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Podcasts are Destroying Humanity... and I can prove it.Or Can I?Or am I just being sensationalist?Or is that the point? I’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.Written and Performed By Barry FernsDirected and Edited By John GordilloNo sponsors... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsSources & Further Reading Rozenblit, L. & Keil, F. (2002). “The Misunderstood Limits of Folk Science: An Illusion of Explanatory Depth.” Cognitive Science, 26(5), 521–562.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3062901/Fernbach, P. M., Rogers, T., Fox, C. R. & Sloman, S. A. (2013). “Political Extremism Is Supported by an Illusion of Understanding.” Psychological Science, 24(6), 939–946.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23620547/Davison, W. P. (1983). “The Third-Person Effect in Communication.” Public Opinion Quarterly, 47(1), 1–15.https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/47/1/1/1906961Wilson, T. D. & Nisbett, R. E. (1978). “The Accuracy of Verbal Reports About the Effects of Stimuli on Evaluations and Behavior.” Social Psychology, 41(2), 118–131.https://www.jstor.org/stable/3033572Fazio, L. K., Brashier, N. M., Payne, B. K. & Marsh, E. J. (2015). “Knowledge Does Not Protect Against Illusory Truth.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144(5), 993–1002.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26301795/Hall, K. (2013). “How the Polls Can Be Both Spot On and Dead Wrong.” https://journals.plos.org/plosone/articleid=10.1371/journal.pone.0060554Vosoughi, S., Roy, D. & Aral, S. (2018). “The Spread of True and False News Online.” Science, 359(6380), 1146–1151.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29590045/Further viewingPhilip Fernbach - TEDx talk on the illusion of understanding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SlbsnaSNNM“Do You Really Know Why You Do What You Do?” - TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqekWf-JC-A“The Truth About False News” - Sinan Aral, MIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dms5ZP-BHV8This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFOLLOW FOR FUTURE VIDEOS!More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

One dying child makes us cry but a million makes us scroll. That isn’t because we’re cruel. It’s because our brains were never built for the numbers.This video stitches together two bits of research that explain the block. Paul Slovic’s work and Robin Dunbar’s work on the size of the human social brainWe’re hitting a wall that was there before we were born. And the people who understand that wall best are the ones using it against us.I’m in this too. I’ve walked past the same homeless bloke a hundred times and felt nothing, then found myself tearing up at one photograph. This video is me trying to work out why.I’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsMore about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

“That's just basic economics.”It's a phrase that gets used quite a lot to shut down arguments about wages, rent, taxation and inequality. But what happens when the research contradicts the textbook?No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsEconomics can tell us a lot about the world. But it's worth asking which version of economics we're being asked to believe, and whether the evidence still supports it.Research & further readingCard, D. & Krueger, A. B. (1994).“Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.” American Economic Review, 84(4), 772–793. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2118030 Kahneman, D. & Tversky, A. (1979).“Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk.” Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291. https://doi.org/10.2307/1914185 Young, C., Varner, C., Lurie, I. Z. & Prisinzano, R. (2016).“Millionaire Migration and Taxation of the Elite: Evidence from Administrative Data.” American Sociological Review, 81(3), 421–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122416639625 Cristobal Young et al. (2016)“Millionaire Migration and Taxation of the Elite: Evidence from Administrative Data.” American Sociological Review, 81(3), 421–446. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122416639625Arun Advani, David Burgherr and Andy Summers (2023)“Taxation and Migration by the Super-Rich.” https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4568741Tim Besley and Peter Hennessy (2009)“The Global Financial Crisis - Why Didn’t Anybody Notice?” British Academy Review, Issue 14. https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publishing/review/14/british-academy-review-global-financial-crisis-why-didnt-anybody-notice/Justin Kruger and David Dunning (1999)“Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.77.6.1121Nobel Prizes referenced in the videoDaniel Kahneman - Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 2002Richard H. Thaler - Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 2017David Card - Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, 2021I’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

