PodSearch

Hello Internet

H.I. #37: Penguins and Politics

 

00:00:00   In the last episode you put that bit of sort of like made up bonus footage at the end [TS]

00:00:06   and I think you put that like you know put it in because it like Justified you [TS]

00:00:11   but I think it justified maybe like it vindicated my memory and you think it vindicated your memory. [TS]

00:00:16   I put that that little that little audio clip at the end the end to vindicate me. [TS]

00:00:22   However there was a problem when I exploited it that it did not include your audio. [TS]

00:00:28   It only included my audio [TS]

00:00:30   and if you only listen to my side of the conversation it definitely sounded like you were right. [TS]

00:00:36   But trust me people I was right. I'm not working. [TS]

00:00:44   I'm sending this evidence your honor and it actually makes my client look guilty [TS]

00:00:48   but trust me it makes him look not guilty we have very little follow up before we get to the business of penguins [TS]

00:00:56   and politics which I think are going to dominate this podcast. [TS]

00:00:59   Yes we talked about a moment she and my ignorance of a mochi and to sort of set the record straight [TS]

00:01:06   and help me better understand how Moji works rather embarrassingly. [TS]

00:01:10   Everyone has been pointing out a video on the computer file Chano which of course is my channel [TS]

00:01:16   but I must hasten to point out I did not make all the videos in fact I make hardly any of the videos on there [TS]

00:01:23   and I do not watch all of the videos on there. [TS]

00:01:26   It's run by my friend Sean and he made a video with Tom Scott all about M O G which I had watched some of to be fair [TS]

00:01:33   but kind of had forgotten bits of it so never mind saying Brady How can you not know this you've got a whole video that [TS]

00:01:38   you made about I have not made a video about a video was made about on my channel but not by me. [TS]

00:01:47   So it is a bit awkward and embarrassing but it's not like I made the video [TS]

00:01:51   and then forgot all the stuff to be fair though you could not possibly be expected to remember everything that has [TS]

00:01:58   happened in all of the videos that you have made. [TS]

00:02:00   How many topics have you covered for which you retained no knowledge now. [TS]

00:02:05   I mean it must be it must be hundreds of topics. [TS]

00:02:08   I guess it would have gotten to the point now where there are videos I completely have forgotten nation having made [TS]

00:02:13   but I will also say that I am sometimes caught out slightly embarrassed in conversations for the same phenomenon where [TS]

00:02:21   someone is asking me about a detail of something in my video and of course I have made vastly fewer videos than you [TS]

00:02:27   and I find that my brain almost just dumps a huge amount of the knowledge I have acquired once the video making process [TS]

00:02:35   is over and so I am reeling in aware of how if I'm ever thinking about linking back [TS]

00:02:41   or vaguely referencing one of my videos I will have to watch that video again because I can't remember all the stuff [TS]

00:02:47   that I researched about it like. But to pull one out of the air. [TS]

00:02:51   I remember putting together a video about how the primary election system works in the United States [TS]

00:02:55   and I remember being very interested in that. [TS]

00:02:57   And today I couldn't hide confidently tell you very much about the details of how that works. [TS]

00:03:02   I would I would need to reference my own video even though I made it. [TS]

00:03:05   So these things can slip through the mind even if you do create them. [TS]

00:03:09   The thing is even worse is actually still haven't gone back [TS]

00:03:11   and watched Oh I was going to thinking are you about to enlighten me on a process by which emoji are selected. [TS]

00:03:17   I'm just going to recommend a fantastic computer file video featuring the brilliant I'm so it was a really good video [TS]

00:03:24   has been has been a good one is a good one. [TS]

00:03:26   Tom is very good you know I gather a lot of good ones but I still haven't gone back and watched it. [TS]

00:03:30   But speaking of You Tube We only have one more follow up on it [TS]

00:03:33   and here I think this is this isn't even really a follow up item. [TS]

00:03:37   We basically have a tiny segment now which is called half hour so we can have a segment that I can't pronounce grey you [TS]

00:03:44   just make me look bad everywhere like half the raid half assed or a perfect perfect break don't don't overthink it. [TS]

00:03:52   You're doing great. This isn't exactly half ass are you so much as just as just like a complaint that I want to. [TS]

00:04:00   Only lodge with You Tube and it is there. I'm not exactly sure how new it is but it is there. Auto play feature now. [TS]

00:04:08   Are you familiar with this new auto play feature on photo play was really on hold and then it went away [TS]

00:04:13   and hasn't come back. Just different to what I'm thinking of you going to have to help me here. [TS]

00:04:17   OK so what they have had for a long time [TS]

00:04:20   and what I believe they used to call auto play was if you link to a video that is in a playlist the You Tube will [TS]

00:04:28   automatically play the next video in that playlist but it feels like within the past six weeks [TS]

00:04:34   or so if someone sends you a youtube video and they say oh here watch you know watch this this funny cat video [TS]

00:04:40   when you click on the link right and there's a cat doing something funny for ten seconds. [TS]

00:04:44   The instant that video is over youtube automatically starts playing another video then like if you like a ten second [TS]

00:04:52   countdown or something but it's really hard to figure out where to click. [TS]

00:04:55   There's a little dial on the screen that counts down from five [TS]

00:04:58   or maybe it counts down from one I don't know whatever it is it seems to go by so fast [TS]

00:05:02   and it's really hard to figure out what to click to stop [TS]

00:05:05   and I know that I have done it wrong almost every time because I think that the center of the circle has a little [TS]

00:05:11   triangle which is like play like oh do you want to skip this countdown [TS]

00:05:14   and just immediately I know I've messed it up many times trying to not play the next video [TS]

00:05:19   and I always end up playing it anyway but I find this feature just. [TS]

00:05:24   So anti user is the best way to put it or the user hostile. [TS]

00:05:31   Nobody would request this [TS]

00:05:33   and say oh you know what I would love I would love every time I went to a youtube video it also showed me a random [TS]

00:05:39   youtube video that I did not request. Nobody would nobody would want this. [TS]

00:05:44   There is one person who may request you because if someone has just watched to see a G.P. [TS]

00:05:50   Gray video I think it's more likely than not the recommended next video will be another C.D.P. Gravity. [TS]

00:05:57   So actually if anyone benefits from. It's you and me. [TS]

00:06:04   I don't I don't think it is because as far as I can tell [TS]

00:06:07   when I have occasionally watched You Tube videos that have been produced by any of the people in our circle who make [TS]

00:06:15   educational videos the next video just seems to be random. [TS]

00:06:19   OK it's not like if I watch a smarter every day video the next one is a smarter every day videos Well it's it's bizarre. [TS]

00:06:27   It's absolutely bizarre. [TS]

00:06:28   And they're using their you know who they're who knows whatever it is they're magic algorithm to select a video out of [TS]

00:06:35   the ether for you to watch next. [TS]

00:06:37   It's just such a hostile system and I know what You Tube is doing [TS]

00:06:42   and the only reason that something like this happens is I have to imagine a bunch of. [TS]

00:06:47   Board members [TS]

00:06:48   and You Tube sitting around smoking their cigars right in a dimly lit evil looking meeting room saying we need to [TS]

00:06:55   inflate view numbers for advertisers so we can make more money how can we best do this. [TS]

00:06:59   I know let's make sure to randomly start playing videos at every possible opportunity and I will use [TS]

00:07:06   or love it no users will hate it [TS]

00:07:08   but it will definitely at least double our view numbers which will also double our revenue. [TS]

00:07:11   When I think of this feature that's how I imagine this went down in a meeting like I would love to hear from You Tube [TS]

00:07:19   Tell Me You Tube What do you think is the benefit to users of this feature. [TS]

00:07:24   I can't I have a very hard time imagining a convincing argument for the whole of course I can [TS]

00:07:29   and I can imagine what that's how say oh it's helping them discover new [TS]

00:07:33   and amazing content they would never have otherwise have found. [TS]

00:07:36   We are using a clever algorithm to navigate them through the jungle [TS]

00:07:40   and help them find the best possible content I can easily imagine what that lame answer will be. [TS]

00:07:46   I'm sure that's what they would say [TS]

00:07:48   but their mouth would just be smelling like that's all it would be like oh God Can you please turn away. [TS]

00:07:55   Don't talk to me directly when you're saying I must leave unsaid. [TS]

00:08:00   Because it is dirty it's a lie it's a lie that you tell yourself and that you tell others. [TS]

00:08:05   Netflix are the masters of this I mean you need it you need a degree in computer science [TS]

00:08:10   and the reflexes of a judge to avoid the next film or the next T.V. [TS]

00:08:15   Show starting at the end of a show like because the screen shrinks and I say this is going to start in ten seconds [TS]

00:08:21   and you're like you've got your little Apple Remote [TS]

00:08:24   or your computer going oh we don't like which which button do I click in my head away. [TS]

00:08:28   How do I stop it from the next one's already started. [TS]

00:08:32   It's very funny it's very funny that you mention this because I was actually going to use Netflix as the counterfactual [TS]

00:08:37   to this we have recently signed up with Netflix and we've been using it a little bit [TS]

00:08:42   and I actually really like their auto play feature when you're binge watching television of course right. [TS]

00:08:50   I think that like that is nice that is exactly what I want to say hey guess what Netflix you are right I do want to [TS]

00:08:56   watch the next episode of daredevil please just keep it playing on the screen like let's let's let's work our way [TS]

00:09:01   through this. [TS]

00:09:02   I don't watch movies very often on Netflix so I don't know do they start playing a random movie [TS]

00:09:09   when your movie ends I don't think they do. I'm applying more to T.V. [TS]

00:09:12   As well like when I'm watching something like at the moment we're watching The Good Wife [TS]

00:09:17   and you always get the next one straight away and I'm going to quote you back to you. [TS]

00:09:22   I remember you talking about Kendall's I think it was and finishing a book [TS]

00:09:28   and saying Can I just have a few seconds to just absorb what happened and think about it [TS]

00:09:32   and not have another book like recommended to me immediately. [TS]

00:09:36   Often that's not Netflix at the end of an episode of a show when something's just happened [TS]

00:09:40   and you've had a finale I feel like I want just a few seconds to absorb or maybe turn to my wife [TS]

00:09:45   and talk about what just happened not not be sort of panicking trying to think oh no how can I stop the next one [TS]

00:09:51   starting I don't want to say I don't want to catch the first few seconds of the next one because it might spoil [TS]

00:09:55   something or ruin the moment bike and I can't believe you don't think that I can't believe. You don't think. [TS]

00:10:01   Hang on guys just give me a second. [TS]

00:10:02   Well at least let me make a simple command to say let's have the next episode done to shove it [TS]

00:10:08   and they don't throw it at me before I've had time. Yeah I'm realizing actually lasts. [TS]

00:10:14   Yes Last night we did watch in my house a movie on Netflix and it did not auto recommend another movie [TS]

00:10:21   and I would completely feel that way of hey guys give me a second. [TS]

00:10:26   You know just watch the hobbit [TS]

00:10:28   and I need a little time to just recover to grieve if you can't you can't start playing Legally Blonde right away it's [TS]

00:10:35   just too much it's too much of a tone shift. They don't do with movies but with T.V. [TS]

00:10:41   and Particularly I feel that a lot of the Netflix T.V. [TS]

00:10:44   Is designed to be watched right in a row so I don't I don't have that feeling at the end of an individual television [TS]

00:10:51   episode. Usually at the end of a T.V. Episode my exact thought is I need the next one. [TS]

00:10:55   Right now I'm not saying don't make it easy to watch the next one. [TS]

00:11:00   I'm just saying don't make it almost compulsory [TS]

00:11:03   and difficult to avoid because like the guy always has a quick stop at stop before [TS]

00:11:09   and I'm like oh I don't know what the facts would have started before I figured out how to work my Apple Remote [TS]

00:11:15   and the wrong angle for the infra red and I know the next one's already started and like. [TS]

00:11:23   Every everything about this to me is really funny because one I love the notion of the technological problem as being [TS]

00:11:29   fifty percent of the problem in your house. T.V. Set ups like actual physical T.V. [TS]

00:11:34   Set ups are always very difficult about which remote and what the input and how to do this [TS]

00:11:38   and I don't live my life like that where I'm almost always watching Netflix just on an i Pad with my headphones in so I [TS]

00:11:44   can just reach out with my hand and exactly press the button that I want and there's none of this remote nonsense. [TS]

00:11:49   Or when my wife and I watch T.V. We don't actually watch it on a T.V. [TS]

00:11:53   We just have and i mac that functions as a television so it's just a big computer but you want to have remotes [TS]

00:11:58   and yes there's going to be panicking. [TS]

00:12:00   Problem some things are going to go all wrong [TS]

00:12:02   and it seems like maybe you are more susceptible than that to most people [TS]

00:12:05   but I don't think Netflix are as evil as the way you should be doing it but I still think they haven't nailed it [TS]

00:12:12   and I think you're being too kind on them I would say that the Netflix feature can be genuinely customer centric [TS]

00:12:21   and you know that it is because they don't have ad numbers that they are potentially trying to inflate [TS]

00:12:28   and as far as I can tell they are always showing you the next thing in a sequential series as opposed to You Tube which [TS]

00:12:36   almost certainly is just trying to inflate ad numbers [TS]

00:12:39   and as we have discussed many times has no concept of serial content no concept at all just two other minor points [TS]

00:12:47   about why we are all we are talking about this that I just want to mention which when I originally set up my R.S.S. [TS]

00:12:54   Subscription so that people could use R.S.S. To get my videos. [TS]

00:12:58   I had a huge number of people say Oh but don't you know on your youtube channel there's a there's an R.S.S. [TS]

00:13:03   Feed that people can sign up for so they can be notified of of when you have a new video up. [TS]

00:13:09   And since we know that You Tube seems to be changing the way that their business works. [TS]

00:13:14   One of the things they have now done is they have taken away the built in R.S.S. Feeds. [TS]

00:13:20   So I've heard from a lot of people who used to be tracking all of their videos from various channels in order with [TS]

00:13:26   R.S.S. That is now not an option. You Tube has taken that away. [TS]

00:13:30   And apparently the subscription section on You Tube that people used to be able to go to to see all of the videos see [TS]

00:13:38   all the channels that they have subscribed to. [TS]

00:13:40   It used to have a feature called collections where you could arrange a bunch of channels together to say oh I want to [TS]

00:13:47   see all the new videos from my favorite educational You Tubers. [TS]

00:13:50   So here's crash course and here is periodic videos and he will be gray and I can see new ones from this group [TS]

00:13:57   and I got a whole lot of e-mails from people so. [TS]

00:14:00   Saying that You Tube has also removed this feature so it's just it's so clear like piece by piece You Tube is taking [TS]

00:14:09   away all of the little abilities for the user to control and keep track of their own viewing experience [TS]

00:14:16   and they just keep pushing more and more these features that sort of do it automatically [TS]

00:14:21   or they want to try to handle it for you [TS]

00:14:22   and I don't I don't like that I don't like that at all I just want to say to keep watching our videos on You Tube So [TS]

00:14:29   people feel like we spend a lot of telling people how awful You Tube is just like our job. [TS]

00:14:39   Well you can watch my videos on R.S.S. or On You Tube I'm perfectly fine either way. [TS]

00:14:44   Please don't send Brady and I tweets or e-mails about how you can turn off the youtube auto play feature. [TS]

00:14:50   I am very aware that this is a possibility. [TS]

00:14:52   I'm sure Brady knows that you can turn off the You Tube auto play feature as well [TS]

00:14:57   but there are many reasons why it won't work unless you're logged in or it's remembered your preferences [TS]

00:15:01   or you use a different browser. So we're just complaining about it because we come across that kind of a lot. [TS]

00:15:06   But yes I do know that you can turn it off but it is it cannot. You'll still run into it even if you try to avoid it. [TS]

00:15:14   So I'm just trying to avoid a million e-mails. Good luck with that. [TS]

00:15:17   Yeah they've already been sent That's the problem I did it in the beginning so before we've already gotten them [TS]

00:15:22   and people never send Oh I'm sorry. [TS]

00:15:24   Email which actually I wouldn't want anyway because it would just double the e-mail about this week's episode of hello [TS]

00:15:30   internet is brought to you by Harry's dot com Harries was started by two guys passionate about creating a better [TS]

00:15:37   shaving experience for all men not only does Harry's deliver a superior shave [TS]

00:15:42   but they also cut out the middleman offer an amazing shave at the fraction of a price of drugstore brands their starter [TS]

00:15:49   kit is just fifteen bucks and that includes the razor three blades and your choice of Harry's shave cream [TS]

00:15:56   or foaming shave gel as an added bonus. Get five. Five dollars off your first purchase with our code H I. [TS]

00:16:04   That's just the letters H. I with that code you get an entire month's worth of shaving for just ten bucks. [TS]

00:16:11   And it's a real ten bucks. Shipping is always free. They don't charge you at the end. [TS]

00:16:15   Twenty dollars shipping for a ten dollar product it's just a straight clean ten dollar price. [TS]

00:16:21   They are a high quality German engineered blades [TS]

00:16:25   and they care about the quality of their shave which is why they bought [TS]

00:16:29   and OWN of the German factory that makes them and I also noticed [TS]

00:16:33   when checking out their website you don't just have to buy Harry's online there's also now a Harry's corner shop that's [TS]

00:16:40   in New York. It looks pretty cool there is a giant H. On the floor it's very slick layout. [TS]

00:16:45   If you're in New York New York is sixty four MacDougal Street you should go check them out. [TS]

00:16:50   Tell them hello internet send you. [TS]

00:16:51   So once again if you are looking for the superior shaving experience at a fraction of the price go to Harry's dot com [TS]

