#human-factors
19 episodes
#2407: Three Landings in 90 Days: Pilot Automation Dependency
Why pilots aren't hand-flying enough, the regulatory floor that lets it happen, and what airlines are doing about it.
#2273: The Curious Case of Kitchen Unitaskers
From banana slicers to motorized ice cream cones, we rank the most absurd single-use kitchen gadgets and explore their weird charm.
#2241: When More Frameworks Make Worse Decisions
Benjamin Franklin's 250-year-old pro/con list still dominates how we decide—but research shows it's riddled with bias. We map five frameworks that ...
#2237: The Hidden Career of Search and Rescue
What does a 20-year career in combat search and rescue actually look like? From downed pilot recoveries to the psychological toll of constant readi...
#1961: Weaponizing Your Weirdness in an AI World
As AI homogenizes the web, contrarian thinking becomes a scarce asset. Here’s how to weaponize your weirdness for a competitive edge.
#1954: The Inuit Trick to Stop Yelling at Babies
Discover the "Kigiq" sound and the "Calm Captain" role from ancient Arctic strategies for raising emotionally regulated children.
#1795: Living in a Tin Can on Mercury, Mars, or Venus
Explore the wild psychology and engineering needed to build cities on Mercury, Mars, and Venus.
#1776: The 80,000-Mile Backup Anxiety
Is your backup strategy a responsible habit or a full-blown compulsion? We explore the thin line between data safety and digital hoarding.
#1707: How Police Drivers Train for Urban Pursuits
Officers use predictive modeling and cognitive tricks to handle high-speed chases without crashing.
#1339: The Human Protocol: Social Engineering's New Frontier
Forget the technical exploits; the real vulnerability is the human layer. Discover how attackers use psychology to bypass modern security.
#1307: Digital Protocols: Why Modern Manners Feel Like Software
Manners aren't disappearing—they're becoming context-aware. Learn why a "Hey" might be more polite than a "Dear Sir" in the digital age.
#1169: Hack Your Hunger: The New Science of Low-Fat Snacking
Discover how to beat late-night cravings using satiety engineering, the P+P rule, and smart kitchen hacks for a low-fat lifestyle.
#1140: The G-Suit Paradox: From Fighter Jets to Commercial Cabins
Transitioning from fighter jets to airliners is a total recalibration of physics, philosophy, and psychology in the "comfort corridor."
#933: Why One Wrong Word Could Start a War
Discover the high-stakes world of simultaneous interpretation, where a single mistranslated word can change history or spark a conflict.
#905: The 3 AM Siren: The Science of Nighttime Missile Attacks
Why do sirens always wail at 3 AM? Discover the high-stakes game of orbital mechanics and satellite blind spots behind nighttime missile strikes.
#899: 44 Hours in the Cockpit: The Limits of Human Endurance
How do pilots stay alert for 44-hour missions? Herman and Corn explore the grueling science of fatigue management in long-range air combat.
#747: Expanding the Menagerie: New Voices for Weird Prompts
Corn and Herman celebrate 700 episodes by designing a new "cognitive ecosystem" of characters to tackle the world's strangest prompts.
#698: The Guilt-Free No: Breaking the Cycle of People Pleasing
Stop saying yes when you mean no. Discover how to set firm boundaries and overcome the shame of "fawning" in your relationships.
#630: The Secret Science of Making Fiction Feel Real
Ever wonder how TV shows get those tiny details exactly right? Herman and Corn dive into the world of technical advisors and "verisimilitude."