People love telling us that success is down to mindset, hard work and refusing to give up.But what happens when that advice ignores the conditions people are actually trying to succeed in?In this video, I look at the psychology of learned helplessness, the research into how we understand control over our lives, and the ways social systems can shape what we believe is possible for ourselves.This isn't an argument for giving up. It's an argument for understanding the game you're playing, recognising the barriers in front of you, and finding a more useful way to think about what comes next.How to Support Barry’s Economicshttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsWritten, Filmed and Produced By Barry fernsEdited and Directed By John GordilloWith Support from Kenny WatersonRelated videosDan Priestley & Gary Stevenson on Diary of a CEO: https://youtu.be/4yohVh4qcasLearned helplessness - Penn State Erie material: https://youtu.be/p6TONVkJ3eIResearch & further readingAbramson, L. Y., Seligman, M. E. P. & Teasdale, J. D. (1978). “Learned Helplessness in Humans: Critique and Reformulation.” Journal of Abnormal Psychology.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1979-00305-001Rotter, J. B. (1966). “Generalized Expectancies for Internal Versus External Control of Reinforcement.” Psychological Monographs: General and Applied. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0092976 Hoxby, C. M. & Avery, C. (2013). “The Missing ‘One-Offs’: The Hidden Supply of High-Achieving, Low-Income Students.” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-missing-one-offs-the-hidden-supply-of-high-achieving-low-income-students/ Gottfredson, L. S. (1981). “Circumscription and Compromise: A Developmental Theory of Occupational Aspirations.”https://www1.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson/reprints/1981CCtheory.pdfGodfrey, E. B., Santos, C. E. & Burson, E. (2019). “For Better or Worse? System-Justifying Beliefs in Sixth-Grade Predict Trajectories of Self-Esteem and Behavior Across Early Adolescence.” Child Development.https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12854 Diemer, M. A. & Blustein, D. L. (2006). “Critical Consciousness and Career Development Among Urban Youth.” Journal of Vocational Behavior.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.07.001 I’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.Subscribe for future videos: https://www.youtube.com/@barryeconomicsMore about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vgya63dtCFD5tjODr7BEK?si=Bb6ftvByR1-6vG0Q2BTmMgTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out @garyseconomics first – his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

Do poor people hate rich people?It’s an idea we hear all the time, but what happens when you actually test it?This video looks at what decades of research into fairness, inequality, wealth and social class can tell us about where resentment really comes from, why rich and poor people can see the same world so differently, and what happens when some voices are much easier to hear than others.The evidence points somewhere rather more complicated than “envy”.I’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsVideo Written and Performed By Barry FernsEdited By Barry Ferns and Becky Goodman @beckygoodtimes  This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow & Leave A Revew If You Enjoyed the EpisodeMore about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first as his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/Sources & Further ReadingChristina Starmans, Mark Sheskin & Paul Bloom (2017)Why People Prefer Unequal Societieshttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-017-0082Werner Güth, Rolf Schmittberger & Bernd Schwarze (1982)An Experimental Analysis of Ultimatum Bargaininghttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0167268182900117 Shai Davidai & Thomas Gilovich (2016)The Headwinds/Tailwinds Asymmetry: An Availability Bias in Assessments of Barriers and Blessingshttps://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-50762-001 Michael W. Kraus, Paul K. Piff & Dacher Keltner (2009)Social Class, Solipsism, and Contextualism: How the Rich Are Different From the Poorhttps://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-19761-004 Suzanne Mettler (2011)The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracyhttps://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo12172200.html Martin Gilens & Benjamin I. Page (2014)Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizenshttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/ Hillsborough Independent Panel (2012)The Hillsborough Independent Panel Reporthttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20170408004225/http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/report/ Grenfell Action Group (2016)KCTMO – Playing with Firehttps://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/kctmo-playing-with-fire/

One of the most powerful beliefs in modern politics isn't a policy.It's the belief that nothing can change.You hear it everywhere and I feel it too. Most of us do. But the strange thing is that when researchers study how change actually happens, they keep finding the opposite. Social change rarely arrives because everybody suddenly agrees.It often begins with surprisingly small groups of people connected in the right ways, reaching a tipping point that makes what seemed impossible suddenly feel inevitable.This video explores the science of social contagion, network theory, tipping points and collective action.Not as a motivational slogan but as evidence.Because throughout history, some of the biggest shifts in politics, economics and culture looked impossible right up until the moment they happened.Sources ReferencedJames H. Fowler and Nicholas A. Christakis – Cooperative behavior cascades in human social networks (2010)Damon Centola – Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention (2021)Malcolm Gladwell – The Tipping Point (2000)Duncan Watts – Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age (2003)Albert-László Barabási – Network ScienceWritten and Produced By Barry FernsEdited By Barry Ferns, John Gordillo and Kenny WatersonI’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/You can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first as his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

