The B-Word

James Healy
  • 5.0 (8)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED TWICE MONTHLY

All organisations are fundamentally in the business of behaviour change. But how well does your organisation do it? In "The B-Word", host James Healy explores how organisations can use a better understanding of human behaviour to address some of their most pressing challenges. Featuring leading figures from social and behavioural science discussing a diverse range of topics, the B-Word is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human and how organisations can better understand and influence behaviour. In a world where so many of the biggest challenges – and opportunities – for individuals, organisations, and society come down to changing behaviour, can you afford not to understand it?

  1. 01/07/2025

    Faster Horses

    The AI hype train is moving at full throttle. Breathless headlines predict mass layoffs, the end of work as we know it, and a brave new world of intelligent machines. We've been here before. As far back as 1909, JM Keynes predicted that by 2030, technology would mean no-one worked more than 15 hours a week. In 1987, Robert Solow observed "you can see computers everywhere but in the productivity stats". What if this time isn't different? What if we just use AI to do the wrong things faster? What if AI supercharges the organisational b******t machine? James is joined by Stuart Mills from the University of Leeds to talk about AI, human behaviour, and the risk of organisations solving the wrong problem. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The episode refers to Stuart's new paper Efficient Inefficiency, and you can read more insights on Stuart's blog. James' new book, BS At Work, is out 14th July, and his previous book, the Amazon bestseller Adopting AI, co-authored with Paul Gibbons, is available now.

    54 min

  2. 13/06/2025

    Look Closer

    This episode of The B-Word is all about the c-word... Context. We all like to think that humans are predictable and consistent, but when you look closer, we're often anything but. What can men's underwear teach us about problem solving? What do dating apps tell us about the importance of context? And how does time influence human behaviour? James is joined by Prakash Sharma to learn how context is the key to predicting and influencing human behaviour.

    1h 1m

  3. 17/04/2025

    Fish Out Of Water

    What can Lawrence of Arabia teach us about organisations? Why do organisations persist with so many accepted practices that don't seem to work? What does a more evidence-based approach to organisational change look like? James is joined by Beirem Ben Barrah and Philip Jordanov to talk about practical ways organisations can apply the science of human behaviour. Buy Beirem and Philip's books: The Future of Change Management and The Dynamics of Business Behaviour. Theme Music: "The Great Wide Open" by Kulakovka, via Pixabay.

    59 min

  4. 17/03/2025

    Adopting AI

    Why is everyone so excited about AI? What makes AI so different from any previous technology and what does that mean for adopting it? What does AI mean for jobs? What can the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Frankenstein teach us about AI adoption? And what is that cryptic book cover about? In the first episode of a new series of The B-Word, Paul Gibbons and I discuss our new book, "Adopting AI: The People-first Approach", which you can buy now. Theme Music: "The Great Wide Open" by Kulakovka, via Pixabay.

    1h 11m

  5. 08/08/2024

    In Our Own Image

    What does the pursuit of Artificial Intelligence tell us about human nature? Can we ever understand AI, or the human brain? Can machines become conscious and should we worry about that possibility? In this episode, James talks to AI researcher and author George Zarkadakis about human intelligence, artificial intelligence, and the future of humanity in a world of super intelligent computers.

    1h 7m

  6. 08/07/2024

    Brains At Work

    Do you remember the time Kim Kardashian and Kanye West disagreed over the colour of a dress? What is "flow" and why does it matter? What can London cabbies teach us about our brains? In this episode James talks to Hilary Scarlett about the neuroscience of change and how we make work work better for our brains.

    49 min

  7. 10/06/2024

    The Science of Mental Health

    What can monkeys drinking fruit juice teach us about mental health? How does the placebo effect really work? Are magic mushrooms the silver bullet for treating mental illness? In this episode, James talks to Camilla Nord who leads Cambridge Universitys Mental Health Neuroscience Lab.

    47 min

  8. 27/05/2024

    Neurobollocks

    Have you ever heard that we only use 10% of our brains? That the brain's right hemisphere is creative and the left hemisphere is logical? Or that we all have a lizard brain, a mammal brain, and a human brain? All of these statements have one thing in common....they're #neurobollocks. In this episode, James talks to UCL Neuroscientist Joe Devlin about the uses and misuses of neuroscience.

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

All organisations are fundamentally in the business of behaviour change. But how well does your organisation do it? In "The B-Word", host James Healy explores how organisations can use a better understanding of human behaviour to address some of their most pressing challenges. Featuring leading figures from social and behavioural science discussing a diverse range of topics, the B-Word is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human and how organisations can better understand and influence behaviour. In a world where so many of the biggest challenges – and opportunities – for individuals, organisations, and society come down to changing behaviour, can you afford not to understand it?

Information

  • Creator
    James Healy
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The B-Word