00:17:00   and use our offer code each night to get your first very good looking shaving kit. [TS]

00:17:07   What a weekend we had I saw a whole lot of you breaking that sense. [TS]

00:17:13   Rood We finally had a long awaited Star Wars penguin Bristol Zoo David Prowse mate. Hello Internet. [TS]

00:17:23   Extravaganza Yes it was held on stand against the war it was Saturday May the night [TS]

00:17:30   and only a small number of people with and of the risk of being a bit mean to the people who wanted to come [TS]

00:17:37   but didn't get tickets I think we should talk about what a fun day we had to tell people a bit about it. [TS]

00:17:42   The good and the bad the highs and the lows the laughs the tears the good times bad times. [TS]

00:17:51   Any other opposite things I can say I know where you're going with this. [TS]

00:17:56   And also it didn't it didn't to me seem like a small group of people. [TS]

00:18:00   There were like forty people there all told you about a lot more people wanted to come who didn't get tickets. [TS]

00:18:07   OK I guess if we're looking at the set of people who wanted to come versus the set of people who came it was a small [TS]

00:18:13   number of people. [TS]

00:18:14   But I'm thinking of it from the perspective of oh you and I right we should we show up at the zoo [TS]

00:18:18   and there's a crowd of forty people standing around that's a lot of people I guess. I live near Bristol. Yes you do. [TS]

00:18:25   You came up on the train you in your life you came up and then and met with met with us and we went for lunch [TS]

00:18:31   and you walked over to the Clifton Suspension Bridge one of my top five favorite bridges [TS]

00:18:36   and you you got to say it I was very impressed with the Clifton Suspension Bridge you look very nice even though half [TS]

00:18:43   of it was under renovation at the time you took a photo were you doing that just to sort of to human made to make me [TS]

00:18:48   feel good or did you actually want a photo of it I would never Uma you in such a way. [TS]

00:18:53   Brady I thought it was great to get a photo of you and I in front of the bridge. [TS]

00:18:56   Yeah I thought that was really good [TS]

00:18:58   and they have to you have to remember the day because this is this is the thing you need the photographs otherwise [TS]

00:19:03   future you will never will never remember what past you did unless you have photographs. [TS]

00:19:07   That's true I'll be sad and cry he never came to the bridge and you can say yes I did and I'll be I know you didn't [TS]

00:19:12   and then you say well look at this this is why we need proof. [TS]

00:19:16   I do this all the time and they take pictures of stuff just to remember that it happened at some point. [TS]

00:19:20   Oh and I want to get us on the bridge and it was it was the world's most lovely day to walk across the bridge [TS]

00:19:25   and go to the zoo we really lucked out with the weather which was nice. [TS]

00:19:28   We didn't date so we arrived and we met with all the various people who who had come along [TS]

00:19:37   and then the first part of the day was a zoo expert whose name I believe was Nigel. [TS]

00:19:44   He was like a curator of birds [TS]

00:19:46   and he gave us all the special little talk about the penguins because this whole day was raising money for African [TS]

00:19:52   penguins conservation of them which is done and down in South Africa and at that point the first surprise. [TS]

00:20:00   As of the day was sprung upon you you know I like surprises you like surprises and you like being given objects [TS]

00:20:08   and those two things both happened much much to my surprise. [TS]

00:20:12   You had sneakily arranged for a penguin to be named after me at the zoo is that the best way to describe how this came [TS]

00:20:22   out I was I was almost overwhelmed and confused when it happened and I was trying to think who did this [TS]

00:20:27   and I think you did this and you arrange this. [TS]

00:20:30   Well I suggest it's it's actually very unusual for animals at the zoo to be formally named And I think any one of two [TS]

00:20:37   penguins of the numerous penguins have names [TS]

00:20:41   but because we've managed to with the help of our viewers raise so much money for the conservation of penguins [TS]

00:20:49   and because maybe they just thought we would NASCAR The zoo said OK we will we want to quit going to name a penguin [TS]

00:20:57   C.D.P. Grey and they had a couple of newborn chicks so I went along on the first day before and said. [TS]

00:21:04   Let's get some photos and video footage of the penguin So when Gray finds out I can put a video on You Tube [TS]

00:21:10   or a blog and we can you know show everyone what the penguin looks like so I went along to the zoo [TS]

00:21:15   and they had not yet chosen the penguin [TS]

00:21:18   and there were there were two chicks so I turned up at the enclosure with the capers [TS]

00:21:22   and I said Well which one are we going to go see to be grey [TS]

00:21:26   and the decision was made so easy by the fact that there was one big fat very grey fluffy penguin coat grey with a grey [TS]

00:21:35   number tag on a swing just sitting there next to his dad doing nothing [TS]

00:21:40   and the other one was nowhere to be the other one was off having adventures. [TS]

00:21:44   So I said I'm going to use that one the other penguin having adventures is informally named Well that's not the case [TS]

00:21:53   but that the big fat slow when doing nothing. Procrastinating if you think of. [TS]

00:22:00   Ask him for his father to vomit into its mouth. That is a G.P. [TS]

00:22:06   Grey and I will tell you the penguin that is named after Gray always named C.D.P. [TS]

00:22:14   Gray is the one wearing the wig tag number eight two zero five eight three. [TS]

00:22:21   You need binoculars are very good vision to say because the tags are very small so that is you [TS]

00:22:26   and there's a certificate they gave you an official difficult to do it [TS]

00:22:29   and there's these official database of the zoo animals [TS]

00:22:32   and that's going to be officially amended to have your name on it so it becomes the real deal [TS]

00:22:37   but the thing I didn't tell you and the thing I found is we don't actually know what gender C.D.P. [TS]

00:22:43   Gray and that is not something you will find until it has its six monthly health check when they take a sample [TS]

00:22:50   and send it off they don't lift up the Fed doesn't have a look. They do it with science. [TS]

00:22:55   So in about four months time we will find out if C.G. P. Gray The penguin is a boy or a girl. [TS]

00:23:02   And presumably by that time it'll be more of a black and white penguin. [TS]

00:23:05   Not such a great penguin luck is a moment when you say they do with science they do it with a D.N.A. [TS]

00:23:10   Test is that what you mean. [TS]

00:23:10   I think so I think that they take a bit of blood and they also take like Feather samples and they do it with. [TS]

00:23:15   So I'm presuming that just yet. I must just today and I you know about chicken sexers. Yes. What do they do. [TS]

00:23:23   What's the skill to that. [TS]

00:23:24   The skill to being a chicken sexer is being able to quickly identify the sex of a chicken [TS]

00:23:31   and there are some very funny videos of chicken sexers at work picking up chickens very quickly pulling up some [TS]

00:23:38   feathers and then putting them in a pile whether they are the whether they are male chickens [TS]

00:23:42   or whether they are female chickens so I thought that I thought I'd do that with the penguins [TS]

00:23:46   but I think they like to touch them as little as possible and I keep keep it real I'm sure C.D.P. [TS]

00:23:53   Gray the penguin would also prefer to be touched as little as possible. Yes So people go to the show no spot hopefully. [TS]

00:24:00   TIME In this case I will got my act together probably with gray and will have pictures available [TS]

00:24:05   and there's a little video of the of the penguin. [TS]

00:24:09   But the challenge I want to throw down is I want people to go to a priest and take their own pictures [TS]

00:24:15   or have a selfie with scenes of the grave the penguin in the background and if you do that and sort of Twitter [TS]

00:24:22   or e-mail or whatever you are going to get the love at least from me maybe even from Gray. [TS]

00:24:27   It's going to be quite a challenge to find that penguin in that enclosure. [TS]

00:24:31   Yeah I mean first we're going to go to press to say but [TS]

00:24:33   but even once you're there this is this is people going to be the hardest Where's Waldo ever especially [TS]

00:24:40   when Grey grows up a bit [TS]

00:24:41   and looks like all the other penguins at the moment he's quite unique because he's fluffy yatra [TS]

00:24:45   and all the other penguins are black and white but in a few months when he becomes black [TS]

00:24:48   and white you're right that's going to be that's going to Hardcore is basically the challenge is on easy mode now [TS]

00:24:55   but in so if you want to practice while it's easy now is the time to go and then you can go later [TS]

00:25:01   and show off your amazing penguin identifying skills later on because they did say the zookeeper did say that all of [TS]

00:25:08   the Penguins eventually develop a unique pattern of black spots on the front of the chest [TS]

00:25:14   and so maybe maybe someone when you see to be grey as an adult can find him or her and take a picture [TS]

00:25:22   and show us the unique pattern of spots on sea to be. [TS]

00:25:25   Do you feel any kind of attachment or bond lucky you know curious about sort of this penguin's future [TS]

00:25:31   or are you just like whatever you stupid bratty [TS]

00:25:33   or are you going to be like like do you think you go to the zoo we're going to say it [TS]

00:25:37   or anything so this is this is the craziest of the crazy irrational thing that does work I think. Oh yes. [TS]

00:25:45   For nonsensical reasons I do feel like I hope that penguin turns out OK I hope he has a great life in the zoo [TS]

00:25:52   or in South Africa if they really reintroduce them into the wild. [TS]

00:25:55   I don't know if they do that I don't I don't think that will happen to that Penguin it could get transferred to an. [TS]

00:26:00   OK but I don't think they would really set a lot of time I don't even know I'm talking about. [TS]

00:26:05   I feel like the bigger the penguin would vastly prefer the easy zoo life then living in South Africa. [TS]

00:26:12   That might be much harder. [TS]

00:26:13   I have already told them that I want to go to London film the six month health check up when they do two thousand [TS]

00:26:18   and ten eleven feathers and stuff [TS]

00:26:20   and I have also tell gray that I'm going to I'm going to take some extra special pictures [TS]

00:26:24   and do extra updates for the patron supporters so if you follow how the Internet unpatriotic you will occasionally get [TS]

00:26:32   like an extra high respect cheer and lack health updates and stuff. [TS]

00:26:38   Maybe because I think only those people are kind of interested enough to be subjected to such minutiae of their life I [TS]

00:26:44   think that is an excellent excellent thing to put on the Patriots. [TS]

00:26:46   I was more I was more flattered than I expected to be and I was and it was a very nice if quite surprising and [TS]

00:26:54   and slightly derailing for a few moments thing to have done to me so thank you very much for that Brady [TS]

00:26:59   and of course thank you to the zoo for doing it. [TS]

00:27:02   Did you have to tell your family that OK so I did tell my my family about it and particularly [TS]

00:27:09   when I was telling my parents the very first question out of their mouth was why didn't Brady get a penguin. [TS]

00:27:18   There was the first question. [TS]

00:27:20   Well I'll tell you why I am more than happy for you to have the penguin because I find that far more amusing [TS]

00:27:27   but I will say something that happened later on and ruin the chronology of the day. [TS]

00:27:30   Because later in the day the zoo actually did spring a surprise back on me and it wasn't that I've named a line [TS]

00:27:36   or something after but what [TS]

00:27:38   but what they do do is they do have a very limited number of animals that people can adopt [TS]

00:27:44   and for example in the penguin enclosure there's one penguin that everyone adopts. [TS]

00:27:48   I think it's called something like Poly or something of that Polly the penguin that they made a special exception [TS]

00:27:54   and they have made me the official adopter of C.D.P. Gray the penguin. [TS]

00:28:00   And actually that I have this in front of me here it's in a box [TS]

00:28:05   and I can see it's not even I haven't adoptions to figure out which which I'm holding in front of me [TS]

00:28:11   and will all put a scan on the you know notes and stuff. Certificate of adoption. [TS]

00:28:16   This is to certify that Brady Haran has adopted C.G. B. [TS]

00:28:20   Grade the Penguin and the parental responsibility has had all these birth certificates [TS]

00:28:26   and it's really like official looking document. It's really nice. [TS]

00:28:31   It's somewhere between a real birth certificate and having a Cabbage Patch Kid. [TS]

00:28:36   But anyway that's fantastic so I was not left out. [TS]

00:28:39   You may have a penguin but I kind of have I have a daughter I have the adoption of you say everyone was a winner [TS]

00:28:46   and everyone came away with a little certificate I will keep mine and probably display it in some way. [TS]

00:28:51   What Grey would do with his. Well you know who knows who knows if he even still has it but I'm sure he does. [TS]

00:28:59   I'm sure I'm sure even robot grey couldn't throw that one in the trash. [TS]

00:29:03   It is in my wife's handbag as we speak how she's going to carry everywhere shooting like maybe that's the plan I don't [TS]

00:29:10   know maybe no Anyway you're out. Anyway it was it was a really fun little moment it was really good with an O.L. [TS]

00:29:16   I cannot tell you how beautiful the weather was with him when into the penguin enclosure [TS]

00:29:20   and went to like the public talk and like enough a zoo keeper came out [TS]

00:29:24   and like to talk to everyone about penguins while they were feeding them fish and stuff like that. C.D.P. [TS]

00:29:29   Gray was just hiding in the corner with his mom order that he [TS]

00:29:33   or she did not partake of the fish because Grace too young for that sort of thing [TS]

00:29:37   but all the other penguins were just freaking out and eating tons and tons of fish. [TS]

00:29:41   I do have to say that is the moment that I felt the closest to C.D.P. [TS]

00:29:45   Gray the penguin was when there was a huge huge amount of activity and hustle [TS]

00:29:49   and bustle going on in this penguin arena [TS]

00:29:53   and here she decided that the corner was the best place to be the corner behind a bush. Basically by himself. [TS]

00:30:02   Slate A slate if we're going to be honest the C.D.P. [TS]

00:30:05   Grey was sleeping out and there was a moment when the zookeeper sort of said oh [TS]

00:30:11   and by the way thank you to have the internet for coming [TS]

00:30:13   and your support for the penguins like she'd obviously been told to say this [TS]

00:30:17   and clearly had no idea what I would say it was the most robotic. [TS]

00:30:21   Thank you but it was really funny [TS]

00:30:23   and yet I felt strangely proud like I was like oh wow like we are real thing now because a zoo keeper sent us to a [TS]

00:30:29   crowd of people and this was all this was all you are doing great now [TS]

00:30:34   and I had never really was that whole this whole thing together I mean the day you you made the day happen [TS]

00:30:39   and loathe you should you should take part of this is a magazine you did all the organizing are just part of your [TS]

00:30:43   instructions and gave a few tips and said it will be funny if you named a penguin after Grey and stuff like that. [TS]

00:30:48   It was Abby from the zoo who did all the actual work saying thank you to her. [TS]

00:30:52   So anyway now all of this time by the way not only will be joined by thirty to forty hello internet listeners we were [TS]

00:30:59   joined by David Prowse so he wasn't just going to sworn in at the end he actually came in listen to the talks [TS]

00:31:06   and was I was hanging out with us. [TS]

00:31:08   It was great I got a chance to to shake the hand of a man who has crushed many people's throats through telekinesis. [TS]

00:31:16   It was quite the honor it was good. [TS]

00:31:18   So from the from the in the penguin enclosure although it was a beautiful day we did put all kind of nerdy people [TS]

00:31:25   and went inside to watch videos. [TS]

00:31:28   It's honestly that did feel like the most perfect moment [TS]

00:31:32   or as they look at the beautiful day we're going to go inside and watch a movie. [TS]

00:31:36   So we we went into a little nice little sort of Education Center I have to say with that set up a little makeshift [TS]

00:31:44   cinema. [TS]

00:31:45   We were given some biscuits and some tea and we hung out a bit and then we all took S.A.T.'s [TS]

00:31:50   and it was time to watch it was time to watch Star Wars Episode four A New Hope with the IN THE AUDIENCE Yes. [TS]

00:32:00   Special time was and it was a very special time. It was a very special time. [TS]

00:32:06   Now I want to I want to say something about this film. We're watching Star Wars. We're sitting down the lights are off. [TS]

00:32:15   The movie begins and the way this works is [TS]

00:32:21   when we were talking about originally we were going to be watching Star Wars one of my initial concerns was which [TS]

00:32:27   version of Star Wars are we going to watch it is you just going to handle this how is this going to work [TS]

00:32:31   and I wanted to make sure that we watched a version that I may have. [TS]

00:32:37   OK I'm not going to die a virgin I do have which is the Star Wars de specialized editions. [TS]

00:32:45   So for people who may be unaware that the specialized editions are this kind of amazing amazing piece of work where I [TS]

00:32:54   think the team of people have gone through [TS]

00:32:57   and done their best to collect as much of the original footage that has been made available from Lucas film from the [TS]

00:33:05   original Star Wars and kind of. [TS]

00:33:09   Correct for the colors and clean it up [TS]

00:33:12   but also take out all of the George Lucas special edition nonsense stuff that was added in the late ninety's I think it [TS]

00:33:19   was a Special Edition and On hundred percent sure. [TS]

00:33:20   Well there are a few different special editions where it was kind of the meddling was kind of done in stages. [TS]

00:33:26   That was yeah that was one of the things as well there are several versions of this [TS]

00:33:29   but I don't I don't I don't know exactly who is behind this [TS]

00:33:33   but I can tell you that if I was if I was in charge of the government I would give the people who have done those D. [TS]

00:33:40   Specialize editions a medal of cultural preservation of the highest order. [TS]

00:33:47   It's an amazing it's an amazing piece of work to see the only thing that's a little bit weird about watching them is [TS]

00:33:54   that the resolution sometimes flips a bit from kind of low resolution footage to you. [TS]

00:34:00   High resolution footage if they weren't able to get a couple of shots in high resolution because the only high [TS]

00:34:06   resolution versions available are ones with specialized crap all over them. [TS]

00:34:11   So the way this worked is we discussed it well OK obviously we have to watch the dispenser [TS]

