Shows
A for Effort30 L for Lax EvasionIn which Harry and Mairead discuss Netflix and tax justice.
For more on Netflix, Harry recommends the Netflix Wikipedia page, and this interview with Ted Sarandos, the current chief content officer for Netflix.
For more on tax justice, Mairead recommends the book The Triumph of Injustice by Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman. She also references this Tweet about online brick and mortar stores.
We’re on instagram @aforeffortcast, with art by Marielle Wall. You can email us at aforeffortcast@gmail.com.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our lo...2020-04-1623 minA for Effort29 W for Word Camel Word Camel WordIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the economics of human migration and data science. No camels (or words) were hurt in the making of this episode.
For more about the economics of human migration, Harry recommends the special report on migration from The Economist. We also emphasize that we are not sponsored by The Economist.
For more about data science, Mairead recommends reading R for Data Science by Hadley Wickham and Garrett Grolemund.
We’re on instagram @aforeffortcast, with art by Marielle Wall.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flower...2020-01-2320 min
A for Effort28 G for Great, moving onIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the silk road and immunization.
For more on the silk road, Harry recommends the book The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan.
Mairead's theme was inspired by news about outbreaks of measles related to low vaccination rates, like this episode of the podcast Today, Explained.
We’re on instagram @aforeffortcast, with art by Marielle Wall [Instagram, website].
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-10-3118 minA for Effort27 D for Derivative ABBAIn which Harry and Mairead discuss gardening and pop music.
Harry’s theme was inspired by gardening, and he Googled to find his terms.
For more on pop music, Mairead recommends the podcast Switched on Pop, this poster about complementary choruses, and this article about slant rhyme. She referenced the following songs: Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, Oops!...I Did It Again by Britney Spears, You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift, and Take The Money And Run by The Steve Miller Band.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
...2019-09-1222 min
A for Effort26 E for Example of FallibilityIn which Harry and Mairead discuss America at the turn of the 20th century and innovation.
For more on innovation, Mairead recommends The Entrepreneurial State by Mariana Mazzucato, and referenced articles about blue sky research and types of innovation.
Harry’s theme was inspired by the book Spoiled Brats by Simon Rich.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
We’re on instagram @aforeffortcast, with art by Marielle Wall [Instagram, website].
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-08-1517 min
A for Effort25 P for PerfectIn which Harry and Mairead discuss Notre Dame/gothic architecture and persuasion theory.
For more on Notre Dame/gothic architecture, Harry recommends this article in The New York Times.
Mairead's terms were drawn from Conducting Research in Psychology: Measuring the Weight of Smoke by Brett W. Pelham and Hart Blanton (although that book is not specifically about persuasion theory; it's about research methods).
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
We’re on instagram @aforeffortcast, with art by Marielle Wall.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo i...2019-06-0620 minA for Effort24 A for a-f-o-r-e-f-f-o-r-t-c-a-s-tIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the Pope and questionnaire development.
For more on the Pope/Catholic Church, Harry recommends this BBC guide to the Catholic Church and glossary of Roman Catholic terms.
For more on questionnaire development, Mairead recommends chapter 6 in Conducting Research in Psychology: Measuring the Weight of Smoke by Brett W. Pelham and Hart Blanton.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
We’re on instagram @aforeffortcast, with art by Marielle Wall [Instagram, website].
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz2019-05-2321 min
A for Effort23 G for Graveyard BasketballIn which Harry and Mairead discuss subatomic particles/theoretical physics and public radio jargon.
Harry's category was inspired by news of an even larger Large Hadron Collider. For more public radio jargon, Mairead recommends this NPR document, and her category was inspired by this interview of Ira Glass by Alex Blumberg.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-05-0918 minA for Effort22 W for WhipcrackingIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the CIA and life in Berlin circa 1934.
For more CIA content, Harry recommends watching The Bourne Identity / Supremacy / Ultimatum.
For more on life in Berlin circa the 1930s, Mairead recommends In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. She also recommends his other books, like The Devil in the White City, if you’re interested in historical reconstructions.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-03-1520 min
A for Effort21 I for I Don't Not Think That Was ClearIn which Harry and Mairead discuss aeroplanes and video game purchasing behaviour.
For more about aeroplanes, Harry recommends The Wild Blue Yonder: The Picador Book of Aviation by Graham Coster.
For more on video game purchasing behaviour, Mairead recommends this paper by Mark R Johnson and Yinyi Luo.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-02-2217 minA for Effort20 W for Whey Too MuchIn which Harry and Mairead discuss microchips and behavioural economics.