Jurrasic Park is about AIAI is Jurassic ParkJurassic Park is a great film about what happens when humans build things before thinking about the consequences. A lesson we can learn from, in particular, with the current fastest technological development in human history - AI.This week's video touches on research on our inability to underprice distant threats, to the way our brains struggle to understand risks we can't immediately see.This video is a pround collaboration with friend and VFX Genius - @mp3Charlie Charlie Parkin - https://www.charlieparkin.co.uk/Edited By John Gordillo and Barry FernsSupport From Kenny WatersonCredits / Attributions"Hamster March" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Tyrannosaurus Rex Rig" (https://skfb.ly/oX8wC) by NO DONT EAT ME CASEOH (Ferris wheel) is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Original credit to the link below “Jurassic World: Delta” (https://skfb.ly/ors9o) by EWTube0 is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Raptor Delta" Animation (https://skfb.ly/oTnFT) by kenchoo is licensed under CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).I’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality. No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsIf you enjoyed this episode, please follow and leave a review!More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/To learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/Sources & Further ReadingSamuel M McClure (2004)"Separate neural systems value immediate and delayed monetary rewards"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15486304/Yaacov Trope, Nira Liberman (2010)"Construal-Level Theory of Psychological Distance"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3152826/TEEB for Business Coalition (2013)"Natural Capital at Risk - The Top 100 Externalities of Business"https://www.naturalcapitalcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Trucost-Nat-Cap-at-Risk-Final-Report-web.pdfDAN M. KAHAN (2017)"Motivated numeracy and enlightened self-government"https://ideas.repec.org/a/cup/bpubpo/v1y2017i01p54-86_00.htmlRichard F West (2012)"Cognitive sophistication does not attenuate the bias blind spot"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22663351/Video Sourceshttps://youtu.be/dcFaVGMP8gshttps://youtu.be/1KFtQV7SiIIhttps://youtu.be/jbqFBpLx6gUhttps://youtu.be/ui90HkEhvs0https://youtu.be/3XF1etcWiqkhttps://youtu.be/FSbq0T7j77ghttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/iChSB_33n0Qhttps://youtu.be/qyH3NxFz3Aw

Steven Bartlett replied to my clip about Diary of a CEO. At half past midnight. Edited.Do you know Steven Bartlett? Not know of him. Know him?Most of us feel like we do. We know his voice, the lean-forward, the frown before he disagrees. And we've never met him. This video is about why our brains can't tell the difference, and what that same wiring does to a man that 50 million people are watching.It started because I wanted to take the Mickey. Then I read the research, and the piss-take died in my hands.Original Diary of a CEO video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbDQs_TcyN4&t=1058sStudies covered: Horton and Wohl on parasocial relationships (Psychiatry, 1956), Reeves and Nass, The Media Equation (1996), Quian Quiroga's single-neuron study (Nature, 2005), De Backer on celebrity gossip (Human Nature, 2007), Newman, Diesendruck and Bloom on celebrity contagion (Journal of Consumer Research, 2011), McCutcheon's Celebrity Attitude Scale (British Journal of Psychology, 2002), Dunbar's number (1992, 2016), Slovic on psychic numbing, Leary's sociometer (1995), Baumeister, "Bad Is Stronger Than Good" (2001), Rockwell and Giles on the phenomenology of fame (2009), Goffman, Hochschild, and Marwick and boyd on context collapse (2011). No sponsor. Nobody paid to be in this. If you want the channel to stay that way: patreon.com/BarrysEconomicsCREDITSWritten and produced by Barry FernsDirected and edited by John GordilloChannel management: Kenny WatersonMUSICImpromptu No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 90, D. 899, by Franz Schubert. Piano: Jenő JandóImprovisation 215 for piano, written and performed by Tomomi KatoI’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsMore about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first as his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

