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Hosted by the founder of the School of Thinking, Hewi (aka Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson), and founder of the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School, Morry, this podcast digs deep into lateral thinking to help the audience 'escape' from their 'current view of the situation' (CVS) through 'x10' thinking exercises to realise the 'better view of the situation' (BVS). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3d ago

Episode 5: Is your intelligence trained?

In episode 5 of Train.Brain.Daily, Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson and Morry Morgan explore a powerful idea: intelligence alone is not enough; what matters is whether that intelligence has been trained. Natural ability, high IQ, talent, or advanced technology may provide a strong starting point, but without disciplined practice, they can become ineffective, misdirected, or even dangerous. The hosts compare untrained intelligence to owning a Maserati without knowing how to drive it, and to talented athletes who are eventually surpassed by less gifted competitors committed to consistent training. This distinction leads to the “intelligence trap”: using brainpower merely to defend an existing point of view instead of questioning assumptions and searching for something better. Rather than settling for the “right” diagnosis, answer, or strategy, trained thinkers keep looking for a better one. The episode then examines curiosity as an active brain process, not a simple light-bulb moment. One part of the brain monitors the current situation, another notices surprises or inconsistencies, and the prefrontal cortex decides whether to defend, ignore, or investigate. Curiosity grows when the brain repeatedly chooses investigation. That tiny decision can open a new direction, prevent mistakes, create better ideas, and move thinking from the “ground floor” to the “penthouse.” Hewitt-Gleeson also previews a neuroscience program for primary school children in Launceston, designed not to turn students into neuroscientists, but to make them “brain detectives.” By asking questions such as “Why did my brain do that?” and “What can my brain learn for next time?”, children can develop awareness, compassion, self-understanding, and better judgment. The conversation also warns that the same neuroplasticity that allows a brain to be trained also allows it to be hacked. Platforms built around constant surprise can capture attention, encourage doomscrolling, and shape behaviour, making awareness an essential defence. The practical challenge is simple: when something feels unusual, pause for a few milliseconds and notice the choice. Will you defend your current view, ignore the signal, or investigate? Training curiosity means choosing investigation more often, using questions, conversations, books, search tools, and AI to discover a better view of the situation. The message of episode five is clear: intelligence becomes valuable through training, and a trained, curious brain is equipped to learn, adapt, resist manipulation, solve problems, and create possibilities beyond what it already knows. Enjoying this podcast? You might also enjoy: This Week in ComedyFool Me Twice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 15

Episode 4: Humans as LLMs

In episode four of Train.Brain.Daily, hosts Morry Morgan and Michael “Hewi” Hewitt-Gleeson explore the difference between language, intelligence and genuine thinking. They begin with Louis Pasteur’s idea that chance favours the prepared mind, linking preparation to military training, business performance and the rapid development of their podcast. Hewi argues that organisations cannot expect better results from occasional seminars or instructions; minds become capable through repeated training. The discussion then turns to large language models. ChatGPT, Claude and similar systems can produce fluent, polite and convincing language because they have been trained on enormous amounts of data and predict what word should come next. However, Hewi stresses that “languaging” is not the same as thinking. Humans often behave similarly when they repeat clichés, media talking points or opinions reinforced inside social-media bubbles. Real thinking requires escape: curiosity, lateral thinking, experimentation and the creation of new value. George Gallup becomes a key example. Gallup, who examined Hewi’s PhD, measured human language by asking carefully structured questions and analysing representative samples. Hewi compares this process to an early large language model: Gallup “prompted” people, collected their verbal output, identified patterns and used those patterns to predict something much larger, including presidential-election outcomes. Modern AI predicts the next word; Gallup sought to predict the next president. The hosts connect these ideas to EBNE—Excellent But Not Enough. An answer may be correct, useful or impressive, yet accepting it as final closes thought. EBNE keeps thinking open by asking, “What else?” Morry links this principle to improv comedy’s “yes, and,” while Hewi connects it to X10 thinking: ask AI for ten options, then examine the best few rather than defending the first answer. This turns AI from a replacement for human thought into an additional mental resource. Their broader warning is that AI may make people more knowledgeable while also trapping them inside increasingly sophisticated versions of their existing beliefs. Used passively, an agreeable assistant can become a digital yes-man. Used deliberately—with requests for alternatives, criticism, simpler solutions and better possibilities—it can expand human intelligence. The episode concludes that AI should handle repetitive “basement” work, freeing people to move toward the “penthouse” activities of discernment, innovation, humour, curiosity and value creation. In every case, excellence is acknowledged, but the search for what comes next must continue. Enjoying this podcast? You might also enjoy: This Week in ComedyFool Me Twice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 9

