Episodes

What can war teach us about how the human brain really works? And why is human decision-making a more significant factor than military strength in wars? Episode Summary On this episode, I'm exploring how the human brain truly manifests in conflict—and what that reveals about everyday decision-making. Dr Nicholas Wright, a neurologist-turned-neuroscientist who advises the Pentagon Joint Staff, joins me to discuss his new book Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain. In our co...

What if your body is learning things your mind doesn’t know? What if memory wasn't just something that our brain has? Episode Summary On this episode, I'm exploring a bold idea with neuroscientist Dr Nikolay Kukushkin: memory doesn’t just live in the brain. It might be a basic property of life itself. We unpack how scientists define memory (behavioural change over time) versus how the rest of us use the word, and why that distinction matters—from sea slugs to kidney cells. I ask the “muscle mem...

What if the biggest AI risk isn’t bias or data, but human behaviour itself? How might AI impact the people using it and what does that mean for how we design solutions and deploy the technology? Episode Summary On this episode, I’m joined by a returning guest. Richard Chataway is a behavioural science expert and strategist who joins me to explore how we can design AI systems that truly work for humans. Richard brings a unique lens to the conversation, combining insights from advertising, govern...

What happens when the worst thing you’ve ever done becomes the foundation for your life’s work? Episode Summary My guest on this episode is Tom Hardin, otherwise known as Tipper X. He's been on the show before, but this time we're tackling a...

Why do so many workplaces run on bullshit processes and procedures? And how might Behavioural Science help resolve them? Episode Summary In this episode, I sit down with author, speaker and advisor James Healy to explore his book BS at Work — and the everyday nonsense we all recognise inside organisations. James argues that while behavioural science has transformed public policy and consumer behaviour, workplaces have lagged behind. We dig into why leaders keep choosing rituals over results, wh...

What if the most powerful tool at work isn’t logic, but laughter? On this episode I'm speaking to a comedian who far from thinking humour is a workplace distraction, thinks it might be one of our most powerful tools. Episode Summary My guest is Pep Rosenfeld: comedian, improviser, and co-founder of the Amsterdam-based comedy institution Boom Chicago. He’s also the author of Work Laugh Balance, a manifesto for injecting humour into the working world. We explore why humour matters; not just as en...

Why do cyclists in London run red lights? It's against the law, and yet, if you've cycled, driven or just observed London's cyclists, you'll know that many of them don't stop when there's a red light. Confession time: I'm one of them. Not all the time, but some of the time, and weirdly not when I'm in Munich — the other city I live in — but only in London. The question of why this happens — not just my red light running, but the act in general — is the subject of this episode. Because I think ...

What if the ideas that linger in the back of your mind — the ones you can’t quite explain — are the ones you most need to pay attention to? Episode Summary In this episode, I explore that question with Dr Nuno Reis, a former physicist and investment banker turned thinker and guide in uncovering what he calls rare dots — those unique, pre-verbal insights that feel deeply resonant but don’t yet fit into our existing models of the world. Our conversation begins with Nuno’s unusual career path, fr...

Is listening a hidden superpower we’ve overlooked? You've heard of Active Listening, but what is Radical Listening and why does it matter? Episode Summary On this episode, I’m joined by Professor Christian van Nieuwerburgh, an academic who also describes himself as 'Coach on a Motorcycle'. He's on the show to help me explore what he calls 'Radical Listening'. Christian is Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology at the University of East London and the co-author, with Dr Robert Biswas-Die...

Why do we follow orders or go along with things that feel wrong? Why might defiance be better than compliance? And how can we go about becoming more defiant? Episode Summary I’ve always been fascinated by why people obey, even when it clashes with their instincts or values. In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Sunita Sah — a physician-turned-organisational psychologist whose work explores the hidden social, cultural, and psychological forces behind compliance. Drawing from her research and p...

What happens when citizens lose faith in the institutions that serve them? And how can we rebuild that trust? Episode Summary On this episode, I'm speaking to someone who cares passionately about this subject and who has made it her life's work to research and solve it. From politicians who lie, to corruption scandals, to public services that simply don’t work the way we expect—especially when we're paying taxes and getting poor value—something feels broken. I want to know: how do we understan...