00:34:15   but these specialized editions so in my defense a gray You didn't even have to tell me this. [TS]

00:34:20   I basically came to you and said This is what we're going to do [TS]

00:34:23   and you were like of course you were like I felt like you were a bit proud of me like I said we're going to we're going [TS]

00:34:29   to go fifty specialized family I had already thought about this [TS]

00:34:32   and taken the bull by the horns I had already discussed this with you. Like I was I was all over this. [TS]

00:34:38   I didn't need to be told this to either of the two of us I would probably say that you are the bigger Star Wars fan I [TS]

00:34:45   think if you could rank Star Wars itude you would be higher on this than I am. [TS]

00:34:51   And we discussed this many times I think it's because you're like you are slightly older than I am I never did you did [TS]

00:34:57   you see them in the theaters or not I don't remember I saw the only one I saw in the theater was Return of the jet. [TS]

00:35:02   OK they have that would make sense. Yeah I never saw any of them in the theater I only ever saw them on on V.H.S. [TS]

00:35:07   As a kid yet. So but anyway. Anyway this is this is all to the side so I had to given you the D. [TS]

00:35:15   Specialized addition [TS]

00:35:16   and then you specialized isn't too busy we need to get you to actually give it to me quite a long time ago like almost [TS]

00:35:23   a year ago. Yeah whatever whenever we first started talking about this. [TS]

00:35:28   Yeah I gave it to you [TS]

00:35:29   and then I think the day before the zoo I gave it to you again just to make sure I was like oh my God we got to watch [TS]

00:35:35   the specialized addition you send to me again but I said Don't worry I've already give it to them [TS]

00:35:39   but I sent it to them I said this is the one to show they said it will have a daily days back up [TS]

00:35:44   and I said Don't worry this is the one to show and I had electronically sent to them. [TS]

00:35:49   I said make sure this works played up on the big screen first if there's a problem that we know will bring on a year [TS]

00:35:54   especially you know this is a very particular version we want to show and I would I would say I did. [TS]

00:36:00   No from Adam but I would like [TS]

00:36:01   or would you say I'm absolutely sure the zookeepers are like OK nerds like you don't know why you're being so picky [TS]

00:36:09   about this but whatever guys. Yeah but this is basically the nerd equivalent of like there can be no green M. [TS]

00:36:14   and M's in R M N M Bolduc it has to be this exact but you know you guys yet. [TS]

00:36:19   But anyway when we [TS]

00:36:20   when we start to watch the movie suddenly there is a moment where there are stormtroopers writing dinosaurs basically I [TS]

00:36:30   thought oh my God this can't be [TS]

00:36:35   but I was I was I was confused because I thought wait it's been a long time since I watched that the specialized [TS]

00:36:39   addition where there are some shots that they just couldn't get any They couldn't get clear versions of [TS]

00:36:45   and so were there a couple the shots with specialized stuff and if I had to destroy their arms in the air [TS]

00:36:49   and say we can't save that one or something yeah. [TS]

00:36:51   So and as the movie is going on I'm kind of getting more and more confused [TS]

00:36:56   and I'm seeing stuff from the specialized addition [TS]

00:36:58   but there's also a couple of shots where I'm thinking no I know that one Lucas put extra crap in [TS]

00:37:04   but the extra crap isn't there. [TS]

00:37:06   So do I just badly remember the do you specialize edition I basically was having a kind of anxiety attack in the back [TS]

00:37:11   of the movie theater trying to think about what what possibly happened. [TS]

00:37:17   Am I just misremembering I thought the specialisation was the greatest thing that humanity has ever produced. [TS]

00:37:23   You were giving out medals a minute ago. I know and then I was like do I just do I does not remember it. [TS]

00:37:28   In particular there's a thing like there's one shot where R two D two is hiding in a cave and I know for a fact C.G.I. [TS]

00:37:34   Rocks were put all in front of him in a way that makes no sense. But that wasn't in this version. [TS]

00:37:39   So I was like losing my mind and I thought oh my god I can't I don't know what's happening [TS]

00:37:43   but as it was going on it became more and more clear especially when a dinosaur walks in front of the screen [TS]

00:37:50   and literally blocks out the entire frame for a couple of seconds I was like OK No this is definitely the special [TS]

00:37:57   edition. Yeah. A special edition. [TS]

00:38:00   It's a special edition and if I don't know how this happened and I thought I gave I gave Brady the file [TS]

00:38:06   and I know great like Brady passes on I thought oh my God I have made a terrible mistake like well you know what did I [TS]

00:38:13   do. [TS]

00:38:14   And I'm trying to pull out my phone and look on Dropbox to see like which version of the file that I give [TS]

00:38:18   but you live on like the outer rim planet so you have no cell phone connection anywhere in that whole town as far as I [TS]

00:38:25   can tell which is a slightly other complaint of mine. [TS]

00:38:28   But so I couldn't get Dropbox and I was freaking out I was I just couldn't believe it [TS]

00:38:32   and then we get to the scene where Han Solo is talking to just C.G.I. [TS]

00:38:38   Job at the Hyatt and steps on his tail and there's like a squeaky sound when he steps on a step and I swear [TS]

00:38:43   when that came on screen I had to leave I had to step out. [TS]

00:38:46   I couldn't deal with it I pretended like I had to go to the bathroom. [TS]

00:38:48   I really didn't I just had to walk out of the room for a minute like catch my breath [TS]

00:38:52   and not also watch that absolutely horrible horrible scene doubting myself and I thought I somehow messed this up. [TS]

00:38:59   And all I was thinking of is is one of our earlier conversations where I talk about how I don't have any regrets. [TS]

00:39:05   This is going to be one of the things I will regret until the end of time. [TS]

00:39:09   I made people watch the specialized addition not only that I made David Prowse Darth Vader himself watch the [TS]

00:39:19   specialized addition and if it couldn't be any worse to add one additional dagger into my heart. [TS]

00:39:25   There were three people with us that day who had never seen Star Wars absolute Star Wars virgins [TS]

00:39:34   and what do they see for the first time the specialized addition [TS]

00:39:39   and I did not know how this happened so I say my heart sank as well [TS]

00:39:44   and I did have a like a bit of a moment not least of all because I've told people before the screening that we were [TS]

00:39:49   going to watch the specialist one as well. [TS]

00:39:52   I'd kind of brag that way we've got to control this and then we show them that some of those nonsense things [TS]

00:39:59   but I have to say. [TS]

00:40:00   After I got over the initial shock I didn't I didn't take quite as badly as you said he was a cock up of some scale [TS]

00:40:09   but the thing that is amazing is the movie from my opinion that it still shines through the Special Edition. [TS]

00:40:14   Right it is still definitely enjoyable. [TS]

00:40:17   There's one thing that I wonder if I've occasionally heard that that younger people cannot tell the difference between [TS]

00:40:24   the original Star Wars movies [TS]

00:40:27   and the prequel Star Wars movies which is always horrifying to me whenever I hear this that there's this kind of no [TS]

00:40:32   distinction drawn and I was one. [TS]

00:40:35   Well as we're watching the specialized addition I thought ha I can kind of understand maybe why that would happen. [TS]

00:40:41   Because everything that has been added in the specialized version is like the same kind of just childish [TS]

00:40:48   or distracting stuff that is all over the screen that just doesn't need to be there that doesn't add anything to the [TS]

00:40:53   plot. He sprayed some of that crap all over the good stuff to match the bad stuff. [TS]

00:40:58   Yeah and I was kind of I was watching [TS]

00:41:00   and thinking yeah I could see how the tone of these movies is much less different if you're watching the specialized [TS]

00:41:09   addition at least in the very beginning of Star Wars. [TS]

00:41:14   So when Gray says specialist edition as he keeps saying he means a special edition. [TS]

00:41:19   Yes but as opposed to the specialist but yeah yeah. My bad my bad. [TS]

00:41:24   We know him [TS]

00:41:24   and I would really curious for feedback of people who've seen that is the first time they do do they notice all of this [TS]

00:41:32   stuff. Does this detract like I would want to do A B. [TS]

00:41:35   Testing on on groups of the population who haven't seen Star Wars [TS]

00:41:39   and see what you know what do they think of the special the special version versus the D specialize edition why does it [TS]

00:41:46   make as much of a difference as I feel that it makes or what I actually I almost don't want to admit [TS]

00:41:52   but it's possibly quite likely. Am I just extremely sensitive to the changes because I love you. [TS]

00:42:00   Original version so much. [TS]

00:42:01   Well I would just be really curious to know I'm going to say to my credit first mind I knew it was the wrong edition [TS]

00:42:08   well before you did. Like I was very akin to some very subtle differences early on. [TS]

00:42:14   Like you I was thinking did the special that did the deed specializes you know have to make some compromises [TS]

00:42:20   but I knew something was wrong very quickly. So I'm going to say that to my credit to big myself up as a stylus fan. [TS]

00:42:27   Well yeah you notice you notice the scene difference that I would never have noticed. [TS]

00:42:31   Yeah I noticed that the sky was different in a sane and things like that say so. [TS]

00:42:36   So I'm thinking oh I'm Mr Starr I was here I for that but just to bring things back down to earth for everyone [TS]

00:42:42   and I'm sure people have guessed this by now already. It was May he cocked up spectacularly. [TS]

00:42:50   I supplied the wrong file because after the film I went up and checked it they put a D.V.D. [TS]

00:42:55   In a something and not use my file and the D.V.D. [TS]

00:42:58   I bought as a backup was still there in its plastic wrap [TS]

00:43:01   and I've seen them start a computer file so it could only be the file I supplied [TS]

00:43:06   and then it occurred to me what I've done wrong what we were talking about in the car afterward [TS]

00:43:10   and you realized that you had done a Spotlight search for Star Wars and dragged over a file [TS]

00:43:17   and apparently you you have a copy of the special edition which is which is amazing to me. All this is. I don't mind. [TS]

00:43:25   He watched it enough that spotlight thinks it is the version you want oh no that's not saying that's not the case. [TS]

00:43:30   Anyway I did have it I did have both a D. [TS]

00:43:32   Specialized and that special edition I don't want to incriminate myself [TS]

00:43:36   but I imagine I had the specialized addition once when I very quickly made a Star Wars sane for research purposes [TS]

00:43:43   and ran probably do. [TS]

00:43:44   Yeah that's the only reason I have to do specialized addition is as well I need it for research for fair use research [TS]

00:43:51   purposes anyway I'm working on something like Red Letter media. [TS]

00:43:54   It'll never be out but I'm working more now anyway so I took the wrong. [TS]

00:44:00   Just copied across and didn't check [TS]

00:44:02   but funnily enough as idle as I look back over the mistakes I've made there was an opportunity to pick this mistake up [TS]

00:44:11   like an episode of air crash investigation where you look back over the things that went wrong [TS]

00:44:16   and even one of those moments where some engineer could have done something differently [TS]

00:44:20   or something while it could've difference which I did have that moment where I could have saved the day because I did [TS]

00:44:27   check a few days before just to make sure the file worked. [TS]

00:44:30   What does this video even play it in the end credits there is the stop there and obvious aims in the middle. [TS]

00:44:37   So I randomly looked at the scene in the middle of the film [TS]

00:44:40   and by coincidence it was the scene where Han Solo has his little interaction with Greta in the canteen of all the nice [TS]

00:44:49   outline so I watched and thought I can let's watch to see if the shooting say the shooting happened [TS]

00:44:56   and the shooting happened and I had that you know extra blast that was added were great I shot first [TS]

00:45:02   and I was like oh yeah so in the day specialist EDITION. That's that's what was that's interesting I never knew that. [TS]

00:45:08   And thought no more of it. [TS]

00:45:10   So after telling everyone beforehand that I got a good addition and telling gray and that I stuffed up. [TS]

00:45:17   And actually I have I have not yet apologized to everyone who came for that mistake. [TS]

00:45:22   So this is my public apology it's my mia culpa. It was entirely my fault. It was not my intention. [TS]

00:45:28   I'm embarrassed by it. [TS]

00:45:29   I'm not surprised by it because I'm rubbish and stuff things up [TS]

00:45:32   but they say sorry Gray sorry sorry everyone I want to be clear I'm not going to let you take one hundred percent of [TS]

00:45:39   the blame because I was I was thinking later on. [TS]

00:45:42   Initially when I found out it was it was you I thought I had this huge like all thank God sigh of relief. [TS]

00:45:47   But later on I decided no no no I should have handled it the same way that I did and a lot of moments [TS]

00:45:53   when you're teaching where everybody triple check stuff and so I thought I should have checked the file as well. [TS]

00:45:59   I should have had a back up. So this is also partly my fault I will not let you take one hundred percent of the blade. [TS]

00:46:03   That's kind of you I mean I don't agree [TS]

00:46:06   but you can have you can you can have five percent you can have five percent of the blind makes you feel better so I [TS]

00:46:12   will take forty percent of the time. Afterwards the man himself comes up the movie has ended. [TS]

00:46:19   We have we have applauded him. [TS]

00:46:20   I have to say that was one of my favorite moments from the day is the very first scene [TS]

00:46:24   when Darth Vader steps stepped onto the starship everybody spontaneously just let out a big clap except I think you [TS]

00:46:32   booed someone because I thought it's like the villain you're going to be the villain. [TS]

00:46:36   Like I thought that was the thing to do whatever it was cheering like he was a hero. [TS]

00:46:40   Life just goes in the room doesn't mean that it is not that bad a buddy but Darth Vader is awesome I have that [TS]

00:46:46   but that was my absolute favorite moment of the whole day is Darth Vader coming on screen is like the man himself is [TS]

00:46:52   sitting here and everybody except Brady cheered and yes you're right you know booing is totally fine here [TS]

00:46:58   but then after the movie he went up to the front and he was taking questions [TS]

00:47:02   and it was great to see a charming man he is he is a very charming man very charming. [TS]

00:47:10   So he actually said I do not believe this. [TS]

00:47:14   I do not believe this is true [TS]

00:47:15   but he said it sounded like was only the second time he'd watched the whole film from start to finish. [TS]

00:47:21   Now I was I was squinting my eyes at their answer [TS]

00:47:23   and I'm not sure I one hundred percent believe this I mean you know I can imagine maybe he's just watched infractions [TS]

00:47:30   like a million times and it doesn't ever watch it from start to finish but that is quite possible actually. [TS]

00:47:35   But anyway that's what he said and you know we'll take it as our exclusive exclusive law and our public policy will be. [TS]

00:47:43   We watched Star Wars with David Prowse for the second time he had ever seen the film. [TS]

00:47:46   Yeah and he tells the North Atlantic some bits and pieces [TS]

00:47:50   and I guess we'll leave those for the people in the room to enjoy [TS]

00:47:53   and savor because they were the lucky ones to be there and then he posed for a bunch of selfies and. [TS]

00:48:00   I signed autographs for people. [TS]

00:48:02   I saw your wife went up and got a selfie with the man I noticed it was it was it was great you [TS]

00:48:06   and I got a photo with Darth Vader's moment. [TS]

00:48:09   Definitely I was going to miss that opportunity now and then and then once once David had done his duty for for this [TS]

00:48:17   and for us he was able to depart and your OK speeding off in his tie fighter however you want to imagine. [TS]

00:48:26   My favorite part of the day was earlier on when there was a bit like a traffic jam and we were outside [TS]

00:48:30   and like I was trying to get out the way [TS]

00:48:32   and David was following me on like he had this motorized scooter because he's got a leg injury [TS]

00:48:37   and he was following me [TS]

00:48:38   and it was like I was being followed by death later in a tie fighter stay on target stay on target. [TS]

00:48:43   So anyway he and his wife departed. [TS]

00:48:45   We're very grateful to them and then we had a chance to hang out with people and also do some selfies [TS]

00:48:50   and we did say we're going to do some signatures and I thought we might have to sign a few posters [TS]

00:48:55   and things like that. What I did not expect was the incredible amount of technology we were asked to sign. [TS]

00:49:02   By my count I signed two candles one with a keyboard and one the beloved paper white three i Pads and five [TS]

00:49:14   or six phones. Yeah it was. It was very expensive signing I was very nervous for this. [TS]

00:49:24   When someone hands you their phone I remember this in Alabama as they oh you know ha ha ha you know one [TS]

00:49:29   or two people had a sign sign phones but then to have a line of people who are holding their i Pads or phones. [TS]

00:49:36   This is this is a lot of pressure not to mess this up to do a good signature because already I don't know I must mess [TS]

00:49:41   up one in three signatures. [TS]

00:49:43   Yeah yeah if I have a I have a video of me doing a time lapse of signing stuff assigning posters [TS]

00:49:50   and you can see on there you know whatever it is. [TS]

00:49:53   One out of ten or so you can see that I have to like been the poster because I apparently can't sign my own name. [TS]

00:50:00   If you don't have that option. [TS]

00:50:02   When is that while there you know we have seven i Devices that you need to sign in a row you need to get it right it [TS]

00:50:08   has to be done right it's usually preferable I'm happy to do it. Point is that a lot of stress. [TS]

00:50:15   Yeah it's a lot of stress so I felt relief every time someone came up with a post it was a bit like thank God I'm not [TS]

00:50:21   going to accidently ruin possibly one of the most important technological devices in your life with my terrible [TS]

00:50:27   signature I felt like a bit of a pretender sun in the candle I think it was clearly a cake because your the your the [TS]

00:50:32   famous Kindle complained and they got you to sign and then they're like Brady we use on my Kindle to OK [TS]

00:50:38   but clearly you just feel bad because I'm here I'm going to get me to do it [TS]

00:50:44   but anyway I did it he got it you gotta catch em all you gotta catch em all you need both signatures. [TS]

