DangerMouth: The Innovation Station

Episode 25: Generational Hormone Theory

In 1997 the book ‘The Fourth Turning’ laid out a controversial theory that history is driven by a four phase generational cycle. This compelling theory has influenced a wide range of people from Al Gore to Steve Bannon.
In this episode, our guest Janne Miettine, puts forward a strong case that cyclical hormone levels drive societal behaviour and are the mechanism behind the phase changes. Janne has the courage to go against the grain, and the determination and aptitude to sweat the details, the hallmarks of the pioneer that challenges the smug status quo.
 
https://jannemiettinen.fi/FourthTurning/#htoc-1-3-cyclical-human-populations
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory

Episode 24: Scaling the Data Economy

Darrell and Mikey welcome John Gallacher, Director of Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), for a deeply satisfying conversation.
 
John is driving a global movement to bring economies of scale to the acquisition and storage of quality data, and its distribution and use for public benefit.
 
John embodies the foundational principles of a horizontal thinker; big picture long term thinking, spanning silos, wrestling with complex systems and leadership, to name but a few.
 
More than that, he is an expert in the aesthetics of kayak design, so it's well worth a listen.
 
 
Links:
 
https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/team/john-gallacher
 
https://www.dementiasplatform.uk/

Episode 23: Mastering Complexity

In a spookily prescient example, London Underground and a nesting plover conspire to derail this episode, but the show does go on.
 
Darrell and an epically deranged Mikey are joined by Shana and Olly the Jolly to discuss how an understanding of complexity should alter the way you behave.
 
I think we have unfinished business!
 
Special thanks to Paul Wilkinson for knocking this verbal spaghetti into a wonderful Podcast.

Episode 22: Law Directionality

Many people are so busy chasing their tails they can't see the way off the hamster wheel. That's where Electra comes in. Coming from the world of corporate law, where cross fertilization of ideas illuminates the way forward, Electra has the smarts and the people skills to make change happen. In this episode Electra shares her stories and Darrell finds many parallel with his heroes journey.

Episode 21: Novel Novelty

Mikey and Darrell welcome word wizard, educator and intellectual John Reel, the New Yorker in Seville.
 
We discuss how it takes a hero to make a breakthrough journey and have the audacity to create a work of art when the mountain of history is fiercely guarded by the reputations of giants.
 
And much, much more.
 
My Half Orange: A Story of Love and Language in Seville https://amzn.eu/d/gWeTjFS
 
https://johnjuliusreel.com/
 
Remembrance of Things Past: Volume 1 (PENGUIN CLASSICS) https://amzn.eu/d/3vWlwNd
 
Ulysses (Wordsworth Classics) https://amzn.eu/d/0EeddBR
The Prodigal Son, by George Balanchine, with Mijaíl Barýshnikov
 
The performance is about 40 minutes long, but it’s broken up into four parts.
 
Part 1: https://youtu.be/T-TUCK3scdc?si=W7yQJtBVDFB3Ccmi
 
Part 2: https://youtu.be/RAzcsAIP8Hg?si=PMp_QlcVpKwGrpHB
 
Part 3: https://youtu.be/Hn5xzJzVgos?si=nCmkOce4bTaXZylv
 
Part 4: https://youtu.be/VkN4lNDlKG8?si=cmZbeijYqMhynu2J

Episode 20: Mind Games

Mikey tries to reveal the team's inner mindscape. Darrell relates it to innovation and Shana is in her happy place. Mikey reveals how he came to get stuck in a tree.
 
Thinking Fast and Slow
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow
 
How to Know a Person
https://youtu.be/YwENbKn3tqI?si=fEvNFKSGlVLFffxp

Episode 19: We fought the Law and the Law won

Special guest Olly Buxton (A.K.A. "The Jolly Contrarian") leads Mikey and Darrell through the ossified entrails of the Legal Establishment in our first outing into its echoing dusty halls. The Law is an edifice so vast, so powerful and so ancient that waves of changes bounce ineffectually off its granite walls.
Even granite does not last forever.
Rest assured that despite the dark tones of formality, we remain steadfastly jolly throughout.
Olly is as well read as Darrell (i.e. off the scale) and is an excellent font of future enlightening tomes.
 
Refs:
https://jollycontrarian.com/index.php?title=Seeing_Like_a_State James C Scott's Seeing Like a State
 
https://jollycontrarian.com/index.php?title=Systemantics:_The_Systems_Bible John Gall’s Systemantics: the Systems Bible which is absolutely hilarious 
 
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/09/ai-monkeys-paw/ Cory Doctorow on Generative AI and copyright 
 
https://jollycontrarian.com/index.php?title=The_Death_and_Life_of_Great_American_Cities Jane Jacobs on modernism 
 
Rory Sutherland on Eurostar https://youtu.be/iueVZJVEmEs?t=373 
Rory Sutherland's excellent book https://jollycontrarian.com/index.php?title=Alchemy:_The_Surprising_Power_of_Ideas_that_Don%E2%80%99t_Make_Sense 

Episode 18: The Shadow Hierarchy

This is the first episode where we delve into Darrell's 6 Pillars of Innovation Wisdom, focusing on Complex Systems.
We look at the 6 elements of a simple basic complete system before adding complexity into the mix.
We discuss the importance of leaders understanding their organisation as a system and how there is always a delta between the official hierarchy where accountability lies and the shadow hierarchy where the power lies.