Episode 3: The intelligence trap for smart people

In Episode 3 of Train.Brain.Daily, Morry Morgan and Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson, better known as “Hewi”, explore one of the most surprising ideas in thinking: the intelligence trap. The intelligence trap suggests that the more intelligent a person is, the more skilled they may become at defending their current point of view, rather than escaping it to find a better one. Hewi explains how the brain quickly forms a view of a situation, then often uses logic, education, vocabulary, and confidence to protect that view. Morry connects this to business, consulting, leadership, politics, medicine, technology, and everyday conversations where being “right” can block curiosity. Together, they discuss why IQ is useful but not enough, how the right-wrong system can limit better thinking, and why great thinkers must move from defending to discovering. From Nokia and the iPhone to clock radios, handwashing in medicine, the Paris Peace Talks, Richard Feynman, and Morry’s own consulting experiences, this episode shows how intelligence can become a barrier when it shuts down alternative points of view. Hewi also introduces the idea of the “neck-top computer”, reminding listeners that the brain needs better software than old right-wrong logic alone. The episode closes with a practical modern tip: when using AI to solve a problem or explore an opportunity, do not ask for just one answer. Ask for ten, then choose the best. This is a sharp, funny, and practical conversation about curiosity, humility, and the daily discipline of escaping your current view of the situation to discover something better. Enjoying this podcast? You might also enjoy: This Week in ComedyFool Me Twice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 2

Episode 2: Curiosity is the brain's most difficult feat

In Episode 2 of Train.Brain.Daily, Morry Morgan and Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson explore curiosity as a serious cognitive skill rather than simply an interest in asking questions. They define curiosity as the ability to escape one’s current view of a situation in order to search for a better view. Because the brain naturally forms quick conclusions and then tends to defend them, curiosity requires conscious training. The discussion introduces CVS—Current View of the Situation—and BVS—Better View of the Situation—along with the X10 approach of generating many more possible options than the first obvious answer. They argue that schools, workplaces and social habits often discourage curiosity by rewarding certainty, right answers and avoidance of mistakes. Yet the brain is neuroplastic: with regular practice, people can learn to challenge assumptions, play devil’s advocate and explore alternatives. This is especially valuable in business, where organisations often rely on memos or one-off seminars instead of investing in meaningful thinking training. Morry illustrates the idea through his current consulting work with an education technology company that provides software for schools. By becoming curious about the wider school ecosystem, he explored the role of casual relief teacher agencies rather than focusing only on the company’s immediate customers. He proposed that these agencies could become advocates and referral partners: if they valued the technology and recommended it to schools and teachers, they could create a powerful word-of-mouth growth channel. This demonstrated how curiosity can uncover indirect pathways—moving not simply from A to B, but through new connections and opportunities. The pair also apply curiosity to sales. Rather than “always be closing,” they advocate “always be starting”: contacting customers, listening to their needs and learning from both yeses and noes. Dr Hewitt-Gleeson stresses that people cannot simply be argued out of their current view; instead, effective strategy involves finding and engaging people whose brains are ready to consider something new. The episode concludes that curiosity drives science, innovation and progress. Instead of defending the “right” answer, better thinkers continually seek a better diagnosis, a better option and a better view of the situation. Enjoying this podcast? You might also enjoy: This Week in ComedyFool Me Twice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 25

Episode 1: You cannot defy your brain

Train.Brain.Daily opens with Morry Morgan and Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson reflecting on a friendship that began when Morry brought Michael to China in 2007 to speak about Wombat Selling, GBB, CVS-to-BVS and X10 thinking. Soon afterwards, the global financial crisis forced Morry to rethink a business with 80 staff and five offices. Despite staff cuts, he used the “current view of the situation to better view of the situation” framework to identify opportunity. This led to Spark09, an innovation conference in Shanghai’s World Financial Center, bringing together speakers from humanities, environment, business and science. The conversation introduces “brain coaching” and the “brain game.” Michael argues that elite sport, business and education invest in equipment and specialist coaching but pay too little attention to contemporary neuroscience. He describes coaching elite athletes and Australian Olympic coaches, stressing that sports psychology is valuable but distinct from brain coaching. Basic knowledge of the brain—including four lobes and two hemispheres—should be widely taught, beginning in primary school. Humour is presented as a significant brain function. Drawing on Edward de Bono’s ideas, Michael explains that humour connects patterns not previously connected. A joke provides temporary insight; a lasting shift in perception becomes permanent insight. This can help solve everyday and professional problems. Michael contrasts older mind-body ideas with a neuroscience perspective: there is no separate self directing the brain; the brain generates perception, thought and action. He proposes replacing right-or-wrong thinking with CVS-to-BVS: accept its current view as valid but not final, then search for better alternatives. X10 thinking provokes people to multiply the current view by ten, generating possibilities beyond incremental improvement. An example from General Electric illustrates the approach. Michael recounts working with Jack Welch, who adopted the language of BVS and sought to “multiply himself by ten.” Renaming divisional vice presidents as presidents enabled counterparts elsewhere to speak directly with them, reducing Welch’s overload and supporting organisational change. Morry links this to small gains: modest improvements across departments compound over time. He recounts fitting a difficult car lightbulb after recognising “user error” and changing his angle, an everyday example of questioning a current view. The episode closes with AI: request ten solutions, then choose and test the strongest. The central lesson: treat every first interpretation as a starting point, not a final answer. Enjoying this podcast? You might also enjoy: This Week in ComedyFool Me Twice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Episodes

Hosted by the founder of the School of Thinking, Hewi (aka Dr Michael Hewitt-Gleeson), and founder of the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School, Morry, this podcast digs deep into lateral thinking to help the audience 'escape' from their 'current view of the situation' (CVS) through 'x10' thinking exercises to realise the 'better view of the situation' (BVS). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creator

The Rubber Chicken
Years Active

2026
Episodes

5
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© SHKK Pty Ltd
Show Website

Train.Brain.Daily.