00:50:49   Yeah it increases or increases the resale value. [TS]

00:50:52   People came from very far and we appreciate all that but it's only someone came from Italy. [TS]

00:50:56   Bunch of people from Scotland. [TS]

00:50:59   There was someone from Boston as well it was I was I was doing my best all day long to try to try [TS]

00:51:05   and be able to talk to everybody at least for a little bit [TS]

00:51:08   and that the group was as always big enough to be slightly intimidating [TS]

00:51:12   but small enough that I felt like oh yeah I did get a chance to say hello to everybody [TS]

00:51:15   and that was is genuinely nice I mean as I kept saying to everybody on the day it is also just a kind of very strange [TS]

00:51:22   experience from my perspective but it was it was it was really good to be able to meet people and say hi [TS]

00:51:28   and I really I really like the whole format of the day of oh we have stuff to do like like we're just a group of people [TS]

00:51:36   and we're going to the zoo and we're going to look at penguins and now we're going to watch a movie. [TS]

00:51:40   It had a very very different feeling to something like Alabama which which was an event. [TS]

00:51:46   So I quite enjoy today [TS]

00:51:47   and I felt for me anyway it made it much more natural to just kind of talk to people as as we're walking around [TS]

00:51:53   and doing stuff in the day so I had a I had a pretty good time but I was very exhausted by the time it was over. Yes. [TS]

00:52:00   Next one time to thank you everyone one more time thank you people thank you say [TS]

00:52:04   and without forcing your pictures with C.G. B. Groh the penguin. Thanks everyone. [TS]

00:52:09   Now most importantly after this you came back. [TS]

00:52:14   I don't live in Bristol in Cyprus till he came back to to my place because he was you decide to spend the night in this [TS]

00:52:22   part of the world so yes you stayed at a house and you got to meet Audrey. Yes I stated chateau hire and he did. [TS]

00:52:30   And Guy did get to meet Audrey and Lulu. Yeah I mean I met Lulu before yes. [TS]

00:52:36   Never touched Lulu because I don't want to make her too nervous [TS]

00:52:39   or too upset to talk just now no I was going to you my dear. I like some savage days everyone touches and pats. [TS]

00:52:50   She's not no no no it is it is the exact opposite is the exact opposite. [TS]

00:52:54   She's very calm and she is very sweet [TS]

00:52:58   but I feel that with dogs I don't want to bother them right if she wants to come up that's perfectly fine [TS]

00:53:03   but I was very happy to have them around but I was not going to go bother her especially [TS]

00:53:07   when she's lying on her doggie bed of a dog is lying on their little doggie bed that should be a safe space for them. [TS]

00:53:12   They shouldn't have people coming up and poking them and petting them. [TS]

00:53:15   They should always feel safe in a little doggie beds more than made up for it with the amount of touching of a tree [TS]

00:53:20   that I could Audrey however is a very very friendly super happy little dog that I was very happy to pick up [TS]

00:53:28   and to give belly rubs and to play with and to throw little toys for [TS]

00:53:32   and it was very exciting to me the trick so that was that was also a high point of the trip. [TS]

00:53:36   I kind of felt that you hoped Audrey a bit from your wife because you know what like to a tree [TS]

00:53:41   and you were you always the one holding him petting her I thought I was I was not doing the you know that's not it's [TS]

00:53:48   not true that's not true at all now and you know if anything I got far too little argy time [TS]

00:53:53   and my wife was constantly holding on to is the way it seemed from from my perspective that's how it is with village if [TS]

00:53:59   you haven't. Every every second you want to holding her seems like an eternity. [TS]

00:54:03   And yes I did get to see the room has an atlas in it before you start doing the thing that you always do. [TS]

00:54:09   I want to get it on record that I think your house is extraordinarily well decorated. [TS]

00:54:14   I don't go in there and I'm not like you repulsed which is what you always seem to think [TS]

00:54:19   but is in one hundred percent not the case at all [TS]

00:54:22   and everyone great was very nice he wasn't making jokes about the house he was very complementary [TS]

00:54:26   and he was a lovely house guest [TS]

00:54:28   and we had a very nice time he said sort of how the Internet has been brought to you by fracture [TS]

00:54:34   and if you've not heard of them before you should really check them out. [TS]

00:54:37   Basically they're an online service which lets you print a photo or image directly onto the glass. [TS]

00:54:44   That's a really nifty technique. Very cool product for your house. [TS]

00:54:47   Basically you get delivered your picture you can come in all sorts of sizes [TS]

00:54:51   and it will be all ready to put on the wall with a screw having already included in like a special backing no frames no [TS]

00:54:58   messing around. It's all ready to go. Really striking. [TS]

00:55:02   If you'd like to see more the website is Fraction Me dot com You can order them in all sorts of sizes from a small four [TS]

00:55:09   point eight to six point four inches right up to a big one which is twenty eight point eight by twenty one point six. [TS]

00:55:16   Never saw a joint photos you can also order works. [TS]

00:55:19   I think it's a really good idea for a gift because it's a really personal thing when you give a friend [TS]

00:55:23   or loved one a picture that shares some kind of memory between the two of you. [TS]

00:55:28   But this has the added bonus of being like a really cool technology. [TS]

00:55:31   So when you give it to them it sort of a talking point a lot or look at that how does that work [TS]

00:55:35   or what's printed on the glass that looks really cool. [TS]

00:55:38   Also since learning about fracture I've been thinking about another cool thing you could say because basically I've [TS]

00:55:43   heard there are lots of business people who order these things and they get like their logos [TS]

00:55:47   or icons fractured on to glass using this technique. [TS]

00:55:50   So I was thinking imagine getting like a fracture or a picture [TS]

00:55:54   or some kind of graphic for every element on the periodic table and then hanging them on your wall as a Jew. [TS]

00:56:00   All right periodic table like a messy installation. [TS]

00:56:03   If you're any good at hanging things in straight lines [TS]

00:56:05   and lining things up which admittedly are not I think that would be brilliant [TS]

00:56:09   and you can steal that idea you go ahead [TS]

00:56:10   and do it now there's a very special offer for your listeners if you order one of these go to fracture may dot com So [TS]

00:56:17   it's all one word fracture Me dot com And then when you check out enter the code hello internet. Hello Internet. [TS]

00:56:25   That means you get fifteen percent of your first order [TS]

00:56:29   and they'll know you came here from the show this is a really cool product if you actually want to see an action I've [TS]

00:56:34   got a nice little video on their website so I go and check them out. And thank you to fracture for sponsoring our show. [TS]

00:56:41   Maybe we should get a fracture of C G P grade the penguin. [TS]

00:56:44   Ari can these factors are the sole things Gray would hang in his house to cause the kind of minimalistic and coal. [TS]

00:56:51   I have a little paper cut. Oh you have a paper cutter Grady's paper cuts. Oh yeah. He kind of he kind of sang that. [TS]

00:56:59   So my paper cut is something I occasionally I'm guilty of that but there are times [TS]

00:57:05   when it's more acceptable than others. [TS]

00:57:07   My paper is when people send you a link to something in email but more often on something like Twitter [TS]

00:57:14   or social media and they don't tell you what the link is to so someone might tweet Brady you should look at this [TS]

00:57:21   and there's a link to it and you cannot tell from the link what it is or have you seen this or you will love this [TS]

00:57:28   or I bet you hate this or check it out and you have no idea what you're clicking on and what you going to go to [TS]

00:57:34   and it could be something really worthwhile that you're glad you saw or it could be a complete and utter waste of time. [TS]

00:57:40   Whatever it is I know less and less now because I have pretty much imposed a blanket ban on clicking on links [TS]

00:57:48   when I'm given no idea what the link is going to pay the debts are hard fastballs you know it's like all of my policies [TS]

00:57:54   it's more on it's going to be a breach than the observance but porous. [TS]

00:58:00   But that I am I am trying this does not apply to people to trusted sources. [TS]

00:58:05   So Gray sends me a link and says watch this video [TS]

00:58:09   and she says You Tube dot com slash X Y Z four three seven eight nine and I have no idea [TS]

00:58:14   when the video is going to say I will watch it because Gray is a trusted source but if someone I've never met before. [TS]

00:58:21   Emails or tweets [TS]

00:58:21   and says Brady you have to say this I'm not going to click on that because it could be something awesome [TS]

00:58:26   or it could be a complete waste of my time or it could be a joke or a prank or I'm just going to go away [TS]

00:58:32   and if I say check this out really it's you know and they tell me what it is I can then make an informed decision. [TS]

00:58:40   So do you have a position on this I mean this. [TS]

00:58:43   Surely this comes under some sort of Internet etiquette that you will have a policy on and have read about [TS]

00:58:49   and know all about because you know everything about the Internet. [TS]

00:58:53   I believe that what people are doing when they do this is they are trying to be intriguing [TS]

00:58:58   and they are hoping that they're intriguing this gets you to click on the link. [TS]

00:59:04   I think that's what's going on in people's heads they are filing right. [TS]

00:59:09   But if anybody has spent a long time on the Internet particularly I feel like the old Slashdot days you learn pretty [TS]

00:59:16   fast. You don't just click on a link right just just for fun. [TS]

00:59:20   You don't want to play link roulette with your eyes [TS]

00:59:24   and with your brain because you never know what you're going to see. [TS]

00:59:27   Yeah there are things that once you see them they can never be unseen. [TS]

00:59:31   And so yes you don't play link roulette when someone just sends you a random link is not going to happen. [TS]

00:59:36   I know tweets have limited characters but give me some context [TS]

00:59:39   or at least make it case I probably still won't click on it because you may then be lying. [TS]

00:59:44   But that that will help the only thing in my life which is somewhat like this where I do click on the links is again [TS]

00:59:50   when you say someone you know sends you something and one person in particular who's kind of bad at this [TS]

00:59:57   but lots of people do this where I will just get the people I know. [TS]

01:00:00   Who know me well enough to be sending me I messages will just send me a U.R.L. [TS]

01:00:05   and So it'll it'll just be like a You Tube U.R.L. [TS]

01:00:07   I cannot stop my brain from Always assuming when you [TS]

01:00:11   when presented with no context that whatever I'm about to click on is going to be horrible [TS]

01:00:17   or that it's going to be some kind of problem that I have to deal with for the rest of the day. [TS]

01:00:22   Someone stole a new video or something. Yeah yeah exactly like that. [TS]

01:00:27   Or you know look you you know whatever there's a whole there's a whole universe of things that are sometimes problems [TS]

01:00:34   that you have to deal with. [TS]

01:00:35   Yeah [TS]

01:00:35   when ever I receive a contextless link from someone I know very well every single time I have a moment of God What is [TS]

01:00:44   this going to be. [TS]

01:00:45   Yeah and I click on it and it's just I don't know maybe someone needs a title for their video [TS]

01:00:50   or it's you know just something that they want to show me there's no reason that if anything bad you know I owe my [TS]

01:00:56   brain just assumes that it's going to be bad news and that it's a problem and it makes me sad. [TS]

01:01:00   So I do not appreciate the contextless links either and I try to do them as little as possible [TS]

01:01:04   but every once in a while you do you just send someone a link [TS]

01:01:06   and then you know for fear of you digging through a message [TS]

01:01:09   and then incriminating me terribly I do feel like I try to do that with you if I send you a link. [TS]

01:01:14   I try to put some kind of context on as in you know I want you to watch as I made it [TS]

01:01:19   or something like So you say you're not playing that role. [TS]

01:01:22   Yeah I feel like you're pretty good with that [TS]

01:01:24   and I think you're pretty good with that as well because of your policy of not clicking on the links you're much more [TS]

01:01:28   you much more aware and so I think OK. Anyway that's my pipe I don't want to have to wear them. [TS]

01:01:35   There's something else that just came into my head the other day [TS]

01:01:40   and it's one of the things I wanted to ask you about because you seem to know everything [TS]

01:01:44   and have an answer to everything so I thought you'd know the answer to this. [TS]

01:01:48   Now I'm worried I know just like for a few days in a row that they were I know you don't read news sites so this [TS]

01:01:53   doesn't actually apply to you but you're aware that new sites exist [TS]

01:01:56   and you know I am aware of the news as of yesterday and for a few. [TS]

01:02:00   Days in a row source stories about semi famous people dying [TS]

01:02:05   and these were people who are going to be honest I probably hadn't heard of like you know this old lady has died [TS]

01:02:12   and she was famous for some hit songs she sang in the one nine hundred fifty S. [TS]

01:02:16   or This guy directed some film in the one nine hundred seventy S. That was really popular and I to I don't know. [TS]

01:02:22   So we got in. [TS]

01:02:23   So you quite often see stories about people famous people dying and sometimes you've heard of them [TS]

01:02:30   and sometimes you haven't but there's always there's always one of them every couple of days or so [TS]

01:02:35   and so old person has died at the age of eighty three. She was a famous ballet dancer from the one nine hundred sixty S. [TS]

01:02:41   and Caused a sensation with some controversy or something [TS]

01:02:44   and you're thinking you know gosh now as the media becomes more and more saturated and I get older and older. [TS]

01:02:51   Is there going to be a time in twenty years or say when this just going to be so many famous people [TS]

01:02:58   or so many people that did things that I may know about that the news industry is just going to be like forty people [TS]

01:03:04   dying a day because if I was shown a list of all the people who are older than me who I may have heard of. [TS]

01:03:13   That list is going to be massive now like it's going to be full of cricketers and sportsman and movie stars [TS]

01:03:20   and politicians and all these people have to die eventually. [TS]

01:03:25   And is that going to be a collapse at some point as we all get older [TS]

01:03:28   and older every day there's going to be no now that cricketer who I liked when I was a teenager has died today that T.V. [TS]

01:03:35   Star who I used to watch in that soap opera in the 1980's died like are we going to get a son like is this death thing [TS]

01:03:43   going to get crazy eventually. [TS]

01:03:46   Are you worried that newspapers will be filled with the deaths of notable people [TS]

01:03:52   and they won't have space for other things. [TS]

01:03:54   No no no no but what I'm saying at the moment is when the when someone dies it is it's like it's unusual. [TS]

01:04:00   So once I died today who would have thought. [TS]

01:04:02   But that's because the people who are dying at the moment from an era [TS]

01:04:06   when there weren't as many famous people say the right OK OK rather than the number of people is increase yes [TS]

01:04:13   or they're out at the moment there are too many people dying it's kind of manageable does anyone maybe want to die. [TS]

01:04:20   Julio who is worthy of a news article but it feels to me that in thirty [TS]

01:04:24   or forty years maybe the number of people dying who by the same criteria are worthy of coverage is going to just have [TS]

01:04:31   increased exponentially [TS]

01:04:33   and my head's going to explode for the number of people dying that I that I have an interest in. [TS]

01:04:39   Isn't this an argument for the role of editors that the editors just have to be more rigorous in their selection of who [TS]

01:04:45   is who is worth reporting on. [TS]

01:04:47   No because because say if there is someday in the distant future where three of my boyhood cricket heroes die [TS]

01:04:56   and one T.V. [TS]

01:04:56   and One movie star [TS]

01:04:58   and one politician from my hometown all die on the same day I would be curious to know that all of those things. [TS]

01:05:06   What I'm saying is is there it is the number of people going to get so high that it's just going to be hard to [TS]

01:05:12   comprehend or is there some fact I'm missing about distribution of days or distribution [TS]

01:05:18   but for example I know I've reached a point in my life now where. [TS]

01:05:23   The number of famous people who are younger than me has become quite significant. [TS]

01:05:28   So for example I will probably die before Taylor Swift. [TS]

01:05:31   So it's unlikely I will read a new story about this pop star of the you know twenty tens who had a whole bunch of hit [TS]

01:05:38   singles has died at the age of eighty three or something. [TS]

01:05:41   I'm not going to read that story Emma because I probably already dead [TS]

01:05:45   but there are a lot of people older than me who have a new stories I probably will read [TS]

01:05:50   and I'm wondering how many of them there are [TS]

01:05:52   and how dense that's going to become you know what's happening here brainy. I think you're beginning to deal with. [TS]

01:06:00   Any older. [TS]

01:06:01   That's what's happening here because as you grow older the number of people that you are just aware of in the world in [TS]

01:06:13   any way in any way they're notability increases as a function of time. [TS]

01:06:19   The number of people that you could have possibly heard about and have any interest goes up. Yeah. [TS]

01:06:25   But as as you're getting older you are now more aware of those who you are aware of who have died. Yeah right. [TS]

01:06:34   And when you're [TS]

01:06:35   when you're thinking backwards about oh it seemed to be less I think it's much less that oh they're more famous people [TS]

01:06:42   now and it is vastly more you knew fewer people. Yeah. [TS]

01:06:47   Right and so that's true although I'm going to mention I can imagine now like some very very old person [TS]

01:06:53   when that old ballet dancer from the nine hundred fifty S. Dies who I've never heard of. [TS]

01:06:57   They probably have heard of them [TS]

01:06:58   and they're thinking oh my god not another one although there were flaws in the get it immediately. I understand that. [TS]

01:07:05   So it's a bit like I kind of I'm trying to think [TS]

01:07:09   but there is also the there is also the fact there are more famous people now more media now so there are more that it [TS]

01:07:15   feels like I feel like I will have more targets when I'm older than my good my grandmother did. [TS]

01:07:20   Like you know I agree [TS]

01:07:21   but I would bet that we're talking about like an order of magnitude difference in the effect that the increase in the [TS]

01:07:28   number of famous people has increased the supply of potential deaths that you are aware of by ten percent. [TS]

01:07:35   But your aging has increased your knowledge by three hundred percent. [TS]

