Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190208 | Advertising guru and writer on human behaviour Rory Sutherland pokes a stick at received wisdom.
The Case Against Education: What if the desire to deliver higher education to as many people as possible is actually making society less fair?
A Parliament by Lottery: Could we fix the disconnect between the public and its politicians - by selecting our MPs by lottery?
The Art of Self-Deception: Do we deceive ourselve | ||
| 20190215 | Advertising guru and writer on human behaviour Rory Sutherland pokes a stick at received wisdom.
Be Successful or Be Loved - The NHS dilemma: Can a public health service ever be truly loved if it always prioritises reducing mortality rates and waiting times over the seemingly trivial aspects of patient experience?
Instinct Before Logic: Are we as rational as we might think we are?
The Power of Vanity: Could ego inflation be a quick route to changing our behaviour?
The Sachet in the Pot Noodle: Can online retailers ever capture the magic of the traditional shopping experience?
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | ||
| A Parliament by Lottery | 20181120 | Could we fix the disconnect between the public and its politicians - by selecting our MPs by lottery? | |
| Be Successful or Be Loved: The NHS Dilemma | 20181126 | Can a public health service ever be truly loved if it always prioritises reducing mortality rates and waiting times over the seemingly trivial aspects of patient experience? Rory Sutherland continues his exploration of magical ideas that logical people will hate, with contributions from market researcher Ben Page, evolutionary biologist Nichola Raihani and economist Robin Hanson.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Rory Sutherland smashes apart more received wisdom with a look at healthcare Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| Be Successful or Be Loved: The NHS Dilemma | 20181126 | 20210613 (R4) | Can a public health service ever be truly loved if it always prioritises reducing mortality rates and waiting times over the seemingly trivial aspects of patient experience? Rory Sutherland continues his exploration of magical ideas that logical people will hate, with contributions from market researcher Ben Page, evolutionary biologist Nichola Raihani and economist Robin Hanson.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Rory Sutherland smashes apart more received wisdom with a look at healthcare Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| For Greater Diversity, Be Less Fair | 20181122 | Society rightly craves greater more diversity in the way its businesses, institutions and systems are composed. But is our obsession with measuring this with `rational` metrics ruining any chance of a truly free, fair world?
Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales
Challenging received wisdoms. Has obsessively measuring diversity made us less equal? Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| For Greater Diversity, Be Less Fair | 20181122 | 20210530 (R4) | Society rightly craves greater more diversity in the way its businesses, institutions and systems are composed. But is our obsession with measuring this with `rational` metrics ruining any chance of a truly free, fair world?
Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales
Challenging received wisdoms. Has obsessively measuring diversity made us less equal? Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| Instinct Before Logic: The Postbox at the O2 | 20181127 | If you think humans are rational beings then think again. Rory Sutherland continues his exploration of mysterious psycho-logic with a look at why reason has been dropped as the weapon of choice when it comes to persuading us to change our behaviour. We visit the so-called Nudge Unit' to find out how behavioural science has found its way to the heart of government, and discover how a simple hack has led to a massive increase in pension contributions in many countries.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Are we as rational as we might think we are? Rory Sutherland explores Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| Instinct Before Logic: The Postbox at the O2 | 20181127 | 20210620 (R4) | If you think humans are rational beings then think again. Rory Sutherland continues his exploration of mysterious psycho-logic with a look at why reason has been dropped as the weapon of choice when it comes to persuading us to change our behaviour. We visit the so-called Nudge Unit' to find out how behavioural science has found its way to the heart of government, and discover how a simple hack has led to a massive increase in pension contributions in many countries.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Are we as rational as we might think we are? Rory Sutherland explores Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| The Art Of Self-deception | 20181121 | 20210523 (R4) | Humans are masters of the art of deception - like it or not, it's hard to disagree. But the art of SELF-deception is all around - the manifold ways which we subconsciously kid ourselves about our motivations and deepest desires. From little white lies to fake news, self-placebos to dodgy dossiers. In today's episode, advertising guru and behavioural expert Rory Sutherland speaks to a legendary figure in evolutionary biology - the American geneticist Robert Trivers, who wrote the foreword to Richard Dawkins' Selfish Gene. He's also joined by evolutionary psychologist Diana Fleischman, and `guru of randomness`, the statistician and author of `Black Swan`, Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales Exploding society's received wisdom. Do we deceive ourselves\u2026 to better fool others? Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| The Case Against Education | 20181119 | Education is often seen as a panacea for a liberal civilised society: the more, the better. But what if we're wrong? What if the desire to deliver higher education to as many people as possible is actually making society less fair?
