A LOAD OF BS ON SPORT

This is a conversation with anthropologist and cognitive scientist Dr Dimitris Xygalatas , who is an expert in rituals, whether religious, sporting, tribal, individual, collective or otherwise. Rituals are part of all our lives, unconsciously so sometimes. Whether it's birthdays, pre-match warmup exercises or religious ceremonies, we're familiar mainly with low intensity, repetitive ones...

Welcome to A Load of BS for the 2nd instalment of my conversation with Melissa Hogenboom, BBC science journalist and author of The Motherhood Complex . Today's show Today, we're talking about the good mother stereotype, the lean in movement, the prohibitive cost of child care, maternal gatekeeping, the motherhood penalty, the lean in movement, the secrecy of miscarriage, women's cog...

This week, I'm talking to Melissa Hogenboom, BBC science journalist and writer of The Motherhood Complex , an exposé of motherhood warts and all. It's a very personal and thoroughly researched discussion examining behaviours related to pregnancy and motherhood and presents the deep and unresolved challenges as far as how society views the different roles parents play in raising children....

This week I'm sharing the second part of my conversation with experimental psychologist Dr Jesse Bering, an American but Director of the Centre for Science Communication at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Last week, we discussed the science of the afterlife, out of body experiences and Jesse's experience of his own mother's death. This time we venture into the no less compli...

For those of you overwhelmed by the load of BS consuming British politics at the moment, turn the news off, crack open some supermarket rosé, unpeel the sausage rolls and get stuck in and enjoy this half hour event. Please stay to the end and I make no apology for that invitation. By the way, if you want to put questions forward to any of my guests, you're very welcome. Email me at danielsjro...

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 nex...

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 comp...

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 BS Firstly, I am excited to introduce you to m...

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 zoomin...

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 corresponde...

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, We...

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 Davi...

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 anticipat...

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 h...

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.  Mar...

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...

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 befo...

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 Champagne Innovation in wine production Envi...

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 wh...

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 fr...

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 pl...

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...

' 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 a...

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 be...

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...