For more on microchips, Harry recommends this article in the Economist about the semiconductor industry.
For more on behavioural economics, Mairead recommends this paper about repugnance costs by Alvin E. Roth.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-02-0700 min
A for Effort19 H for Here's My Hint: NoIn which Harry and Mairead discuss Greek statues and the history of money.
For more about Greek statues, Harry recommends this article from the Smithsonian Magazine.
For more about the history of money, Mairead (via Harry) recommends The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson. Her category was inspired by the blockchain journalism podcast Zig Zag.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-01-2400 minA for Effort18 C for Cordoned-off Section of the WorldIn which Harry and Mairead discuss whales (not Wales) and United States-Latin American relations.
For more about whales, Harry recommends Leviathan, or the whale by Philip Hoare.
For more about US-Latin American relations, Mairead recommends Our Sister Republics by Caitlin Fitz, The Monroe Doctrine by Jay Sexton, The Tragedy of American Diplomacy by William Appleman Williams, and this article in the Guardian.
Our engineer is Nick Shoup.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2019-01-1000 min
A for Effort17.75 H for HiatusImportant announcement: we are going on a hiatus, because we're experiencing some technical difficulties while recording. We are actively trying to solve them, and have every intention of continuing to release new episodes once they are solved. Thanks for your patience!
In which Harry and Mairead discuss chickens and the Iran nuclear deal.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-07-1400 min
A for Effort17.5 M for Mini Episode 2In which Harry and Mairead discuss Twitter and modern healthcare.
This is the second of three mini episodes, which we are releasing as we both get settled in new abodes. Each mini episode consists of three parts: a round with one term each, a short Q&A, and outtakes from the vault.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-07-0600 minA for Effort17.25 M for Mini Episode 1In which Harry and Mairead discuss Newfoundland slang and intellectual property.
For the next three weeks, we will be releasing mini episodes while we both get settled in new abodes. Each mini episode consists of three parts: a round with one term each, a short Q&A, and outtakes from the vault.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-06-2900 min
A for Effort17 I for Inspired ThemesIn which Harry and Mairead discuss football clichés and city living.
For more about superblocks, Mairead recommends this Vox article and video. She also mentions Montreal’s Mural Festival.
For more about football clichés, Harry recommends this book by Adam Hurrey.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-06-2100 min
A for Effort16 P for Percent Percent Percent PercentIn which Harry and Mairead discuss restaurants and research ethics.
For more about Anthony Bourdain, whose death prompted the restaurant theme, Harry recommends Bourdain’s book Kitchen Confidential.
For more about research ethics, Mairead recommends the Tri-Council Policy Statement.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-06-1400 min
A for Effort15 L for Late, Sticky NightIn which Harry and Mairead discuss technological surveillance and social psychology.
For more on social psychology, Mairead recommends the book The Person and the Situation by Lee Ross and Richard Nisbett.
For more on technological surveillance, Harry recommends the most recent technology quarterly from The Economist.
Our music is “Chop Shop (Instrumental)” by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-06-0700 min
A for Effort14 S for Stupid, Stupid HypothesisIn which Harry and Mairead discuss e-mails and income inequality.
For more about income inequality, Mairead recommends this article about "the new American aristocracy" in The Atlantic and this dissenting article in Slate. She also references this paper and this paper, both by Miles Corak, about income inequality, and this 2012 speech by Alan Krueger, then-chairperson of the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Here are the median home prices in San Francisco, this is the article about U-Haul price discrepancies, and this article discusses SF experiencing the most out-migration in the United States. This paper is about...2018-05-3100 min
A for Effort13 F for FanfareIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the Spanish Civil War and methods of neuroscience.
For more on methods of neuroscience, Mairead recommends the textbook Foundations of Behavioural Neuroscience by Neil R. Carlson. For more on cutting out your tongue, she recommends the movie Oldboy (and warns that it's a relatively graphic film).
For more on the Spanish Civil War, Harry recommends Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona vs Real Madrid and Catholicism, War and the Foundation of Francoism, both by Sid Lowe. He also recommends Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell and A Farewell...2018-05-2400 min
A for Effort12 F for Facebook Shutting DownIn which Harry and Mairead discuss bicycles and pharmacotherapy.