Economist Bryan Caplan poked a hornet's nest recently with his book `The Case Against Education`. It argued passionately that higher education has become a mere signalling exercise for employers - one which rewarded rote-learning conformism and threw anyone with less than a 2:1 on the scrapheap.
Much admired - and much criticised - Caplan's book was a call-to-arms for an end to a futile, economically-crippling education arms-race. His solution? Simply pull funding for almost all higher education until its social worth was fully proven.
Advertising guru and behaviourist Rory Sutherland is joined in studio by the Executive Director of the Education Policy Institute Natalie Perera - and down the line by Bryan Caplan himself - to assess one of liberal society's most sacred cows.
Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales
Should we have less, not more, education? Rory Sutherland challenges received ideas. Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| The Case Against Education | 20181119 | 20210509 (R4) | Education is often seen as a panacea for a liberal civilised society: the more, the better. But what if we're wrong? What if the desire to deliver higher education to as many people as possible is actually making society less fair?
Economist Bryan Caplan poked a hornet's nest recently with his book `The Case Against Education`. It argued passionately that higher education has become a mere signalling exercise for employers - one which rewarded rote-learning conformism and threw anyone with less than a 2:1 on the scrapheap.
Much admired - and much criticised - Caplan's book was a call-to-arms for an end to a futile, economically-crippling education arms-race. His solution? Simply pull funding for almost all higher education until its social worth was fully proven.
Advertising guru and behaviourist Rory Sutherland is joined in studio by the Executive Director of the Education Policy Institute Natalie Perera - and down the line by Bryan Caplan himself - to assess one of liberal society's most sacred cows.
Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales
Should we have less, not more, education? Rory Sutherland challenges received ideas. Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| The Fallacy Of Market Research | 20181123 | 20210606 (R4) | Key idea: we think we can measure what makes better services and systems. But what if people don't really know - or admit - what actually matters to their deepest desires? Advertising guru and writer on human behaviour Rory Sutherland is joined by legendary advertising creative Dave Trott, as well as statistician, trader and iconoclast Nassim Nicholas Taleb, to explore the ways in which our consumer and business decisions are driven by things we don't realise - and how some of the most brilliant pieces of behavioural insight seem utterly counterintuitive. Produced by Steven Rajam for BBC Wales Unravelling conventional ideas. Today: why market research is doomed to fail Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| The Power of Vanity | 20181129 | Rory Sutherland explores ego massage as a powerful weapon in business and government Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| The Power of Vanity | 20181129 | 20210704 (R4) | Rory Sutherland explores ego massage as a powerful weapon in business and government Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| The Sachet in the Pot Noodle | 20181130 | Can online retailers ever capture the magic out of the traditional shopping experience? Rory Sutherland concludes his series of psycho-logical mind hacks with a look at how e-commerce is now using behavioural and cognitive science to forge a path to total retail dominance.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Can online retailers ever capture the magic out of the traditional shopping experience? Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| The Sachet in the Pot Noodle | 20181130 | 20210711 (R4) | Can online retailers ever capture the magic out of the traditional shopping experience? Rory Sutherland concludes his series of psycho-logical mind hacks with a look at how e-commerce is now using behavioural and cognitive science to forge a path to total retail dominance.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Can online retailers ever capture the magic out of the traditional shopping experience? Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |
| The Virtue of Commitment | 20181128 | Why do humans go to such lengths to show their commitment to others? Rory Sutherland continues his exploration of behavioural quirks and mind hacks with a look at how businesses thrive on our susceptibility to be swayed by commitment, from the Knowledge' exams of a London cabbie to the strange rituals of upper-class British etiquette.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Rory Sutherland explores how businesses play on our susceptibility to signs of commitment Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas | |
| The Virtue of Commitment | 20181128 | 20210627 (R4) | Why do humans go to such lengths to show their commitment to others? Rory Sutherland continues his exploration of behavioural quirks and mind hacks with a look at how businesses thrive on our susceptibility to be swayed by commitment, from the Knowledge' exams of a London cabbie to the strange rituals of upper-class British etiquette.
Produced by Michael Surcombe for BBC Wales
Rory Sutherland explores how businesses play on our susceptibility to signs of commitment Rory Sutherland explores a selection of fresh, intriguing and iconoclastic ideas |