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘the show must go on’. But when shouldn’t the show go on? To help me answer that, I’m speaking to someone who has spent 35 years managing some of Australia’s most iconic large-scale events — from Taylor Swift concerts to public city spectacles with crowds over 200,000, and corporate experiences — and has often faced the question: when should the show really stop? My guest is Iain Morrison, wh,o as well as having a background in events, is now the CEO of a startup that...

What if the real risk of AI isn’t job loss but brain atrophy? Episode Summary If you've spent any time on social media recently, you'll be familiar with the flood of low-quality AI-generated sludge. And on this episode, I'm speaking to someone who is...

What if we treated mental health like a capability instead of a crisis? On this episode, I'm talking to a business school professor and a counselling psychologist about their new book that looks at practical ways we can manage mental health. Not after it manifests itself, but beforehand. Episode Summary Mental health has become part of the workplace conversation, but all too often, that conversation stops at slogans and superficial gestures. On this episode, I explore what it really means to bu...

What if joy became the most important metric when we organised events? Or, to put it another way, why are so many events uninspiring and not very joyful? Episode Summary On this episode, I’m joined by event strategist, educator, and author Tahira Endean to explore a provocative question: what if we measured events not just by financial metrics, but by the joy they deliver? Drawing from her new book Our KPI is Joy: How Live Events Catalyze Happiness, Productivity and Trust, Tahira shares deep in...

Why is getting shit done so hard, and what can we do about it? Episode Summary Getting shit done isn’t just about motivation or tools, it’s about design. In this episode, I speak to Claus Raasted: consultant, author, speaker, experience designer,...

What happens when a British communications expert takes her political instincts and corporate storytelling skills to Germany? 🎙️ Overview On this episode, I speak with Katy Diggory, who’s done exactly that — and learned a lot about tone, culture, and translation along the way. It’s a brilliant conversation that blends politics, international business, and linguistic nuance. We explore the difference between translating and localising a message, why AI struggles to sound human, and how tone of ...

What can a global pop icon teach us about business strategy? In the case of Taylor Swift, more than you might think. Episode Summary On this episode, I’m joined by Kevin Evers, senior editor at Harvard Business Review and the author of There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift. We dive deep into what makes Swift not just a pop icon but a master strategist — someone who has repeatedly made bold, counterintuitive business decisions and turned them into career-defining momen...

Why do people have affairs? What lessons can we learn from infidelity? It's estimated that an affair will impact one in five of us, yet it tends to be a taboo subject. So, on this episode, I'm going to break that taboo and explore the hidden world...

Have you ever wondered how much of your success is down to luck? What if the world is far less fair and predictable than we’d like to think? On this episode, I explore the complex and fascinating role of luck in our lives and decisions with Dr. Chengwei Liu, Associate Professor of Strategy and Behavioural Science at Imperial College London. Chengwei shares how his research challenges our assumptions about skill, effort, and fairness – and why the outcomes we see are often far more random than w...

What is psychological harm, and can we really regulate it? Should an AI-companion app be allowed to dump the person who is using it? 📝 Episode Summary On this episode, I’m joined once again by Professor Magda Osman, someone who’s been on the show several times before, who always has something compelling to say. This time, we're talking about psychological harm, a term you’ve probably heard, but which remains vague, slippery, and surprisingly unhelpful when it comes to actually protecting peopl...

What do chemistry, committees and cooking have in common? They’re all things which have formed part of the career of my guest on this episode. She’s Sarah Ward , owner of The Cookery Lab , a unique cookery school that uses a science-led approach to teaching cooking skills. I first met Sarah when we worked together on governance at the Bank of England. She began her carerer as a chemist, before switching — for reasons she explains on the show — to regulation. And now she’s a chef. In a fas...

What do people have to do with cybersecurity? A lot. As with other fields of human risk, it’s people that are typically the root cause of problems in the cybersecurity world. Which is where my guest’s expertise in behavioural design comes into play. On this episode, I’m speaking with Sarah Aalborg , a cybersecurity and behavioural design expert who’s on a mission to change how organisations approach IT security. Rather than focusing on firewalls and tech solutions, Sarah examines the human ...

What really happens Behind The Scenes at Human Risk?  📝 Episode Summary In this special ‘takeover’ episode of the show, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my work at Human Risk. Because interviewing myself would be odd, friend of the show Sarah...