What if Voldemort isn't actually the main villain of Harry Potter? What if he's a symptom rather than the actual problem - a symptom of something truly sinister (I'm not saying that Voldemort isn't sinister btw)This week's video draws on research into how radicalisation develops across the world, alongside Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson's research on Why Nations Fail. And maybe rather than focussing on destroying these individual monsters, there is another routeI’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This video wouldn't be as amazing as it is without the help of my CGI and musically talented friend, Charlie Parkin.Find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mp3charlie/No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first as his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/Sources & Further ReadingMcCauley, C. & Moskalenko, S. (2008)“Mechanisms of Political Radicalization: Pathways Toward Terrorism.” Terrorism and Political Violence, 20(3), 415–433.https://doi.org/10.1080/09546550802073367Acemoglu, D. & Robinson, J. A. (2012)Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. Crown Publishing.

Life's a Meritocracy, right?We like to think meritocracy rewards the people who are most talented, driven and capable.But what happens when the very things you're told will help you get ahead can actually work against you?In this second part of the meritocracy series, I look at the "hustle penalty" and the hidden costs of how you present yourself when you're trying to move up.Sometimes the harder you try to look like you belong, the more obvious it becomes that you don't.I’m Barry, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.Luisa is currently developing a show about Mary Magdalene and how different the world would look if the Bible was translated by women? Her show is a self financed project that is being supported by individuals on Patreon: https://patreon.com/luisaomielanShe has a run of it in January the the Kings head in Islington.No sponsors on Barry's Economics, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsMore about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/Sources & Further ReadingRudman, L. A. (1998)Self-Promotion as a Risk Factor for Women: The Costs and Benefits of Counterstereotypical Impression Management.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(3), 629–645.https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.629Bourdieu, P. (1979/1984)Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste.Harvard University Press.Rivera, L. A. (2015)Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs.Princeton University Press. Rivera's research examines how elite employers' definitions of "merit" can favour candidates from privileged backgrounds.Rivera, L. A. & Tilcsik, A. (2016)"Class Advantage, Commitment Penalty: The Gendered Effect of Social Class Signals in an Elite Labor Market."Giles, H. (1970)"Evaluative Reactions to Accents."Kang, S. K., DeCelles, K. A., Tilcsik, A. & Jun, S. (2016)"Whitened Résumés: Race and Self-Presentation in the Labor Market."Friedman, S. & Laurison, D. (2019)The Class Ceiling: Why It Pays to Be Privileged.Salganik, M. J., Dodds, P. S. & Watts, D. J. (2006)"Experimental Study of Inequality and Unpredictability in an Artificial Cultural Market."Science, 311(5762), 854–856.Salganik, M. J. & Watts, D. J. (2008)"Leading the Herd Astray: An Experimental Study of Self-Fulfilling Prophecies in an Artificial Cultural Market."

Why do we work? The obvious answer is:Because we have to.But what if that's only part of the story? This week's video looks at the biggest lie you've been told about your own motivation, scarcity, UBI experiments and the rather uncomfortable possibility that if we looked at the studies and acted on them we come.... become more powerful than we could possibly imagine.It might give us the freedom to actually do something.I’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow & leave a review for future episodesMore about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first. His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/Sources & further readingBruce K. Alexander et al.The "Rat Park" experiments, Simon Fraser University, c. 1978–1981Alexander, Coambs & Hadaway, Psychopharmacology (1978)Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar ShafirScarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much (2013)Mani, Mullainathan, Shafir & Zhao"Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function", Science (2013)Ross Levine & Yona Rubinstein"Smart and Illicit: Who Becomes an Entrepreneur and Do They Earn More?", Quarterly Journal of Economics (2017Finnish Basic Income ExperimentFinal results, Kela / Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2020)Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED)Preliminary results (2021)Evelyn Forget"The Town with No Poverty" (2011), analysis of the Mincome experimentGiveDirectlyUniversal Basic Income study, Kenya, ongoing since 2011

The real Tragedy of the Titanic Wasn't The Iceberg.This week's video is what we get wrong about tragedies.This is a story about who gets killed, what power does to us, and how to change course so the when disaster hits - it doesn't need to be a tragedy.I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsThis channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first – his channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

