South Mimms U

Classic 70's sitcom, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, lampooned the world of work and corporate culture. It had a BIG effect on one teenager who resolved to fight against the all-pervading work culture of the modern world. The latest trend for Quiet Quitting and the accelerating Great Resignation might be a sign that Reggie Perrin was right all along. The only university that makes you c...

We visit a small but significant business in South Mimms, a shop that makes and sells hair shirts for people seeking to do penance for their sins with some discreet mortification. It's a strange place but the logic of the service - especially if you're seeking to emulate the saints and sinners of the past and use physical pain to assuage your sins - is undeniable. Have a listen; you neve...

It's simple: every writer has to learn how to deal with rejection. It's the staple of their lives. It recurs alomst every day. So, get used to it!  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

When White House aide, Alexander Butterfield, revealed the existence of recording devices in the White House during the Watergate hearings in 1973, Nixon's fate was sealed. And the missing eighteen and a half minutes in the tapes (once they'd been reluctantly handed over) cast a shadow over the President's character. It ultimate led to his resignation. What happened during those not...

Zuckerberg is betting big on the Metaverse, but is the hype based on an illusion? In fact, is the Metaverse an illusion altogether? What do we do when something bad happens in the Metaverse? Is it real enough to lead to court? Or if not, then can anything real happen while you're wearing a VR headset? This is the story of the first time the Metaverse goes on trial. The only university that ma...

For generations of Brits the image of the Maltese was a contested one. By the 1980s Malta had emerged as a leading tourist destination and millions of Brits flocked to an island they associated with an heroic seige during the Second World War which led to the bestowal of the George Cross to all is people. But, there was a dark side too. The Maltese in London were commonly refered to as criminals w...

Having a difficult conversation - about a job or a relationship or a death in the family - can be very hard. Wouldn't it be good if you can use a robot powered by Artificial Intelligence to practice the conversation you know you need to have? The robot would be programmed with specific information about you and the person you need to talk to. Then you'd practice and be ready. We're...

MOBY DICK is a notoriously hard book to read all the way through. That's what most people say (especially in school). That's why one English Lit professor had some fun with a 'missing chapter' from the novel back in the 1970s. It's all about the monstrous farts that whales can produce. It caused quite a controversy. We look back at the scandal to see if it was... well... a...

Every time you make a digital payment, you leave an indelible record. When you use cash, it's totally private. With central banks all over the world considering creating digital forms of the leading currencies, what are the (mostly comic but still alarming) implications? Could Prohibition come back and be enforced every time you try and spend your dollars, pounds, or Euros on things that are...

The 'Corinthian Spirit' is (was) all about being proud to be an amateur (someone who did great things for the sake of it rather than money) and committed to 'fair play' and a 'level playing field.' We tell the story of how two amateur football teams embodied those ideas and inspired professional teams all over the world. Specifically, Corinthians Paulista, the leading...

Poetry is all about the sound of words. That's why Homer's epic verses are meant to be read aloud. Poetry recitals are gaining in popularity. Audiences love the sound of words and sentences performed with feeling and power. At South Mimms we're encouraging Slam Poets to strut their rhymes in public. We're also deploying gerund-breaking technology (a linguist's pun) to turn...

Non-Fungible Tokens clearly exist. People pay good money for them. Real money. But what are they really? Tokens that give you rights to an artwork or a video or a cartoon? Maybe. Perhaps. Probably not. A lot of people say they know, but few really do. So, we got two AI presenters to interrogate our expert in Existential Investing and the outcome was... intangible. The only university that makes yo...

Our unique Department of Interesting Studies might sound like it's got a vague brief, but it's actually looking at a human quality which is vital to both physical and mental health: the state of being interested. Our department head introduces her Uncle Cyril, who's 104 and still interested in... everything. Inspiring. Illuminating. Interesting. The only university that makes you ch...

We revisit our Department of Corporate Development to discover a revolutionary new way to cancel all those useless meetings and cut to the chase. It saves time, money, and means you can ditch those highly paid CEO's who don't do much anyway.  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

Billionaires might try to extend their lives and live forever, but their money is being wasted. Ask any dog. They know the secret of living free from fear - ignore your mortality. In this short play, we eavesdrop as one billionaire wakes from his digitally supported sleep to find that he is 500 years old... and there's nothing left to spend his riches on.  The only university that makes you c...

Many children have imaginary friends. They bring comfort and help kids overcome loneliness. As kids grow and make real friends, the voices in their heads fade. But what if you could bring your imaginary friend back to life? When one podcast host agreed to use digital technology to recreate his... it didn't turn out well.   The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

The hair regeneration industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and some researchers are using stem cells to grow human hair and restore the fortunes of balding men. We talk to one entrepreneur who's taking it step further (some say a step too far) by transplanting cells into animals. 'Curly' the pig boasts a full body of his hair. The consequences of the research are unpredict...

Our Soccer Studies experts, Jerry and Marty, delive into the little known but significant story of Paddy O'Connell, an Irish football player and manager, who helped set up La Liga in Spain, and saved Barcelona from certain extinction over 80 years ago. Without him there'd be no Nou Camp or Messi in a Barca shirt or multiple trophies on the world stage.  The only university that makes you...

Made in 1939, The Arsenal Stadium Mystery is a strange, eccentric, and compelling movie with perhaps the best football sequences ever filmed. It even includes 'acting' from the actual Arsenal manager of the time, George Allison. Our Soccer Studies experts, Jerry and Marty, discuss why begrudgingly they have to admire the film. And, even though they're Tottenham fans, have to concede...

Our Anthropology Dept. decided to study cruises and cruising to see if there was a distinct society onboard some of the world's most popular ships. Recorded on Cunard's ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, in the midst of the turbulent North Sea, the attraction of cruising is revealed to be a very primal one. You'll never see cruising in the same light again. The only university that makes yo...

Everywhere you look (and listen) there's stuff about 'Wellness' and many large corporates are mandating Wellness programs and activities to 'help nurture' their people. But do most of us have time for Wellness in our already busy lives? And is it leading to even higher levels of Burnout? Are corporate Wellness efforts just window-dressing? The only university that makes yo...

Fraternities, sororities, dining clubs like the Bullingdon at Oxford, are an essential part of academic life, and at SMU we have our very own secret society, The Dashwood Club. Join us on an exclusive tour of a very odd place. The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

The world is awash with conspiracy theories. Everywhere you turn someone knows of a secret plot to undermine everything in the service of dark, dark forces. But, perhaps, all those conspiracies and conspiracists ARE the conspiracy!  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

The best place to achieve true mindfulness is at a football match. Not watching it on TV, but BEING THERE! It's the only time your inner 'commentator' stops chattering and criticising everything you do. Our Mindfulness expert finds a way to record his inner voice and gets a strange surprise.  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.

Inspired by a true story, the 1981 movie, 'Escape to Victory' mangled history to get some football greats onto the screen with Sylvester Stallone who could not play the game with any skill or grace. Find out the truth behind the fiction.  The only university that makes you chuckle AND learn at the same time.