Share

cover art for Professor Richard Wiseman - 🍀 The Luck Factor: Why Humour (And Magic) Can Underpin Success 🪄

The Humourology Podcast

Professor Richard Wiseman - 🍀 The Luck Factor: Why Humour (And Magic) Can Underpin Success 🪄

Season 6, Ep. 91
•

Professor Richard Wiseman chats with Paul Boross on this week’s Humourology Podcast about his fascinating career, from his academic achievements, membership of the Magic Circle to his highly influential books and his drive to inform his audiences about psychology and science in the most engaging and entertaining way possible.


Known globally for his work around the public understanding of psychology, humour and success, this episode of The Humourology Podcast sees Professor Richard Wiseman join host Paul Boross to discuss his academic career, being a member of The Magic Circle, and the role that laughter plays in our lives. In addition to his research into the human mind, he is the author of a number of highly influential books including The Luck Factor, 59 Seconds: Think A Little, Change A Lot and Night School: Wake Up To The Power Of Sleep, which are all underpinned by the idea of delivering information about psychology and science to audiences in an entertaining and engaging manner.


More episodes

View all episodes

  • 93. Kevin Maguire – Shining A Light Into The Dark World Of Politics & The Role Of Humour In Journalism 🔦

    01:15:59||Season 6, Ep. 93
    This week’s episode of The Humourology Podcast features Kevin Maguire, Associate Editor of the Daily Mirror and esteemed political columnist, having been chief reporter for The Guardian and worked for news publishers including the Daily Telegraph, Sky News, BBC and even the political powerhouse that is New Civil Engineer. Throughout his long and illustrious career, Kevin has made his name as a national leader in journalism and is highly regarded for his ability to seek out the truth in the murky world of politics… making him the ideal person to talk about the current landscape, the challenges of being a journalist in the 21st Century and why he is proudly not part of the “awkward squad” (a term he first coined).
  • 92. Anne-Marie Imafidon - The Most Influential Woman In Tech: Inspiring A New Generation To Love STEM đź’»

    01:00:17||Season 6, Ep. 92
    Described by Computer Weekly as “the most influential woman in tech” in 2020, in this episode of The Humourology Podcast, host Paul Boross is joined by the renowned educator, computer scientist and social entrepreneur, Anne-Marie Imafidon, to discuss her luminary career and the importance of humour as part of her life growing up, journey into adulthood and beyond. A former employee of Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard and Deutsche Bank, Anne-Marie is perhaps best known as an international thought leader around computer science education and is also the founder of the award-winning Stemettes, a social enterprise which is aimed at promoting women in STEM careers.
  • 90. Julia Bradbury on Walk Yourself Happy: How A Stroll Can Be A Tool For Healing And Adventure

    54:14||Season 6, Ep. 90
    Julia Bradbury joins us to chat about everything from sibling relationships, walking in nature to her breast cancer diagnosis. Hear how Julia’s journey has included humour as a tool for healing. Tune in to learn just how valuable humour can be through life’s hardest moments. She is an absolute inspiration and gives so many tips and techniques to help you overcome the toughest of circumstances. Her warmth and positivity shine through.In this episode of The Humourology Podcast, host Paul Boross sits down with author, broadcaster and philanthropist Julia Bradbury to discuss her latest book, Walk Yourself Happy and why spending time in the great outdoors can be a tool for healing. Best known as the presenter of shows including Countryfile, Britain's Best Walks with Julia Bradbury and Wainwright Walks, in this life-affirming episode, Julia talks about her personal journey with breast cancer and her incredibly work advocating for health, nature and facing life’s difficulties with a smile and a stroll.
  • 89. Wayne Garvie - Leading with Laughter

    49:32||Season 5, Ep. 89
    President of International Production at Sony Pictures Television Wayne Garvie joins Paul Boross and The Humourology Podcast to discuss humour’s role in keeping creative teams together through the difficult times. “That's what you're always looking for when you're communicating with people, isn't it? A rapport. How do you make them all feel they're part of the conversation? And engage.”Learn how you can connect with your teams from a legend of the television industry. Hear how humour can help you deal with failure, build relationships, and put some of the most creative projects on the telly, only on The Humourology Podcast.
  • 88. Clive Tyldesley - Finding the Fun in Football

    01:04:52||Season 5, Ep. 88
    Broadcasting legend and Football Commentator extraordinaire Clive Tyldesley joins Paul Boross and The Humourology Podcast to share stories from his illustrious career behind the mic. Tyldesley shares valuable insight on how humour can help us understand humanity and ourselves. “What makes us laugh tells us more about ourselves than virtually anything.”Join Paul Boross and Clive Tyldesley for a captivating conversation about commentary, comedy, communication, and connecting with those around us.
  • 87. Mark Thomas Part Two - Political Practical Jokes

    01:02:44||Season 5, Ep. 87
    Comedian and political activist Mark Thomas returns for a continuation of his masterclass on comedy and communication. Hear a collection of side-splitting stories from Mark Thomas as he explains the ins and outs of comedy’s role in communication. “We can be the person who gets the lowest marks or whatever, but when we tell jokes, we're Kings.”Join Paul Boross and Mark Thomas for a continuation of their conversation about a career in comedy, communication, and activism. Learn how to improve your storytelling and how humour can help in the hardest of political movements, only on The Humourology Podcast.
  • 86. Mark Thomas Part One - Playfully Poking People in Power

    01:01:25||Season 5, Ep. 86
    Comedian and political activist Mark Thomas visits The Humourology Podcast for conversation with Paul Boross about the power of a joke in performance and politics. Thomas discusses the duality of humour as a tool to poke fun and connect with the crowd.“Comedy works on all sorts of different levels. It represents all sorts of different threats. And it's also as welcoming as it is threatening.”Join Paul Boross and Mark Thomas for a conversation filled with side-splitting stories and a deep discussion of the value of humour in social interactions and political activism only on The Humourology Podcast.
  • 85. Alastair Campbell - What YOU can do

    57:36||Season 5, Ep. 85
    Alastair Campbell returns for another go at The Humourology Podcast to discuss his new book, But What Can I Do? and the intersection of leadership and humour with Paul Boross. Campbell shares a preview into his new book and shares just how important humour can be in getting through our current political landscape. “Humour is important in perseverance. Getting through bad moments. With dark humour, the number of times you see people are in real mess, but they somehow make a joke of it.”Join Paul Boross and Alastair Campbell for sneak peek into his new book But What Can I do? and an insightful conversation on laughter, leadership, and learning how to grow your confidence only on The Humourology Podcast.