01:07:41   They are both contributing to this factor but one of your inevitable death [TS]

01:07:44   and your inevitable aging is increasing to this vastly more than the fact that there are more famous people on on You [TS]

01:07:50   Tube now than there were before. That's what that something is happening. [TS]

01:07:54   I like how you described as my inevitable death like this not even a slim chance I'm going to avoid it. I think. [TS]

01:08:01   Throw me a bone throw me a bone here. [TS]

01:08:04   I was I was trying to talk in your terms you know I don't actually put the chance of my own death at one hundred [TS]

01:08:10   percent [TS]

01:08:10   but I figure you're the kind of guy who would just assume it was what do you not put your trust one hundred percent. [TS]

01:08:16   Now I don't know I don't think that's what percent I mean extremely likely you know it's ninety nine with a bunch of [TS]

01:08:24   nine but it's not one hundred percent no. [TS]

01:08:29   This sounds like a topic for another day with the famous people thing I think I remember [TS]

01:08:33   when I was younger being confused about why people cared about famous people dying [TS]

01:08:41   but this was largely a function of the fact that I was a teenager I was in my early twenties. [TS]

01:08:47   And so I just didn't I didn't have much of a connection with very many notable people because I hadn't been alive long [TS]

01:08:55   enough to follow their careers or have any kind of level of interest and now [TS]

01:08:58   but now that I am much older I'm aware that I can much more sympathize with why people get upset [TS]

01:09:05   when notable people who they don't know personally die so now I can I can understand in a much more intuitive level [TS]

01:09:14   when a famous actor dies it is upsetting. [TS]

01:09:17   If you have seen a lot of their movies [TS]

01:09:20   and you you know you feel like you have much more of a connection to that you know I would say I get upset very often [TS]

01:09:27   when notable people who I don't die. But I do get affected. [TS]

01:09:32   So I don't want to I want to make it seem like I'm sitting here reading through a news website in tears because some [TS]

01:09:37   actor has to do something [TS]

01:09:38   but that was not a thing that I was trying to imply I was I was just trying to say that I have come to this conclusion [TS]

01:09:43   as well. [TS]

01:09:43   Oh now as I'm sitting here there are many more people whose whose death I would be aware of than [TS]

01:09:51   when I was seventeen and just an idiot. [TS]

01:09:53   Are you saying you've now come to the realisation of this and you understand why city people like Brady are affected [TS]

01:09:59   or are you saying you do. If it could as well now. Yeah I would I would say that I get more affected. [TS]

01:10:05   I mean you know I was sort of ornamental people just you know the star like a little flame war. [TS]

01:10:09   I was really really sad when I found out that Steve Jobs died [TS]

01:10:15   and that was the first celebrity death that I can say genuinely affected me [TS]

01:10:22   and that was partly because it felt like oh this is a person who has affected my life quite directly because I use [TS]

01:10:29   products that the person has produced a lot [TS]

01:10:32   and also is something that my you know my in my family Apple is a big topic of conversation [TS]

01:10:36   and so in many ways it feels like I've been talking about this person with people who are close to me for very many [TS]

01:10:43   years and now that is over that that that little part of our interaction is done now [TS]

01:10:51   and so that like that that was probably the first one that I felt I felt like oh I feel sad in a way that is not [TS]

01:10:58   rational because I don't know this person [TS]

01:11:00   but it is a side effect of having been aware of a person in a particular way and [TS]

01:11:05   when I was much younger you know I would hear about notable celebrities dying of like why is everybody so sad about [TS]

01:11:11   this but it's because I hadn't been old enough to have any kind of connection with another person. [TS]

01:11:17   Now there's a weird thing I think about sometimes which is that there are a large number of internet personalities [TS]

01:11:24   and people that I have known for a long time. [TS]

01:11:27   People I've been aware of on the Internet sometimes going back to college [TS]

01:11:31   and before people whose careers I have followed and they're not people that I know. [TS]

01:11:36   And sometimes I think there are people I've been following for fifteen years maybe or ten years [TS]

01:11:41   and there are enough of them and none of them have yet died. [TS]

01:11:45   And sooner or later some some person in this little group of people is going to die as well [TS]

01:11:49   and that's going to be strange. [TS]

01:11:51   I feel like I'm waiting for the first internet person death in a strange way where it's like oh the death of this [TS]

01:11:57   person would not make the news. And there are. [TS]

01:12:00   But I don't know but I would certainly find out about their death and that would be strange [TS]

01:12:04   and affecting even though I've never spoken to this person [TS]

01:12:06   and I know nothing I don't know them personally in any way whatsoever. I don't know I just got more of a drive. [TS]

01:12:13   I've had a few people in my video start you know with my video still and sometimes go through what I'm out here [TS]

01:12:20   and some reasons like a company of that person not here anymore this is it's a numbers game. [TS]

01:12:27   You know [TS]

01:12:27   when you start interacting with large I mean how many people must you have interviewed for a very yeah yeah I guess I [TS]

01:12:32   mean you know hundreds and hundreds and [TS]

01:12:36   when you start talking about hundreds of people it's not even oh we're just waiting for everybody to die of natural [TS]

01:12:41   causes car crashes and all kinds of accidents and tigers [TS]

01:12:45   and things because they're sort of you know some of them are a bit older because they're sort of you know learned [TS]

01:12:50   professors and things like that of course. Yeah. Anyway there you go. [TS]

01:12:56   Famous people I wouldn't be [TS]

01:12:58   and how the Internet if we didn't talk about death in some way with it we didn't suddenly veer into a set. Yeah. [TS]

01:13:05   What are you up to today. Internet. [TS]

01:13:07   Listening to the show perhaps on a computer just like a casual question [TS]

01:13:11   but do you have anything important at all on that computer. Your work files your documents your Ph D. [TS]

01:13:18   Thesis your photos of your baby your photos of your dog. Have you back those things up recently or ever. [TS]

01:13:28   I'm guessing you might not have that situation. It makes me nervous. [TS]

01:13:33   Do your friend Gray a favor and go to the back please dot com slash hello internet [TS]

01:13:41   and sign up to protect all of the digital files in your life. [TS]

01:13:46   If you're like me that might represent a pretty significant chunk of your entire life. [TS]

01:13:52   Computers They are wonderful but fragile things at any moment. A hard drive can go bad and everything on that. [TS]

01:14:00   Our drive is lost forever. [TS]

01:14:02   I actually had this happen to me a long time ago before back Blaise existed [TS]

01:14:07   when I was in college I had a hard drive go bad my senior year [TS]

01:14:10   and I lost everything I ever made in college it was pretty disastrous. All that stuff just gone. [TS]

01:14:19   There was no data recovery place no nothing. But if you go sign up at back please. [TS]

01:14:24   My fate will not be for you automatically without even having to think about it back please will just make a copy of [TS]

01:14:33   all of your data and keep it safe in the cloud and then if something goes bad you can get it back. [TS]

01:14:40   All is not lost backplate has over one hundred [TS]

01:14:44   and fifty petabytes of data on their services a number so large it's impossible to even begin to understand. [TS]

01:14:51   And they have restored over a billion files for their customers a billion files that might have been lost [TS]

01:14:59   but then were saved. If you use back plays you can access your data from anywhere. [TS]

01:15:05   You can use your i Phone app you can use your Android app [TS]

01:15:08   and you can see what your files are from anywhere in the world. The company was founded by X.. [TS]

01:15:15   Apple engineers but they are platform agnostic. It will work on your mac and it will work on your P.C. [TS]

01:15:22   Now what does it cost you to preserve all of your digital life. [TS]

01:15:26   It's just five dollars per month per computer for on limited backup. Do you have a lot of data. I have a lot of data. [TS]

01:15:35   I couldn't possibly pay by the byte five bucks unlimited sold I have backplanes running on my computer right now. [TS]

01:15:43   You should to pause the podcast go to back Blaze dot com slash hello internet. It will make me feel so much better. [TS]

01:15:54   It will allow you to sleep at night. Please do this back Blaze dot com. Slash hello internet. [TS]

01:16:03   Let's move to a topic that is much calmer. [TS]

01:16:06   We're not inside any emotion people will be totally cool with and that is the U.K. General election. [TS]

01:16:12   Yes let's talk politics with a nice way to calm down and let's discuss politics. [TS]

01:16:19   Can I do my like big butt covering Kavli thing at the start before I start poking you with a stick. [TS]

01:16:25   Disclaim away I am not massively passionate about politics. [TS]

01:16:33   I said Don't think like I am putting any sort of positions on the table or any point if that comes about. [TS]

01:16:40   And also I'm not as knowledgeable as gray about voting I don't think anyone who is not an expert professional expert on [TS]

01:16:48   voting is as knowledgeable of this gray that voting. [TS]

01:16:52   But I'm happy to talk to him about it because we've just had an election and let's do it. [TS]

01:16:57   I was going to an executive summary. And I know this will upset people for going wrong but whatever the U.K. [TS]

01:17:03   General election just happened basically the whole the whole parliament which is all the all the members of the [TS]

01:17:09   parliament that represent the different electorate so constituencies around the country all get thrown out. [TS]

01:17:14   Every constituency around the country votes to reelect [TS]

01:17:18   or elect a new representative that will come together to form the parliament. [TS]

01:17:22   The feeling was that it was all going to be a big tangled mess [TS]

01:17:26   and we were going to have so many different people from various parties that no one would have much of a majority [TS]

01:17:31   and we would end up with a big hung parliament [TS]

01:17:33   and it would be really hard for one to have enough people to form a government. [TS]

01:17:37   As it turned out that the ruling the party that was already in power the Conservative Party which was ruling by a [TS]

01:17:44   coalition had a very successful election surprised everybody got the majority of seats in the house just [TS]

01:17:52   and enough to form a government. So we now the Conservative Party the sort of the right wing party in the U.K. [TS]

01:17:58   Won the election. [TS]

01:18:00   Just has a majority from an American perspective there are many parts of that description which will make no sneer [TS]

01:18:05   and I T L D R There is a conservative government in the U.K. Yet right that that's the result of. [TS]

01:18:13   Yeah now can I ask you let's ask one big burning question right from the start do you vote like are you are you allowed [TS]

01:18:24   to vote first. OK So this is going to like a whole big story. [TS]

01:18:28   OK I will sit back and say something really bad when you finish. Yeah that's right. [TS]

01:18:34   Just go go go play with the dogs to talk us through it but don't talk us through in too much detail [TS]

01:18:41   but I will I will I will try to do this as briefly as I possibly can the short answer is that I can vote in U.K. [TS]

01:18:50   National elections yes there's a whole complication about the European Union existing. [TS]

01:18:54   and people moving all over the place. But the bottom line is that if say someone from Italy moved to the U.K. [TS]

01:19:03   Even though they are allowed to live here they are not allowed to vote in national elections but the U.K. [TS]

01:19:10   Has a unique agreement with Ireland which I am a citizen that Irish citizens are allowed to vote in national election. [TS]

01:19:17   OK So under most normal circumstances a person in my situation would not be allowed to vote [TS]

01:19:23   but because of some particulars I am allowed to vote. [TS]

01:19:25   OK and just answer the same question in cases in people's heads because obviously I have this astride an accent [TS]

01:19:31   and I also live in the U.K. I am allowed to vote and that is because I am a U.K. [TS]

01:19:36   Citizen I have a bridge I have a British passport due to sort of a birthright involving my father so I am I am a fully [TS]

01:19:42   fledged U.K. Citizen unlike Grey who is here on an Irish passport right. Yeah I'm a dirty immigrant basically. [TS]

01:19:49   Yeah actually are regular Australians allowed to vote in the national election I don't think they are. [TS]

01:19:55   Do you know why I thought the answer to that was no but I saw a friend write something on. [TS]

01:20:00   I spoke the other day where where he talked about the fact he just realized the whole time he was here he could have [TS]

01:20:04   voted and he didn't say the answer is I don't know the answer but I wouldn't rule that out. [TS]

01:20:11   We are both eligible to the background is the upshot to that so the next question is did you vote. [TS]

01:20:17   OK the way it works here is that you fill out a little a registration card that comes around in every October [TS]

01:20:27   or so to basically let the government know. [TS]

01:20:30   Hi I'm a person who resides at this address [TS]

01:20:32   and yes I am legally allowed to say that I put you on the roll basically right and then [TS]

01:20:37   when you fill that out the you get added to this big list of people who are allowed to vote. [TS]

01:20:44   And unlike many places in America you cannot turn up on the day and just say OK I want to vote. [TS]

01:20:50   Can you register me now is like not enough has to be done in advance so you need to be on this list. [TS]

01:20:55   And so this this comes around and I always make sure to fill out this little form so that I'm on the list. [TS]

01:21:01   You know you're eligible to vote in various elections. Now I have to confess something to you Brady because. [TS]

01:21:08   I was entirely unaware that there was an election going on until the last time we were recording this podcast and [TS]

01:21:18   when it was over. [TS]

01:21:19   You made some casual remark to me about the upcoming election and I just went along with that I went Oh yes [TS]

01:21:28   and the conversation sort of moved along and I was writing down on a piece of paper U.K. Election date. [TS]

01:21:35   Question mark right as a thing to look into the conversation so I only I only learned of the election whatever it was [TS]

01:21:43   two weeks ago when we recorded. [TS]

01:21:45   That's crazy to me like that's just pain everywhere it's like everyone else in the country is like for God's sake let [TS]

01:21:51   it end I'm so sick of it and you're writing down notes going and elections going on.. [TS]

01:21:56   QUESTION The reason I was looking into it is because it's an R.V. [TS]

01:22:00   As topic for video and when we hung up the phone after that I immediately was over them a lookup on the datas [TS]

01:22:06   and I thought it was relatively soon and I ended up doing some initial research to try to make a video for it [TS]

01:22:11   but then quickly realized I was not going to be able to do it in time [TS]

01:22:15   and so yes it did come to kind of bite me in the butt because had I known about it ahead of time I would have been able [TS]

01:22:21   to make the video in advance but I did not have a video this year for that reason I can. [TS]

01:22:25   Oh we have to back up for a second because this is going to sound incredibly confusing to Americans this is not like in [TS]

01:22:31   America where everybody knows until the end of time when all of the elections are going to take place. The U.K. [TS]

01:22:37   Elections don't take place every X. Number of years for various complications that we won't get into. [TS]

01:22:46   You can have an election that happens early. [TS]

01:22:48   They just have to happen once every I think it's five [TS]

01:22:51   or six years now I forget because it changed recently there has been some changes on that in recent years I think you [TS]

01:22:56   should rate read up a bit more I looked into it and yes the way that it can happen has chair and the. [TS]

01:23:01   The date for this election has been known for a long time like this this is the first time where the election wasn't [TS]

01:23:07   quite as random as it has been in the past. [TS]

01:23:10   Things have firmed up a bit there but anyway it is firmer but you still have uncertainty and [TS]

01:23:15   when the date is going to be and you still only know when the maximum date is going to be unlike. [TS]

01:23:20   I'm fully aware when all of the presidential elections for the rest of time will happen because I can count by four [TS]

01:23:26   and that's so that's not the situation here [TS]

01:23:27   and that's why in theory for someone it could be a kind of surprise that there's an election going on. [TS]

01:23:32   OK So a couple of weeks. You knew it was coming. [TS]

01:23:34   So getting back to the did you vote question model on election day people who are Follow me on Twitter knew that I had [TS]

01:23:40   dedicated a week to administrative tasks to catch up on a whole bunch of stuff [TS]

01:23:44   and it was during this week that election day was happening [TS]

01:23:48   and I have to admit that I had no intentions of going out to vote because I thought I got a whole bunch of other stuff [TS]

01:23:53   to do but the thing was I had Brady in the back of my mind and I thought I had some. [TS]

01:24:00   You had mentioned that you wanted to talk about the election upcoming podcast. [TS]

01:24:03   I thought I know Brady is going to give me a hard time about if I don't vote [TS]

01:24:07   and he was like a little a little angel on my shoulder saying you should probably go out and vote. [TS]

01:24:13   You've got to say I'm wrong [TS]

01:24:13   but anyway this was what was in my mind this is what was in my mind you know what I really can't I got too much to do. [TS]

01:24:22   There's too much stuff that I'm feeling bad about being way behind on I got to get this stuff done. [TS]

01:24:27   But during the day at one point I go out to run some errands [TS]

01:24:31   and as I'm going out to run some errands I literally on the same side of the street walk right by a gigantic sign that [TS]

01:24:39   says polling station pointing into a library [TS]

01:24:43   and there are people on the inside clearly welcoming welcoming me in to go vote. [TS]

01:24:47   OK And so I thought now I'm going to feel like a real jerk if it's right here it will take two seconds [TS]

01:24:54   and I don't actually step in to go vote. So I step in to go vote. Just before you say what happened next. [TS]

01:25:00   Yes if you didn't even know the election was on. How on earth can you know who you going to vote for. [TS]

01:25:06   I was wondering if you were going to pick up on this post because I hadn't seen any of the debates. [TS]

01:25:12   I hadn't been aware of any of the issues being discussed. [TS]

01:25:16   I could not be a more uninformed voter this is you are the advertisement for one of the biggest problems with democracy [TS]

01:25:24   in my opinion because you know what that's like. [TS]

01:25:27   I was keenly aware that this was a very funny moment of oh you know you tell people oh everybody should go out [TS]

01:25:33   and vote. [TS]

01:25:34   I I doubt that there was a person less informed in the nation walking into a polling station at that moment than myself [TS]

01:25:41   in a grade that proves to me that you don't watch the news because despite the fact you didn't even know the election [TS]

01:25:47   was on I guarantee you were in the upper echelon of people who knew about what. [TS]