This video is about why immigration is always the argument. Not whether the arguments are right. But why that particular argument, and not wages, or land, or who owns what, is the one that keeps being handed to you.I go through the neuroscience, the leaked internal documents, the 2.7 million posts study, and the numbers on what people believe about immigration versus what is actually happening around them. Then I explain why you still can't win the argument, and why winning it was never the point.SoI’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers:▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicsSOURCESLeDoux, J. (2000). Emotion circuits in the brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 23, 155–184Arnsten, A.F.T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortical structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 410–422Haidt, J. (2001). The emotional dog and its rational tail. Psychological Review, 108(4), 814–834Rathje, Van Bavel & Van Der Linden (2021). Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media. PNAS, 118(26)Frances Haugen, internal Facebook documents and testimony to US Congress and UK Parliament, 2021Ipsos, Perils of Perception, 37-country studyDustmann, C. & Frattini, T. (2014). The Fiscal Effects of Immigration to the UK. The Economic Journal, 124(580)Bauer et al. (2023). Shifting Punishment onto Minorities. The Economic Journal, 133(652)This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://paypal.me/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVwYou can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

I've been a comedian since I was 15 and in that time I've watched some of the most talented people of my generation become household names. And I've also watched some of the most talented people of my generation disappear completely.Not because they weren't good enough or because they didn't work hard enough.Because talent and recognition are two completely different things.This video started with a conversation with James Acaster. I asked him a simple question:Who is the most influential comedian people have never heard of?His answer was Luisa Omielan.What followed was a conversation about influence, recognition, success and why some people shape entire industries without receiving the credit they deserve.Along the way, it led me into Abraham Wald's famous work on survivorship bias during World War II, Daniel Kahneman's research on how we create stories about success, and a much bigger question:What if meritocracy isn't wrong because talent doesn't matter?What if it's wrong because we've confused talent with visibility?This is the first in a series about meritocracy.What we get right about it.What we get catastrophically wrong about it.And what the science actually says about how success works.Sources ReferencedWald, A. (1943) – A Method of Estimating Plane Vulnerability Based on Damage of SurvivorsTaleb, N.N. (2007) – The Black SwanKahneman, D. & Tversky, A. (1974) – Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and BiasesKahneman, D. (2011) – Thinking, Fast and SlowDuckworth, A. et al. (2007) – Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term GoalsI’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.How to Support Barry’s EconomicsHelp us stay independent and keep making videos like this.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomicshttps://ko-fi.com/barryseconomicshttps://www.patreon.com/barryseconomicsFollow and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/You can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomicsInstagram: instagram.com/barryseconomicsTwitter: twitter.com/barryseconomicsSubstack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomicsBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.socialReddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side.Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00Want to see the stand-up side of all this?Find my live comedy and storytelling here:https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryfernsTo learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/

Why Doesn't It Seem Possible to Tax The Rich Even a Little Bit More? Well...There's a trick that's been used against the public for over seventy years. It's completely legal, it's very well funded, and it's working on you right now. It doesn't involve lying. That's the clever part. You never have to say anything false. I want to show you how this trick works, and you'll spot it everywhere. In every news debate, every panel show, every politician saying "we need to be careful here." And I want to show you the one time in British history we actually beat it. Which matters, because the same trick is being run again, right now, on the biggest question in the country I’m Barry Ferns, a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality. No sponsors, ever.... this channel is funded by viewers: ▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics ▶ Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomics https://paypal.me/barryseconomics This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame. How to Support Barry’s Economics Help us stay independent and keep making videos like this. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barryseconomics https://ko-fi.com/barryseconomics https://paypal.me/barryseconomics https://www.patreon.com/barryseconomics More about me: https://barryferns.co.uk/ Mailing List Sign-up: https://tr.ee/0BKMVw You can also follow me on Tiktok: tiktok.com/@barryseconomics Instagram: instagram.com/barryseconomics Twitter: twitter.com/barryseconomics Substack: https://substack.com/@barryseconomics BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/barryseconomics.bsky.social Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/barryferns/ If you’re new to this, check out Gary's Economics first! His channel gives the structural and financial perspective. This one adds the lived, social and emotional side. Support Gary's Wealth Tax Campaign Here: https://buy.stripe.com/dRm4gs9Nl1L6eqWbUydjO00 Want to see the stand-up side of all this? Find my live comedy and storytelling here: https://www.youtube.com/@mrbarryferns To learn more about my comedy club, Angel Comedy, and buy tickets for shows head here: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/