Cognitive Engineering

Tech it or leave it: what is the best technology? The bed, writing, antibiotics? In this podcast we ask: how do we define technology, and can we objectively measure the best of it? We take a look at potential metrics - from the number of people who benefit to quantifying the overall happiness created - and wonder whether the best is yet to come. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Estimates of historical world population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimates_of_historical_world_population - Timeline of inventions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions - The philosophy of intellectual property https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/intellectual-property/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

Click bait and switch: has the internet swapped out knowledge for monetisation? Search engine optimisation, advertising run amok, users as customers: has the internet become a little bit crap and, if so, how do we fix it? In this podcast, we discuss the problem with the internet's funding model, whether it could learn a thing or two from the BBC, and continue a seemingly futile quest for a decent cheese-ranking website. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - Is Google Getting Worse? https://downloads.webis.de/publications/papers/bevendorff_2024a.pdf - Hacker News forum says ‘yes’ https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39013497 - How Google is killing independent websites https://housefresh.com/david-vs-digital-goliaths/ - Dead Internet Theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory - The Eternal September https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

The missing link: why are we fascinated by lost media? From Celebrity Number Six to the original Backrooms photo, Love's Labours Won to absent Doctor Who episodes: what is it about lost media that intrigues and inspires us? In this podcast, we discuss the neurological itch that solving such mysteries can scratch, and how any media - in the age of the internet - is at risk of vanishing. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: Reddit: Celebrity Six https://www.reddit.com/r/CelebrityNumberSix/comments/1dr71l4/celebrity_six_mega_post/ - Information about the finding of Celebrity Number Six https://www.reddit.com/r/CelebrityNumberSix/comments/1fc1rci/information_about_the_finding_of_celebrity_number/ - The location of the Backrooms photo https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G5rA1PseLZozA6oUYjdVN6Rn8GNdEVY7bTXV4SmVp7E/edit# - The Lost Media Wiki https://lostmediawiki.com/Home - Kidd and Hayden (2015), The Psychology and Neuroscience of Curiosity https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4635443/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

Is bigger really better? Does a company's product suffer the larger its owner gets? And if so, why? In this podcast, we discuss all things 'enshittification' - the perceived process of service and platform decay - and ask what is responsible: from growing beyond core competencies to ignorance of novel solutions.

In this podcast, we're discussing old age and when, exactly, it befalls us. Do we simply wake up one day absent of youth? Or can we estimate its proximity by certain metrics, such as daily medication or number of grandchildren? We take a look at how old age has been historically codified, and reason why it might not be just a number. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The Sorites Paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorites_paradox - Mortality in England and Wales: past and projected trends in average lifespan https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/articles/mortalityinenglandandwales/pastandprojectedtrendsinaveragelifespan - Perception of when old age starts has increased over time https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/22/when-old-age-starts-perception-study - Cognitive Engineering: Seven Ages: First Puking and Mewling https://soundcloud.com/aleph-insights/seven-ages-first-puking-and-mewling For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com