01:25:52   Because I see interviews with people on the street on the news with the Vox Pops [TS]

01:25:57   and I say Who are you going to vote for for prime minister. [TS]

01:26:00   Don't know who the prime minister is or they don't know who the party is in power [TS]

01:26:03   or they don't you know people's ignorance never ceases to amaze me so even though you didn't know the election was on I [TS]

01:26:10   am more comfortable with you voting than the majority of people who voted that day. But anyway. [TS]

01:26:15   Oh thanks Brady that feels like a condemnation of the masses but I will take it as a compliment of me thank you. [TS]

01:26:21   So you've walked into this library. What happens next. [TS]

01:26:25   I go in there to vote [TS]

01:26:26   but then I discover a thing which I did not know which is that you're not allowed to just vote anywhere you have to [TS]

01:26:32   vote at a very particular place as a whole what is this nonsense I can't just like you can't take my vote here now. [TS]

01:26:39   Now they tell me that they can't take my vote that the vote is based on where you live [TS]

01:26:43   and they give me the address of the place that I have to go to actually vote and I take a look at [TS]

01:26:47   and I know exactly where it is because they're all kind of local spot. [TS]

01:26:50   Yeah and I think well this is exactly the opposite direction that I'm going to go in. Well shrug my shoulders. [TS]

01:26:56   I tried I tried Brady and so I just kept walking on and doing my errands. [TS]

01:27:01   OK So you didn't but that you do Way way the story is not over. [TS]

01:27:04   Oh well there is more as it gets very exciting is amazing. [TS]

01:27:08   So I run all of my errands and then I'm thinking I'm going to go back home [TS]

01:27:12   and the place that I have to vote is past where my home is that is going to go home. [TS]

01:27:16   However as you may be aware I now have an apple watch and on my way home I look at the Apple Watch [TS]

01:27:23   and frowned because I had not gotten in the amount of walking and motion that I needed to for the day. [TS]

01:27:29   And so then I thought well I guess I might as well walk to the voting station. [TS]

01:27:34   OK so entirely to Philly raining on my Apple Watch. [TS]

01:27:37   I walk past my house and to the polling station and I go in to vote and I tell the lady my name [TS]

01:27:44   and tell her my address and she says you're not listed on this. This polling station you can vote here. [TS]

01:27:50   I know that's the case already [TS]

01:27:52   and I'll tell you the fact you didn't know where to vote tells me you didn't get a polling card sent to you [TS]

01:27:58   and if you did have a polling center. It was me that you were on the right name and address on the list. [TS]

01:28:03   Well the thing is I know I filled this out like I try to fill out this paperwork all the time [TS]

01:28:09   and I am terrible with physical mail. [TS]

01:28:13   There was always a huge pile of unopened physical mail in my house because I hate it. [TS]

01:28:17   Yeah and so it is very possible that there was a polling card in there somewhere but I go to this location [TS]

01:28:23   and they tell me no my name isn't on this list and then they ask if I moved recently which definitely was the case [TS]

01:28:28   and they tell me oh don't worry about it it's no problem you can go to this third location to vote. [TS]

01:28:33   If that happens to be right around the corner because I basically moved right around the corner. [TS]

01:28:38   Yeah great OK here we go once again. [TS]

01:28:42   I go to a third location to vote only to have them tell me that no my name is not listed there either as a person who [TS]

01:28:49   had no intention to vote. [TS]

01:28:51   I ended up walking to three polling stations to try and vote I was not able to vote at any of them but. [TS]

01:28:59   But luckily it doesn't matter because my vote would not affect the election anyway. [TS]

01:29:04   And it worked out well because I was able to close all of my apple watch activity loops. [TS]

01:29:11   That's my story of trying to vote democracy in action. [TS]

01:29:14   I'm not going to ask you you would have voted for because that's no one's business and I don't want to start that [TS]

01:29:19   but you did know who you were going to vote for if you go in or were you just going to look at the paper [TS]

01:29:23   and say whose name you like [TS]

01:29:24   or have you could look at if you go leanings that would have just said well I always vote left or right of center [TS]

01:29:29   and I just would have picked whoever represented your party of choice. What was what was your plan. [TS]

01:29:35   What the reason why I felt comfortable going in [TS]

01:29:38   and voting even though I knew literally nothing about any of the politics [TS]

01:29:41   or any of the people involved in these politics was that I I had a vote that was a kind of strategic vote that was not [TS]

01:29:49   relevant to the particular policies of any of the parties. [TS]

01:29:52   OK so that's why I could feel like oh I can go vote in good conscience as opposed to just like you know randomly [TS]

01:29:57   scribbling next to a name. So that. [TS]

01:30:00   Why have I got a need to watch the news to know which way I was going to do it [TS]

01:30:03   and that's not something you want to discuss that's kind of a political thing is now we will eat we'll leave it at that [TS]

01:30:08   the vote was not relevant to Caltex. So did you vote Brady. [TS]

01:30:12   I did vote [TS]

01:30:15   and I come from Australia where voting is compulsory so it is kind of ingrained to me that on election day you vote [TS]

01:30:22   and the luxury of having the choice to not vote is quite novel to me. [TS]

01:30:27   So part of me sometimes thinks Oh I think I might not vote today just because I can't [TS]

01:30:33   but that would not go down well in my house. [TS]

01:30:35   My my wife is very thinks it's great that people vote and everyone should vote. [TS]

01:30:41   And if basically any year when I jokingly say I think I'm not going to vote this year she just looks at me [TS]

01:30:46   and says you are voting my friend so that's all I have no choice about voting that she tell you who to vote for. [TS]

01:30:52   No no she doesn't know she doesn't tell me to vote for she's But she just thinks people should vote she thinks is [TS]

01:30:57   important so I kind of I kind of and she is right. [TS]

01:31:01   So but I do it more because of her pressure than than wanting to make a difference. [TS]

01:31:06   I live in quite a safe city as well so I feel I can have a huge effect in what I would do anyway. [TS]

01:31:14   We're always waiting for the person in power or against them but I did have a funny story. [TS]

01:31:20   So to expand on what greatest explained the one thing he didn't include because he doesn't seem to realize this is that [TS]

01:31:26   if you are on the electoral roll about a day or two before the election you receive a polling card with your name [TS]

01:31:31   and address details about where to vote [TS]

01:31:34   and also your voting registration number I think you have some code number associated with you. [TS]

01:31:40   I am aware of that because I receive those before. [TS]

01:31:42   OK I had mine and basically you can you don't have to have it with you they can tick you off the list without it [TS]

01:31:48   but if you have your pollen count it makes life pretty easy because I just take you cut off the tick you off the list [TS]

01:31:53   and you vote. [TS]

01:31:54   So I went along to the local church churches often host the election which I find so funny with so separate. [TS]

01:32:01   One of the three places I went to was a church you know [TS]

01:32:03   and the other one wasn't explicitly a church it was officially religiously affiliated I just find that mind blowing. [TS]

01:32:10   As an American every time I've done it to they not do that in America public is not held in churches depending on the [TS]

01:32:16   state there may be states that do do it in churches but at least at least where I grew up it was always schools [TS]

01:32:22   and we have a much stricter separation of church [TS]

01:32:24   and state so the walking into a church just feels so weird on election day. [TS]

01:32:29   It's usually like a church roller aside it's not usually you know you don't like walk down the aisle [TS]

01:32:33   and I haven't put things on the altar where you put you know you have to vote on the altar in the moment of handing you [TS]

01:32:38   the ballot. [TS]

01:32:39   So I don't want to have the feeling that some crazy religious thing it's just convenient because most towns have a [TS]

01:32:43   church and they usually have a hole where you can do it makes one hundred percent sense from a logistical perspective. [TS]

01:32:49   They're so near I turned up at this church my wife [TS]

01:32:52   and I with the voting just outside the church at the gate to the church there's all the political people hoping to you [TS]

01:32:57   know give you a piece of paper or to smile at you and hope you vote for them. I'm used to that that's normal. [TS]

01:33:02   That's fine. I walk past them. [TS]

01:33:04   I already know how I'm going to vote and I walk through the church grounds [TS]

01:33:07   but in this vestibule area there's this guy in a suit and he says may I have your bias in your polling place [TS]

01:33:13   and I'm like OK well you know I mean the polling booth now his official this is obviously part of the process. [TS]

01:33:18   So I showed him my polling card and my wife shows her public and he starts writing down our numbers on this list. [TS]

01:33:24   Something you know I carry the you know the checking of the numbers and stuff. This is how it's all working. [TS]

01:33:29   And then some. [TS]

01:33:29   Latest something strikes me as wrong [TS]

01:33:32   and then I notice like that he's wearing like a resent for one of the political parties [TS]

01:33:37   and I'm like Who are you where are you from and he doesn't answer. [TS]

01:33:42   He's taking all this information and I ask him again like a bit more family doesn't tell me. [TS]

01:33:46   And then once he's got the numbers and written them down I ask him a third time. [TS]

01:33:50   Welcome to creating a sane really [TS]

01:33:52   but by this by this point it's probably noticeable that I'm unhappy I say Who are you where are you from. [TS]

01:33:58   And he says he's from this political. He's just taking information now this is normal they do they do this. [TS]

01:34:03   Other political parties do this for their own research purposes and that's fine I accept that [TS]

01:34:08   but I felt like I was a bit tricked because this guy wasn't outside with all the other people he was like in like this [TS]

01:34:14   the Holy of Holies he was in that he was in the church he was in he was like really close to the polling booths. [TS]

01:34:21   I don't remember what I said but I did I was really unhappy there is nothing I could do [TS]

01:34:24   and I just walked in sort of shaking my head and saying I think this is a bit out of order [TS]

01:34:27   and I walk in two steps later this official guy because now I'm in the room where all the polling booths comes up to me [TS]

01:34:33   and says Excuse me sir are you unhappy with what just happened. [TS]

01:34:36   He obviously knew something was wrong and he obviously heard or saw this this incident [TS]

01:34:40   and I said as a matter of fact yes I'm really displaced. [TS]

01:34:44   I thought that guy was part of the polling process I wouldn't have given him my numbers are really just great he did I [TS]

01:34:48   don't think he should be there. He should be out with all the others and this guy said You're right I'm sorry. [TS]

01:34:54   I think he was on that earlier when it was raining and he shouldn't be there and I said Well go [TS]

01:34:58   and make sure he crosses my number off his list because I don't want him having my details [TS]

01:35:02   and my wife is I really embarrassed says I don't care he couldn't you know she just wants me to shut up because. [TS]

01:35:08   Because now she thinks I'm creating a sane right. I'm not creating a sane. Of course not of course not I am being fair. [TS]

01:35:13   Right so he then goes off and like do it with this guy obviously so I'm all riled up now and then [TS]

01:35:19   and then I go up to the person who is supposed to cross me off the list and they give me my papers [TS]

01:35:23   and they're like really apologetic they will feel really bad about what's happened I think I think that basically the [TS]

01:35:27   people running the polling station know that I've stuffed up [TS]

01:35:30   and they're probably worried I'm going to kick up a huge scene and get them in trouble so they'll come up [TS]

01:35:35   and apologize to me and ask me to smooth things over and make some joke jokes with them and I went voted [TS]

01:35:40   and then I went back outside and he was a bit further away from the door at this point and he said sorry [TS]

01:35:45   and I said no problems have a nice day but I think he knew I was job and happy about the whole thing. [TS]

01:35:50   So my voting experience of kind of you know exercising democracy was not like you know the sunny pleasant thing it [TS]

01:35:57   could have been it was me being all right. [TS]

01:36:00   As funny and then my wife's a shake and a headache I can't believe I can't believe it. [TS]

01:36:06   You know Abraham Lincoln you know I believe in democracy [TS]

01:36:09   and I believe in my right that's it I'm carrying on like unlike some [TS]

01:36:12   when really I was just a bit riled up by some guy named McGreal Brady Haran defender of the sanctity of elections you [TS]

01:36:21   know that there are two things that I think are important sensitive elections and the privacy of data [TS]

01:36:25   and this guy like smashing both of them in my face so it was a perfect storm and then I think I can't MCO [TS]

01:36:32   but I was firm and you know my was really lovely [TS]

01:36:35   and would have you know I wouldn't disagree with anyone I have a conflict so I thought it sorry for him [TS]

01:36:40   but no this is this is wrong. [TS]

01:36:43   And look on the drive home saying I'm sorry I just think it's you know I think it's important because Barack and I. [TS]

01:36:48   But whatever. I presume you don't want to reveal who you voted for. [TS]

01:36:51   No just because it just gets people all riled up [TS]

01:36:53   and it's like it's a relevant headline doesn't it doesn't really matter and I and also I don't care that much. [TS]

01:36:59   I respect everyone's view no matter how extreme or liberal or left of center [TS]

01:37:04   or whatever dislike whatever that's just but I think if everyone just votes what they think is best best for them [TS]

01:37:10   and their friends and their people and the people they care about [TS]

01:37:12   and all the people they choose to care about it will work itself out. [TS]

01:37:17   But that leads to the next thing doesn't it doesn't work itself out. [TS]

01:37:20   Yes it is the system fair again for people who are British. [TS]

01:37:24   Sorry to rake over stuff you already know other than in the show I groaned I watch the news. [TS]

01:37:30   Sorry to rake over stuff you already know [TS]

01:37:31   but there have been a few little controversies to do with the selection to do with who got in [TS]

01:37:36   and who got how many votes obviously I don't know anything about any of the controversies that happened during the [TS]

01:37:42   election. [TS]

01:37:43   Yeah but and I didn't follow it [TS]

01:37:45   but the morning the morning after basically I thought oh I do want to see the result like I'm just curious to see how [TS]

01:37:49   this worked out and I was pretty riled by the way things turned out and I. [TS]

01:38:00   Also want to put my own little disclaimer in here which is that [TS]

01:38:03   when I do my videos I try very hard to never mention particular political parties yet because people's brains just turn [TS]

01:38:12   off the instant you mention particular political parties and they they stop thinking about it in terms of fairness [TS]

01:38:18   and they start thinking about it in terms of like their sports team winning. [TS]

01:38:21   Yeah and the only thing they care about is their sports team winning. Yeah. So there we are. [TS]

01:38:25   I'm about to talk about particular political parties [TS]

01:38:28   but I guarantee you dear listener I could barely know less about their particular policies. [TS]

01:38:35   I am not advocating really for or against anybody. [TS]

01:38:39   I just want to talk about it in the abstract [TS]

01:38:41   but unfortunately since we're talking about a particular election we can't have this conversation in terms of gorillas [TS]

01:38:48   and tigers. [TS]

01:38:49   We have to talk about the particular parties in the way things worked out [TS]

01:38:52   and unfortunately also one of the parties you're about to talk about [TS]

01:38:56   and I suspect almost sound like you're going to sort of say they got a raw deal is the most controversial part of the [TS]

01:39:03   election. The reason this election is particularly galling. It is. [TS]

01:39:10   While I still think that America has everything you could want to go wrong with elections America basically does the [TS]

01:39:17   U.K. Is a particularly interesting example of how First Past the Post voting can go wrong. [TS]

01:39:25   Yes because of the way that this system happens to be set up and because the U.K. [TS]

01:39:34   For various reasons has been able to hang on to having multiple parties in a way that the United States [TS]

01:39:42   and lots of other places that that use First Past the Post don't. [TS]

01:39:45   So in the US You always get a kind of like oh it's Republicans or Democrats [TS]

01:39:49   and it's about evenly split because that's the stable state of the system. But the U.K. [TS]

01:39:54   Still exists in a kind of unstable state where there are multiple parties. [TS]

01:40:00   And that ends up in just absolutely bizarre results. [TS]

01:40:04   The short thing that I think is really quite appalling is if you take a look at the votes. [TS]

01:40:10   So the party that won were the conservatives. [TS]

01:40:14   Yes and I'm looking at some pie charts here I'll put them in the show not on a nationwide level. [TS]

01:40:19   Thirty seven percent of people voted for the conservatives. Yet now because the U.K. [TS]

01:40:28   Is is divided into a bunch of constituencies the way this works is the election isn't really taking place on the [TS]

01:40:36   national level. It's six hundred some odd local elections for who is going to be the member of parliament of the Shire. [TS]

01:40:45   Right so they are going to pick their M.P. and Their M.P. [TS]

01:40:49   Is then sent off to Westminster to represent the shire in Parliament. M.P. [TS]

01:40:54   Is that member of parliament a member of our you have his constituency so every every constituency is saying we want to [TS]

01:41:00   send Billy blokes from the Conservative Party to be a member of parliament for the next five years [TS]

01:41:06   or we want to send Jane Smith from the Liberal Democrat Party. [TS]

01:41:10   We want to send her to a member of parliament for the next five years [TS]

01:41:14   and older people then come together six hundred fifty or however many. [TS]

01:41:18   And it's based on who has the weight of numbers there decide who forms the government. [TS]

01:41:23   Then please go off to Parliament. [TS]

01:41:25   And if one party is able to get a majority of the seats in parliament they have complete control over the government. [TS]

01:41:35   Yes they basically get to make laws and the reference here for Americans. [TS]

01:41:40   The reason this is a little tricky to explain is that the U.K. [TS]

01:41:44   System does not have the same kind of checks and balances that the US system has [TS]

01:41:49   and I'm not I'm not saying that to say that it's worse or better [TS]

01:41:51   but just that it's different so that the thing that blows most Americans minds is that the the prime minister is not [TS]

01:41:58   the same. As the president in Britain you don't vote directly for prime minister. [TS]

01:42:05   You are just voting for your local Member of Parliament [TS]