For more on pharmacotherapy, Mairead recommends this episode of Science VS about the opioid epidemic, this interview with Dr. Leana Wen (health commissioner of Baltimore City, Maryland) on The Ezra Klein Show, this interview with Johann Hari on The Ezra Klein Show, and Hari's book, Lost Connections.
For more on bicycles, Harry recommends that you ride a Bixi or read the Wikipedia page for bicycles.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-05-1700 min
A for Effort11 E for Evil SpidersIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the Internet and law/Latin.
For more about dark patterns, Mairead recommends watching this Nerdwriter video.
For more on frivolous lawsuits, Harry recommends this "Adam Ruins Everything" video.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-05-1000 min
A for Effort10 T for Thomas TeffersonIn which Harry and Mairead discuss McCarthyism and voting behaviour.
For more on McCarthyism, Harry recommends the book The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents by Ellen Schrecker and Phillip Deery.
For more on voting behaviour, Mairead recommends the book Democracy for Realists by Larry Bartels and Christopher Achen.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-05-0300 min
A for Effort09 W for We've Got MailIn which Harry and Mairead discuss urban planning and China in the 1970s and 80s.
For more on urban planning, Mairead recommends this Vox video about defensive design, this Vox video about malls in America and third spaces, and this episode of the podcast 99% Invisible.
For more on China in the 1970s and 80s, Harry recommends the book The Cultural Revolution at the Margins by Yiching Wu.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-04-1900 min
A for Effort08 R for Re: CommentsIn which Harry and Mairead discuss the Chinese cultural revolution and espionage.
For more on the cultural revolution, Harry recommends Mao Zedong and China in the Twentieth-Century World by Rebecca Karl.
Mairead recommends the podcast/radio program Because News, perusing this espionage dictionary, and reading Vera Atkins’ biography and a chronicle of the all-female concentration camp Ravensbruck, both by Sarah Helm.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-04-0500 min
A for Effort07 C for CannibalismIn which Harry and Mairead discuss religion in medieval Europe and deep work.
For more on deep work, Mairead recommends reading the book Deep Work by Cal Newport, and listening to Newport's interview on The Ezra Klein Show.
For more on religion in medieval England, Harry recommends the book New Worlds, Lost Worlds by Susan Brigden.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-03-2300 min
A for Effort06 N for Noam Chomsky Rules the WorldIn which Harry and Mairead discuss linguistics and the development of expertise.
To learn more about developing expertise, Mairead recommends the book "Peak" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, this video about the zone of proximal development/adjacent possible, "Thought and Language" by Lev Vygotsky, and this book on flow states by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-03-0800 min
A for Effort05 C for Contrasting Your MentalsIn which Harry and Mairead discuss goal setting and twentieth century China.
For more on goal setting, Mairead recommends the book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals by Heidi Grant Halvorson.
For more on twentieth century China, Harry recommends the book China in War and Revolution by Peter Zarrow.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-02-2200 min
A for Effort04 M for Monopoly (disambiguation)In which Harry and Mairead discuss historical trade, Facebook's algorithm, and public discourse.
For more on public discourse, Mairead recommends you start with this Vox video on the window of discourse in the context of Trump. She also recommends you dominate in Monopoly using the advice in this reddit post.2018-02-0800 min
A for Effort03 P for Politics, GenerallyIn which Mairead and Harry discuss Latin American history and politics, generally.
For more on Latin American history, Mairead recommends the excellent book "Born in Blood and Fire" by John Charles Chasteen.
For more on politics, generally, Harry recommends reading about the Michigan model of voter choice for the funnel of causality, Charles Tilly's "Contention and Democracy in Europe 1650-2000" for protected consultation, and about pre-Civil War history for the Know Nothing party.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-01-2500 min
A for Effort02 G for GermanIn which Harry and Mairead discuss moral psychology and the Middle Ages in Western Europe. Mairead demonstrates her German proficiency.
For more on moral psychology, Mairead recommends "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt and "The Lady Vanishes" from Malcolm Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History.
For more on the Middle Ages in Western Europe, Harry recommends the book "The Worlds of Medieval Europe" by Clifford R. Backman.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-01-2500 min
A for Effort01 K for KronosIn which Harry and Mairead discuss American foreign policy in the 1950s and 60s and time perception. Kronos drops by.
To read more about American foreign policy, Harry recommends you "Google American foreign policy".
Mairead referenced this Guardian article about MAGA and this Vox article about a stress poll.
Our music is "Chop Shop (Instrumental)" by White Flowers, and our logo is by ei8htz.2018-01-2500 min