In the middle ages hundreds of thousands of Europeans danced themselves to exhaustion. Some danced for weeks on end, many ended up dying of heart attacks and heat stroke. But why? What strange illness was causing this oddity? Turns out, it was all psychological. The dancing epidemic of the middle ages was one of the first noted examples of mass hysteria, a p ... Show More
Jun 8
“How we used nudges reach £12 billion in sales” Octopus Energy's Pete Miller
Octopus Energy went from £0 in revenue to £12 billion in 10 years. Today, on Nudge, I chat with their first employee Pete Miller, who explains how they used nudges to grow. Hear why they: 1) Encourage customers to spin a wheel to reward metre readings. 2) Give away free electrici ... Show More
40m 32s
Jun 1
Enhanced Games: Did the $320m marketing stunt backfire?
The Enhanced Games, hosted in Las Vegas last Saturday, made a bold claim. With the use of performance-enhancing drugs, enhanced athletes would break not just personal records but world records. And the end goal? To sell those same drugs to the masses. It’s arguably the biggest ma ... Show More
28m 15s
Dec 2021
Selects: What Is Collective Hysteria?
<p>Throughout the history of the world, there have been many cases of what is known as collective hysteria - groups of people, usually young women, who all exhibit the same physical symptoms of non-existent conditions. Is it psychosomatic? Is it group think? Find out in this clas ... Show More
42m 37s
Aug 2025
Pourquoi des strasbourgeois du 16e siècle sont-ils morts à force de danser ?
Rediffusion Le roman d'Horace McCoy, "On achève bien les chevaux", dont Sidney Pollack tira, en 1969, un film remarqué, évoque avec force ces marathons de danse organisés pendant la Grande Dépression, qui frappa les États-Unis durant les années 1930.Ils voyaient s'affronter des c ... Show More
2m 7s
Oct 2021
Havana Syndrome: Over 200 Cases Documented Yet Cause Remains A Mystery
Since 2016, a number of U.S. diplomats and federal employees have reported symptoms of a mysterious illness, the so-called Havana Syndrome.The list of symptoms include hearing loud sounds, nausea fatigue, and dizzying migraines, among others. The cause of this mystery illness is ... Show More
12m 33s
Mar 2020
When the System Breaks Down, Leaders Stand Up
It began in the East. At least, that’s what the experts think. Maybe it came from animals. Maybe it was the Chinese. Maybe it was a curse from the gods. One thing is certain: it radiated out east, west, north, and south, crossing borders, then oceans, as it overwhelmed the world. ... Show More
11m 53s