01:42:08   and if your party gets the majority of seats in parliament they basically get to pick who is going to be prime minister [TS]

01:42:16   who just happens to be one of those members of parliament and they decide write him like a man [TS]

01:42:21   or woman their boss who just yet who just happens to be one of the members of parliament [TS]

01:42:25   and this is why from an American perspective you can get really bizarre things that happen where no election occurs [TS]

01:42:31   but the prime minister changes [TS]

01:42:33   and that's because the party in charge has decided oh we don't like how this guy is doing things we're going to vote [TS]

01:42:38   him out just amongst ourselves and put somebody else back in place. [TS]

01:42:41   That can happen and I understand that's bizarre to Americans [TS]

01:42:44   but just pick saying saying we're catering to Americans so much here I think we also need to point out during in one [TS]

01:42:51   thousand nine percent of cases during the election it's not a mystery who the prime minister will be you know ahead of [TS]

01:42:58   time. In fact the election is quite presidential in that way and although you're voting for. [TS]

01:43:04   You're a member of parliament your little man or woman to go off and represent you. [TS]

01:43:08   Most people don't even know who their representative is [TS]

01:43:10   and they just go into the polling booth look for the name of the party you know who is associated with the prime [TS]

01:43:16   ministerial candidate they prefer. [TS]

01:43:18   And I just took that person's name so it is a battle to be between two prime ministers but yeah it is. [TS]

01:43:25   It is finally back where it's like the practicalities of it because yes it is almost run as though it is a presidential [TS]

01:43:31   election [TS]

01:43:32   but there is the actual mechanics of it kind of have nothing to do with that it's very it's it's a strange an interesting [TS]

01:43:39   system. [TS]

01:43:40   But but but so the long [TS]

01:43:41   and short of it is if you get fifty one percent of the seats in parliament because you also pick the Prime Minister you [TS]

01:43:48   don't have any kind of opposition. [TS]

01:43:50   You just get to decide what it is you want to do [TS]

01:43:53   and you get to pass those laws for the most part please people don't email me with with lots of kind of stuff but like. [TS]

01:44:00   Sounding it off ninety five percent of the time that's the case fifty one percent you're in charge. [TS]

01:44:06   The weird thing is because of the way First Past the Post works because of the way the local constituencies work. [TS]

01:44:15   The end result is that thirty seven percent of the voters for the Conservative Party happen to win fifty one percent of [TS]

01:44:25   the seats in parliament. [TS]

01:44:27   Yeah but then that also means because the thirty seven percent of the voters got fifty one percent of the seats. [TS]

01:44:33   They also basically have one hundred percent of the power in the government [TS]

01:44:40   and this is one of the things that I have a real problem with is allowing a plurality [TS]

01:44:48   but not a majority of citizens basically to dictate the direction of the entire country. [TS]

01:44:56   That's that's really what kind of sticks in my craw most more than some of the other things that we will talk about is [TS]

01:45:03   is this very notion that the largest group gets to act as though they are a majority even though they are they are by [TS]

01:45:11   no means a majority. That is a frustrating system and I think that that is very undemocratic. [TS]

01:45:19   Thing is like I said I know you're a big expert on this and I don't feel particularly passionate about it [TS]

01:45:24   and I will say I don't really like First Past the Post voting but that's what we've got. [TS]

01:45:30   I think the thing here is there are actually two there there are two arguments going on here at the same time [TS]

01:45:37   and I know you're aware of the subtlety but I'll point this out anyway. No no please don't. [TS]

01:45:41   There is a debate about what voting system should be used in the each of these constituencies to choose our John Doe [TS]

01:45:47   or Sally Jones to go off to parliament and that's an argument to have. Who's going to represent us. [TS]

01:45:54   How are we going to decide our individual representative to represent me here in the hills and you day. [TS]

01:46:00   Down in the city and stuff right. [TS]

01:46:02   But then the other argument is the parliamentary system should we have these constituents [TS]

01:46:07   and be represented in this geographical way [TS]

01:46:10   or should we be represented by some committee that that represents all their views and how we all want to vote [TS]

01:46:19   and it seems most people like the constituency model. [TS]

01:46:22   I agree that when you talk to people people value the idea of a local representative. [TS]

01:46:29   Yep so if we're going to have that system I think we're always going to have this problem where you can do very well. [TS]

01:46:38   Let's just say that this is this party that the called the U.K. Independence Party Ukip in the U.K. [TS]

01:46:44   And what happened in this election and it's one of the things that's being raised is they go about [TS]

01:46:48   or they get ten percent they got thirteen percent of the vague [TS]

01:46:51   or thirteen percent of the National Right now they're a very controversial party because they are to do with [TS]

01:46:55   immigration and their nationalist party but all of us thought they got thirteen percent of the vote [TS]

01:47:00   and they only got one seat in the parliament which turns out to be point two percent of Parliament yet. [TS]

01:47:08   So that's that's the direct disparity to compare and everyone thinks that's very unfair and maybe they're right [TS]

01:47:15   and I think Grey thinks that's unfair and maybe he's right. I'm not entirely convinced that's unfair. Tell me why. [TS]

01:47:23   Well the thing is they spread themselves thin and then make a bit of noise everywhere [TS]

01:47:30   and they going to get some votes everywhere. [TS]

01:47:31   But that doesn't mean there's no there is only one constituency in which the majority of the people in that [TS]

01:47:38   constituency. The plurality of the people of Iowa person let me tell you a story. [TS]

01:47:43   Just to be clear though they didn't win a majority of the seats even there they want to plurality of the seats. [TS]

01:47:49   Let me tell you a story you tell me a story [TS]

01:47:53   and nineteen seventy four Your one of your most beloved countries Neverland. [TS]

01:48:00   So all and whatever you want to call them that's called Neverland's going to make you happiest. That's perfectly fine. [TS]

01:48:05   Benevolence. Whatever you want they'll be like Holland too. [TS]

01:48:08   They had an awesome soccer team in nineteen seventy four and at the World Cup of soccer. [TS]

01:48:15   They would they set the tournament alight and everyone was really excited by them [TS]

01:48:18   and it looked like they were going to win and they got to the final and they stumbled at the final hurdle [TS]

01:48:23   and they lost the final to Germany I think it was held in Germany so that probably gave the Germans an advantage anyway. [TS]

01:48:29   They lost. Very said the next year nine hundred seventy eight they were still very good. [TS]

01:48:35   People thought maybe they'll do it this time. Again they got to the final they got right to the end. [TS]

01:48:41   And again they were really unlucky and they lost the final. [TS]

01:48:45   Now kind of the bridesmaids again and then in two thousand and ten they finally met they made it to the final again [TS]

01:48:53   and finally was this going to be their moment made it all the way to the end. [TS]

01:48:57   Just lost the final to spine one nail they lost. [TS]

01:49:02   Now this feels to me under a great model we would say you've done so well so many times in so many different countries [TS]

01:49:09   and so many different tournaments against so many different people. Let's just give you a World Cup trophy. [TS]

01:49:14   I know you've never actually won one. [TS]

01:49:15   You've never actually won it but you've done so well [TS]

01:49:19   and you've proven yourself to be a good soccer team we're going to give you a trophy anyway I think the same thing [TS]

01:49:24   applies to the selection if you keep it going to put a candidate and all the six hundred odd states [TS]

01:49:30   and you know get ten percent of the vote in that one and ten percent of the vote [TS]

01:49:34   and that one in fifteen percent of the vote and that one and they keep doing well but they never win. [TS]

01:49:39   They never win the final. [TS]

01:49:40   Are we going to say you know what you did so well get over so many states that even though you never won. [TS]

01:49:46   Let's just give you a whole bunch of seats in the Parliament anyway this I think is an interesting argument [TS]

01:49:50   and this I feel like is the technicality argument where you're right they basically didn't win any of the elections [TS]

01:49:58   and again people. These don't e-mail us. [TS]

01:50:00   We are very aware of some of the complicating factors like Ukip running a candidate in almost every constituency [TS]

01:50:07   and not every party does it that way so maybe the reasons why their votes are R. [TS]

01:50:12   Seem larger than they should be like that we're aware of all of this. [TS]

01:50:15   But but so when [TS]

01:50:17   when you talk about winning a local constituency my view on it is the constituencies are the exact same problem as the [TS]

01:50:27   national election but just smaller. [TS]

01:50:30   The whole problem in my view is the idea which seems comical if you think about it that a single person is going to [TS]

01:50:39   represent in any meaningful way the views of a large group of other people this is no longer about voting then it's [TS]

01:50:47   that this is actually about the whole parliamentary system. [TS]

01:50:50   Like to like how we represented we represented but because the Everything's going to come down to that problem. [TS]

01:50:57   The president of the United States comes. [TS]

01:50:58   Then to that problem the president is an interesting case because the president in large extent is a kind of veto like [TS]

01:51:04   that is the president's primary power. [TS]

01:51:07   Put it that put that aside for a moment [TS]

01:51:09   but if you zoom down to any single constituency I looked up the numbers for the constituency in which I live has voted [TS]

01:51:17   for the same party for as long as it has ever existed and almost always by a sixty percent margin. [TS]

01:51:25   That right there is the fundamental problem that the idea that that person or whoever that party happens to run. [TS]

01:51:33   Every single time for more than half a century for for more than twice my lifetime that that party completely [TS]

01:51:44   and utterly represents the interests of this particular section of London. [TS]

01:51:49   That doesn't make sense and I don't think that it is it is fair. [TS]

01:51:54   And in this case at the very least in this constituency it is a majority and the majority of the voters. [TS]

01:52:00   If you are selecting that candidate [TS]

01:52:02   but it still means that for all of time the other forty percent of people who live in that constituency never have any [TS]

01:52:09   influence or representation at the national level [TS]

01:52:13   but there are they aren't the only true alternative the only totally fair alternative is that each of the sixty five [TS]

01:52:20   or seventy million or have many people live here in the country have one representative for them and we have a [TS]

01:52:26   and we have a parliament that has millions [TS]

01:52:27   and millions of people in it so that we are overrepresented on every vote on every law you have to you have to at some [TS]

01:52:33   point. But here's the thing that argument is the direct democracy argument right. [TS]

01:52:40   OK Do you want to have a direct democracy where the people vote directly on the laws. [TS]

01:52:46   Well I think it you can make pretty convincing arguments that that's not a good idea. [TS]

01:52:51   But but there is an enormous degree of difference [TS]

01:52:54   or there's an enormous amount of space in which there are options between direct democracy [TS]

01:53:00   and a single representative per however many tens of thousands of people are in each constituency. [TS]

01:53:07   Yeah [TS]

01:53:07   and this is this is one of the reasons why I made those voting videos to show that there are several systems that allow [TS]

01:53:15   people to still have local representatives which they value. [TS]

01:53:20   I think over value but it's what people want [TS]

01:53:24   and still have national parliamentary results that better reflect the actual will of the people. [TS]

01:53:31   That is my issue is that I think when you [TS]

01:53:36   when you look at like I'm looking at these pie charts on my screen right now which would show where the thirty seven [TS]

01:53:40   percent blue for the votes which end up with fifty one percent in terms of representation. [TS]

01:53:45   And then I mean it's not even just Ukip it's I mean looking at this looking at this chart right you have Ukip had [TS]

01:53:53   thirteen percent of the vote they end up with less than one percent of the seats. The Liberal Democrats. [TS]

01:53:58   They got that basically. [TS]

01:54:00   Eight percent of the vote they get one percent of the seats the Greens got four percent of the vote they get a point [TS]

01:54:05   two percent of the seats like that to me when you look at that. [TS]

01:54:11   I don't care who the parties are I don't care what they stand for. [TS]

01:54:15   I think this is results where a third of the people end up with one hundred percent of the control [TS]

01:54:23   and sixty six percent of the people end up with no control and no meaningful representation. [TS]

01:54:30   That deal legitimises the entire process in my mind it makes it hard to say why [TS]

01:54:35   and why does why does this ruling government have legitimacy when only thirty seven percent of the people voted for it. [TS]

01:54:42   I find it very difficult for a government to make a convincing argument why they should have one hundred percent of the [TS]

01:54:48   control. [TS]

01:54:49   The reason why I don't like local representation so much is because if you control where those borders are drawn you [TS]

01:54:57   control the entire election. [TS]

01:55:00   You know if if someone said to me I get to redraw these boundaries you know I could I could instead make it an almost [TS]

01:55:08   completely different government and I could put together a coalition of any other government that I want [TS]

01:55:13   and that's one of the reasons why I think the local representation thing is just overvalued people people don't realize [TS]

01:55:19   how much where those boundaries are drawn wildly affects the elections before we come on to the cause. [TS]

01:55:28   Again that's a separate issue and I know the two are tied together because having power gives you. [TS]

01:55:32   But let's leave the issue of boundaries aside and manipulating boundaries. Let's just stick for a bit longer. [TS]

01:55:38   Yeah the U.K. Luckily doesn't really have that problem the boundary conditions are pretty good in the U.K. OK. [TS]

01:55:43   But it but where those boundaries end up still does change the election. [TS]

01:55:46   Yes OK let's put that to one side [TS]

01:55:49   and let's talk a bit for bit longer about this whole issue of Tories only the Conservative Party sorry thirty seven [TS]

01:55:56   percent of the vote and they're in power and these are the ones you know. Imagine a power. [TS]

01:56:00   A woman that did represent over voting like you know a thirty seven percent. [TS]

01:56:05   What a complete [TS]

01:56:06   and utter quagmire a log jammed mess that would be is there not something to be said for the FF for the argument that [TS]

01:56:18   you need to engineer the system so that whoever you decide is the winner whoever does win based on whatever voting [TS]

01:56:25   system you use is then given some power is given some potency because if we had a committee in Westminster in London [TS]

01:56:32   deciding our laws that was based on this make up of thirty seven percent thirty odd percent thirty percent they would [TS]

01:56:39   just never get anything done. Don't you need to say OK for better or worse this party has won the election. [TS]

01:56:45   Let's just give them some power for five years because otherwise the companies can't govern without power. [TS]

01:56:51   You cannot have some wishy washy committee to come back to the World Cup of soccer. [TS]

01:56:56   Can you imagine if they all played all their games for a month [TS]

01:56:58   and then everyone said well we think we think Spain were thirty three percent the best team in the Netherlands with [TS]

01:57:05   twenty eight percent the best a minestrone were five percent and England were two percent [TS]

01:57:09   and they just carved up the gold trophy and gave everyone a piece of the trophy. [TS]

01:57:14   Now to be ridiculous you have to you have to have your competition and then say OK one person gets the trophy. [TS]

01:57:20   One person gets the power and for the next four years or five years or whatever it is you are the champions [TS]

01:57:26   or you are the government you have the power. And that's come back again in five years and do it all again. [TS]

01:57:31   I see what you're saying here. [TS]

01:57:33   However this is the situation the reason why it really bothers me is you're talking about the national level you're [TS]

01:57:42   talking about rules that absolutely affect everyone [TS]

01:57:47   and I never understand this argument of we just need to play we just need to just do stuff we need to just be able to [TS]

01:57:54   get stuff done. Even if it is very clear that people don't agree with each other. [TS]

01:58:00   And at the at the at the national level [TS]

01:58:04   when you're talking about things like you talk about things like national defense you're talking about national [TS]

01:58:10   infrastructure national health care all of these vastly important issues. [TS]

01:58:16   I don't understand the argument that if we if we can't get people to agree on these very important issues we should [TS]

01:58:24   just let whoever happens to be the largest group but not a majority just decide everything. [TS]

01:58:31   I don't see why people are so allergic to compromise because sometimes compromise doesn't work like. [TS]

01:58:38   Like if you're there let me ask you something Brady right here. [TS]

01:58:42   Here's here's the thing here's the reverse scenario because I think what happens is people look at the current system [TS]

01:58:49   and then kind of back into reasons why they think it's good. [TS]

01:58:54   But but imagine I think about it from a classroom scenario and the thought you have you know twenty kids in a room [TS]

01:59:03   and you say OK kids here's what we're going to do we're going to let you decide. Some of the rules for the classroom. [TS]

01:59:11   Now the first thing we have to decide though is how how are we going to decide rules that will affect everybody. [TS]

01:59:18   How many votes do you think we need in order to make a rule that is going to affect everybody. [TS]

01:59:25   I think all humans have it have an innate sense that if you're going to do something that affects everybody you should [TS]

01:59:34   have at least a majority of people agree. [TS]

01:59:37   I can't imagine you would have anybody in this situation where you haven't set up a system arguing that if six kids can [TS]

01:59:46   agree together they don't need to compromise with anybody else they can just set rules for the entire classroom of [TS]

01:59:54   twenty. You're talking about a very black and white situation here lacka lacka guilty or not guilty. [TS]

02:00:00   If a jury or today we're going to go to the zoo or to they when they go to the museum. [TS]

02:00:04   I mean the things that get in parliament a very nuanced. [TS]

02:00:07   Yes but the bottom line is that a law is either passed or a law is not passed. [TS]

02:00:13   Well again that's a very stats a very again that's a very simple statement of what happens when laws are created [TS]

02:00:19   and there's huge amounts of compromise and negotiate. Stop stop stop stop right there though. [TS]

02:00:24   There is compromise in negotiation if the party is forced to compromise and negotiate. [TS]

02:00:31   Right but currently the Conservative Party does not need to compromise [TS]

02:00:36   and negotiate with anybody because they have a majority of seats so they have to be one hundred percent of the power. [TS]

02:00:42   Well you really don't watch the news much do you. [TS]

02:00:44   If you think that that small majority at the Conservative Party have [TS]

02:00:47   and the political situation is going to make it easy for them to push laws through then you are not [TS]

