business in 2 yearsHis love of racing carsThe crypto opportunity, and lots besidesI really hope you enjoy it! If you do, please subscribe on Apple or follow on Spotify for more thought provoking interviews. There is so much to learn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.