02:00:53   but you know you know what I'm saying here right. Yeah they they are rounding it off. [TS]

02:00:59   Yeah they have a huge amount of control. [TS]

02:01:02   Yes there are always things around the edges with these systems [TS]

02:01:04   but it doesn't change the fact that what is being discussed is largely under their control. [TS]

02:01:10   I think if you had a different situation. [TS]

02:01:14   Just every everything which has become a stick in the mud every every every minor thing would just get held up by [TS]

02:01:22   political opportunism and immense [TS]

02:01:25   and I mean you know I mean you know there are many like most countries have some kind of proportional representation [TS]

02:01:32   and it's not like they're all falling to pieces and they can't get anything done. [TS]

02:01:36   What just needs to happen is at a national level you need to get more people on board [TS]

02:01:42   and I think that that's totally fine. [TS]

02:01:44   Now as you go as innocent as you go down the power chain as you start talking about more [TS]

02:01:50   and more local stuff then then I'm more OK with kind of giving up on compromise and [TS]

02:01:57   and allowing smaller groups maybe to have more power. [TS]

02:02:00   But I just think that the national level is the most important level. [TS]

02:02:04   And if your party can't get an actual majority of the people supporting you you should have to compromise [TS]

02:02:12   and work with other parties. [TS]

02:02:14   But I think that if you were able to actually get a majority of the citizens of a nation to support your political [TS]

02:02:19   party and elect you into office. I like that parliamentary systems then do give you an enormous amount of leeway. [TS]

02:02:27   I think that that like that is a good way that parliamentary systems work [TS]

02:02:31   and on the flip side with America like the American system people always always complain about how slow [TS]

02:02:37   and how cumbersome it is and hard is to get anything done. [TS]

02:02:41   But that whole system is designed to slow everything down it's designed to have elections at different times. [TS]

02:02:46   You can't get anybody ever having a majority [TS]

02:02:49   and I'm not always sure that that's good I feel like if a majority of people want to vote in a particular party that [TS]

02:02:55   party should have more leeway. So I do like that in a parliamentary system. [TS]

02:02:59   I just don't like it when it is a small number of voters who have ended up basically because of borders [TS]

02:03:07   and because of an unfair voting system with the majority of the power [TS]

02:03:11   and then act as though the majority of citizens have actually voted them in which is not at all the case. OK. [TS]

02:03:17   Everyone who voted in the U.K. Election. Well this is not true. [TS]

02:03:22   I'm going to say anyway everyone who voted in the election knows how the political system here works. [TS]

02:03:28   Let's me use that as an. [TS]

02:03:29   Sumption do you think you know weren't you just telling me that the vox pops demonstrate that nobody knows how for the [TS]

02:03:34   sake of argument we're going to use for the sake of OK let's pretend we have nothing but inform voters [TS]

02:03:39   and I think if you're going to have an idealized parliament where everyone sits around and compromises [TS]

02:03:43   and knocked things out and nobody I know until you have your than arguing [TS]

02:03:48   and I do you know no relation No I don't understand what I am arguing the exact opposite that they have ended up in a [TS]

02:03:55   situation where they don't need to compromise. No what I was saying is you're being you're being quite. [TS]

02:04:00   Academic about how parliament works so let me be academic about how the voters work for a minute [TS]

02:04:04   and that's pretend all the voters and you know perfectly understand the system. [TS]

02:04:08   OK Could you say that the reason we have say thirteen percent Ukip is because people vote [TS]

02:04:19   and don't like kind of feel like we're not going to get in any way. [TS]

02:04:23   If they knew that thirteen percent of their vote was going to put thirty percent Ukip candidates in the house they may [TS]

02:04:28   vote differently this is a demonstrated effect this is called the nursery effect [TS]

02:04:33   and it is it is without doubt true that people are more likely to vote for candidates [TS]

02:04:39   and political parties that they don't think are likely to actually win this is true across the board [TS]

02:04:47   and so is true for the Greens it's true for the for Ukip that it is likely they have a larger percentage of votes than [TS]

02:04:53   they would get under an actual Your representative system so if it was quite self correcting Now this to me just even [TS]

02:05:01   further de legitimizes the whole system because even when you're looking at the votes [TS]

02:05:06   and trying to figure out how do people want to vote you you don't even [TS]

02:05:10   or I should say you know for certain that these percentages aren't even necessarily accurate representations of how [TS]

02:05:17   people would vote if they were dealing under a proportional system the whole thing is just is just garbage. [TS]

02:05:23   It's absolute garbage. [TS]

02:05:26   So interesting that you are so passionate about this topic and you're so passionate about the way you wake up [TS]

02:05:32   and the fairness or the unfairness of it and yet you take absolutely no interest in the actual governing [TS]

02:05:37   and you didn't even know there was an election because the reason that I don't take any interest in it is precisely [TS]

02:05:43   because I know that my vote counts for Jack it doesn't count for anything [TS]

02:05:47   and I have absolutely no influence on this whole system. [TS]

02:05:50   You know the constituency in which I live is never going to vote for a different candidate not not not even close. [TS]

02:05:56   Not ever. You know not until the end of time and so. [TS]

02:06:00   So I like living here but as long as I live here you know my vote doesn't count for anything. [TS]

02:06:04   So that's why I can I can be extremely frustrated with this system [TS]

02:06:09   and be very interested in the mechanics of how better systems work [TS]

02:06:13   and care nothing at all for how the gov like the particulars of how the government is working because I have absolutely [TS]

02:06:18   no influence on those things. How do you know it's not working then how do you know it's not working. [TS]

02:06:24   How do I know what's not working. [TS]

02:06:25   Like how do you know the system isn't working and we're not being well governed if you don't know how we're governed. [TS]

02:06:29   What I mean is that the system is not representing what I think is the will of the people that you see in the way the [TS]

02:06:36   votes are distributed. [TS]

02:06:37   That's what I mean I'm not I'm not talking about like are the trains running kind of thing I mean that the national [TS]

02:06:44   level government is not any kind of reflection of how the people are expressing their But that's not what. [TS]

02:06:51   But do you know that like the debate [TS]

02:06:55   or the conversations aren't being shaped by like obviously the number of people with their bums on the chairs in the in [TS]

02:07:01   the building don't represent the percentage of the votes [TS]

02:07:04   but do you know that there are more subtle things at play here. Because everyone knows these numbers right. [TS]

02:07:11   Like it and everyone knows another election is coming. [TS]

02:07:13   Do you not think that the polls and the like and I know this is a bit wishy washy [TS]

02:07:17   but I don't think I'm not sure what you're asking here. [TS]

02:07:20   Well everyone are you asking to political parties pay attention to these polls you bet they did say that conservatives [TS]

02:07:27   care a lot about the fact that you can't get such a big percentage. [TS]

02:07:30   And if I was if I was the political strategist for the Conservative Party I would be very worried about those high [TS]

02:07:36   numbers for Ukip [TS]

02:07:38   and it seems from the little bit that I know that it is very likely that the conservatives have changed some of their [TS]

02:07:44   policies to try to woo Ukip voters so that is correct you are quite right I agree with the I don't know if you are [TS]

02:07:51   correct [TS]

02:07:51   but I agree with you it does seem that way as well to me I mean that's my guess I don't know what that says to me that [TS]

02:07:55   says to me Look you know I don't care about this and I think the voting systems are rubbish today. [TS]

02:08:00   What this says to me if if the the party that's governing is being shaped by this thirteen percent of the vote that you [TS]

02:08:08   can't go then even though they haven't got the bums on seats they are shaping the debate and the way we're governed [TS]

02:08:15   and something's working. [TS]

02:08:17   Somehow a bit of it happens to be sort of like a compromise but it's like a crappy second order effect. [TS]

02:08:25   You would never design the system intentionally to work this way. [TS]

02:08:29   If the the growing number of green voters slightly influences the Labor governments to change their policies in [TS]

02:08:35   particular ways that is a benefit. [TS]

02:08:39   But there are much better ways to design a system to do that on purpose without negative effects that the current [TS]

02:08:46   system has. That's that's my frustration. Has any country got a national level in your opinion. [TS]

02:08:55   Everybody everybody has their problems. [TS]

02:08:58   I don't want to single out anybody in particular but I would say that in the developed world the U.S. and The U.K. [TS]

02:09:10   And I would include Canada have particularly interesting combinations of problems that all exacerbate each other in [TS]

02:09:20   unfortunate ways. [TS]

02:09:22   Many of these things is like the first past the post system which is common to all three of them is terrible. [TS]

02:09:28   But all three of them also have other things that make it worse. [TS]

02:09:32   And so while many other countries that use different systems or even within the U.K. Parts of the U.K. [TS]

02:09:38   Use things like single transferable vote which I do quite like. It's not exactly proportional. [TS]

02:09:44   But if you have a slightly better voting system it can greatly mitigate other problems that the country has. [TS]

02:09:52   Greg you just completely completely out of that like a politician like on the side of the politician What are your [TS]

02:09:57   policies and they just didn't stop slagging off the opposition. I said I said What's a good one who's doing it right. [TS]

02:10:03   I know you don't want to get people jumping on your back but could you name a bunch of countries [TS]

02:10:08   or just like like I'm just kind of feeling like you just downing the U.S. and The U.K. [TS]

02:10:14   and Canada and maybe rightly so but I just want to know where to look for someone who's who's doing it right. [TS]

02:10:21   I don't I don't want to name anyone in particular people will just get mad. [TS]

02:10:24   Do you like Australia I'm from Australia so I was the only one I'll ask about specifically as a strategy because that's [TS]

02:10:29   where I'm from. [TS]

02:10:30   Yeah it's I was one of you has let us try it because the funny thing about Australia is they have the alternative open [TS]

02:10:36   as we discussed in a previous podcast they do it in the worst possible way [TS]

02:10:40   but I still think it's better than than the way the U.K. System works. It's still not very good. [TS]

02:10:47   OK So there are better ones than a strike you're out there. [TS]

02:10:49   Yeah they're different but everyone's in a striking when you tell me which country does it. [TS]

02:10:52   So I can go and read about them. [TS]

02:10:55   Well I won't tell anyone what we can do we can talk some of the particulars off air gushing about you [TS]

02:11:02   but will be like a ferret this is a spring podcast restrained. [TS]

02:11:06   Yeah I thought to say I'd like but the first past the post really really makes things worse. [TS]

02:11:10   And the problem on the national level about misrepresentation is the same problem you have at the local level about [TS]

02:11:17   misrepresentation when you are only going to select one representative. [TS]

02:11:22   You know if you if you look at any of the smaller places it's really interesting like if you just look at Scotland the [TS]

02:11:28   Scottish National Party was really helped by the first past the post system. [TS]

02:11:32   Yes because people been showing it on Twitter. This funny little map of the U.K. [TS]

02:11:36   but It basically looks like Maggie Simpson because most of the country is blue except for Scotland which is the yellow [TS]

02:11:40   head [TS]

02:11:41   but it's a similar thing where the Scottish National Party basically took every single seat in Scotland which makes it [TS]

02:11:50   look like everybody in Scotland voted for the Scottish National Party but that's not the case. [TS]

02:11:56   You know that's that's not the case. But if you if you voted anything except Scottish National Party. [TS]

02:12:00   Already in all of Scotland you basically you basically don't have any representation [TS]

02:12:05   and first past the post helped them in that way where they got five percent of the vote [TS]

02:12:08   but they ended up with nine almost ten percent of the actual seats in parliament so just like there's a whole system is [TS]

02:12:15   just weird. [TS]

02:12:17   You know if you can distribute your voters so that you get a plurality of votes you know that's awesome for you as a [TS]

02:12:23   political party but if you know if you can't do that it's terrible for you. [TS]

02:12:27   So I'm just frustrated with the whole thing. [TS]

02:12:30   You make some good points [TS]

02:12:31   and you know I mean you do seem like the sort of the wishy washy let's all let So let's all sit in a circle [TS]

02:12:37   and they should be fairly represented and have a big hug and with them will just compromise [TS]

02:12:41   and I guess I sounded a bit I don't I sound a bit more ruthless like I'm giving out World Cups [TS]

02:12:45   and dismissing the losers to go and suffer for years and if you don't if you don't win on that day you never win. [TS]

02:12:51   But you seem a bit you seem to want to reward loses Look let me ask you something. [TS]

02:12:56   Let me ask you something do you do you think a third of the people should be able to decide whether [TS]

02:13:01   or not the whole country goes to war like this is the kind of stuff that happens on a national level. [TS]

02:13:07   Oh yeah [TS]

02:13:08   and that's that's why it matters like you know what I think if you're going to declare war you need to get more than a [TS]

02:13:14   third of the people to agree with you. You shouldn't be able to say oh we're the biggest group. [TS]

02:13:19   Well let me put the opposite argument. Let me put the opposite argument to you. [TS]

02:13:23   If some invading forces coming in pointing their nuclear missiles at you [TS]

02:13:27   and they're just about to blow you off the face of the earth do you think a group of six hundred people should sit [TS]

02:13:32   around and hold hands and think oh what do you think no no what do you think I don't know what do you think. [TS]

02:13:37   Let's trade like trade you know let's just have someone in charge of body press the button. [TS]

02:13:41   Let me ask you something don't you think. Right in an in an existential situation people would agree. [TS]

02:13:48   Right people if the if you want to know is that isn't what you want to give someone Power I Am i am very happy to lay [TS]

02:13:55   it on the table and this is this is this always happens in these conversations. People act as though. [TS]

02:14:00   No humans can never possibly agree on anything. And like humans are actually very good at this kind of stuff. [TS]

02:14:06   If you have a big obvious problem with a big obvious solution what do you think you're going to have people not [TS]

02:14:15   agreeing about that of course people are going to I mean it does happen [TS]

02:14:18   but anyway I mean you're right necessity is the mother of invention and I was probably also the mother of compromise. [TS]

02:14:24   That's exactly right and I tell you where decorating our house at the moment as you know [TS]

02:14:28   and before you even start before you even start this is what I was just about to say this exact thing that you're going [TS]

02:14:34   to talk about the reason people imagine that committees argue and bicker [TS]

02:14:38   and do all of this stuff is because the smaller the stakes the more people can feel free to argue about this kind of [TS]

02:14:46   stuff and so when there's a huge debate [TS]

02:14:48   and you can't get anybody to agree usually it's like it's not over something that is absolutely vital if it goes one [TS]

02:14:55   way or the other. [TS]

02:14:56   Right this is this is the this is the bike shed effect right everybody wants to argue about what color to paint the [TS]

02:15:01   bike shed. [TS]

02:15:02   And so you'll have a huge argument in the committee about that but when you [TS]

02:15:06   when you get down to like important stuff [TS]

02:15:08   and you bring experts to the table it's a lot easier to get people to agree on important stuff than it is an important [TS]

02:15:14   that's not exactly what I was going to say I was going to say that we're decorating the house at the moment [TS]

02:15:18   and we don't always agree on what color paint to erase but. [TS]

02:15:21   So in the end I have given the power to my wife so we don't end up with rooms painted different colors she just given [TS]

02:15:29   her the power to decide and I think there's something to be said for giving someone power to decide things. [TS]

02:15:35   But you are voluntarily you voluntarily gave that power over right. [TS]

02:15:40   You you have implicitly agreed to go along with what she said this is what a coalition is this is what a coalition [TS]

02:15:47   government is right where you know you don't always get our way but we're kind of agreeing to go along with you [TS]

02:15:52   but I can guarantee that if she came back with some kind of future that she wanted to paint the whole house [TS]

02:15:57   and the dogs in you would withdraw your consent. Because that would be stupid. [TS]

02:16:02   It just sounds like you want a big committee of millions of people [TS]

02:16:04   and I don't I don't want to I think the Parliament is way too big I think that's actually one of the problems is [TS]

02:16:10   there's too many seats. [TS]

02:16:11   I think you need to keep you need to keep national parliaments [TS]

02:16:14   and national governing bodies at something under a Dunbar number right you need like one hundred people so that the [TS]

02:16:21   people who are actually working with each other have some notion of who the individuals are. [TS]

02:16:27   I don't know what Dunbar number is. Dunbar number is about one hundred twenty. [TS]

02:16:32   It's basically how many humans can a single human meaningfully keep track of like the relationships between them. [TS]

02:16:39   OK And so I give I was Emperor of the U.K. [TS]

02:16:44   You know one of the very first things I would do is I like listen we're cutting this Parliament down by a divisor of [TS]

02:16:51   six right [TS]

02:16:52   and we're going to have bigger constituencies each of which send more representatives so that it is more proportional. [TS]

02:16:59   But you can expect six hundred people to meaningfully work with each other in any particular way. [TS]

02:17:04   Yeah but you know like that's a separate issue and I think that the E.U. [TS]

02:17:08   Suffers from that a little bit with like gigantic parliaments of listening guys like you know you can have proportional [TS]

02:17:16   representation with one hundred people that's close enough like a hundred people going to get your error within one [TS]

02:17:22   percent. OK that's fine but. [TS]

02:17:24   Yes six hundred people is a crazy number of people so it definitely has to be smaller as well. [TS]

02:17:28   They are not some are not some hippie. I just think if it's a big problem people will be able to agree on that. [TS]

02:17:35   Or like the war thing. [TS]

02:17:37   People will either vote yes this is a war to get involved in [TS]

02:17:40   or no it is not it's not like there's ten thousand options. [TS]

02:17:44   It's an important thing you'll get agreement to your faith in humanity restored my faith in you [TS]

02:17:49   and it's been a pleasure talking about voting with me because you certainly I think a lot about it [TS]

02:17:55   and know a lot about it I have no faith in humans. I have faith in. [TS]