Nudge

Prof Wiseman: “This is how you spot a liar”

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Warning, you’ll hear a lie in this episode.  You won’t be told it's a lie.  And 29% of those who listen probably won’t spot the lie. But if ...

Nir Eyal “Why These £39 Placebo Pills Actually Work”

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's a pill on Amazon called Fukitol.  It contains nothing. And yet people buy it, swear by it, and give it five stars.  Today, Nir Eyal explai...

What the World’s ‘Best Chat-Up Line’ Reveals About Human Psychology

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Richard Wiseman wanted to discover the world’s #1 chat-up line.  But in doing so, he discovered several secrets behind human psychology....

Learn psychological pricing in 24 minutes

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

I get a lot of questions about pricing.  Should I start with our most expensive item first? Should I use precise prices instead of rounded ones whe...

Will Guidara: How Cognac solved a major problem at the world’s #1 restaurant

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most restaurants have a major problem.  Paying the bill.  Give the bill too early, and the customer feels rushed. Too late, and they feel ignored....

How this fraudster sold fake Scottish tea to the rich & famous

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 2015, the media became obsessed with one man’s attempts to grow tea in the Scottish Highlands.  The BBC profiled him on the One Show. Radio rep...

Will Guidara: “Here’s how I built the world’s #1 restaurant"

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Will Guidara is the co-founder and restaurateur behind the world’s best restaurant.  But Will’s not a standard restaurateur. He didn’t just fo...

Can this “magic” number change your behaviour?

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Do nine-ending prices really work?  Will £9.99 sell more than £10.00? Can it be used for high-quality products? What about hedonic products? Can i...

Are we all just status-seeking monkeys?

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today on Nudge, Professor Katie Slocombe shares how chimpanzees handle power, build alliances, and jostle for status in their troop. It’s the first...

“These two words increased sales by 18%.” Robert Cialdini

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

16 years ago a chain of Chinese restaurants wanted to increase sales without changing the price.  They didn’t change the product.  The service. ...

When you can’t stop seeing the thing you’ve just discovered

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

I watched Home Alone and suddenly started hearing the theme tune everywhere.  I thought I was going insane.  But Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise ex...

The Psych-Trick Behind One the Decade’s Fastest Growing Orgs

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

HelloFresh is one of the fastest-growing companies of the past 20 years.  And it’s down to one, relatively simple behavioural science tactic.  -...

Real-world examples of cognitive biases

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us are completely oblivious to the cognitive biases that dictate how we live our lives.  Today, with Tom Bowden-Green and Luan Wise, we cove...

“This common pricing strategy is completely wrong!” Robert Cialdini

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“Say you’ve calculated your price and it comes out at £120,121.  Most would round it down to £120,000.  That’s completely wrong.”  Tha...

Robert Cialdini: “This study on 6,700 websites proved my principle!”

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This study analysed 6,700 websites in an unprecedented A/B test.  The results proved something that Dr Robert Cialdini had been preaching for years....

The Secret Behind KFC’s Success

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

KFC keeps its recipe secret.  It’s stored in a vault in an unknown location.  Only two KFC executives know the ingredients.  Neither are allow...

Why is it so hard to say no?

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1963, the Milgram experiments revealed something unsettling.  Most people kept administering what they believed were painful electric shocks, not...

The top 9 tips from 55 Nudge episodes in 2025

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s special end-of-year episode, you’ll hear the best insights from Nudge in 2025. Hear from Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer, Richard Shotton, Bas ...

The nudge that persuaded Aussies to stop speeding

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How would you encourage Australians to drive slower? That’s what today’s guest on Nudge, Adam Ferrier, had to do.  Being an applied behavioural...

Don’t listen to this podcast

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Seriously.  Don’t listen to this episode.  Whatever you do.  Don’t. Press.  Play. (Warning: this episode contains explicit language.) -...

Why We’re Irrationally Loyal to Amazon Prime

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

2 out of 3 internet users in the USA pay for Prime.  Yet, most of them are irrationally loyal.  They feel like the subscription provides more cost...

Robert Cialdini: "Everyone Should Memorise This Persuasion Principle"

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

His book Influence sold 5 million times.  He’s known as the Godfather of Influence.  He’s arguably the best-known behavioural science practiti...

Why Everyone’s Suddenly Drinking Aperol Spritz

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the most popular cocktail in America.  But prior to 2015, almost nobody had heard of it.  So, how did Aperol Spritz become the world’s dr...

Five science-backed tips to become a better leader

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

My guest on today’s episode of Nudge has spent decades studying leaders.  I asked Prof. Adam Galinsky to share his top five (evidence-backed) lead...

What Marge Simpson Can Teach You About Leadership

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1989, The Simpsons released Itchy & Scratchy & Marge.  It’s a classic Simpson’s episode filled with slapstick humour, dry jokes, and smart ga...

Are leaders born or are they made?

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are inspiring leaders born or are they made?  That’s what Adam Galinsky, the Columbia Business School professor, has spent the past two decades st...

How did Guinness become Britain’s most popular pint?

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s most popular pint has a major flaw.  It takes 2 minutes to pour.  This should put people off. Most of us don’t love waiting at the b...

The Surprising Menu Psychology Behind Five Guys’ Success

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Five Guys was the fastest-growing fast food chain in the world.  And that’s partly due to one clever bit of menu psychology.  Today on Nudge, Ri...

Why did Partygate Make Voters so Angry?

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2020, the UK government told its citizens not to meet in groups of more than two.  Despite this rule, the UK government were caught holding lockd...

How HubSpot’s CMO Uses AI: 4 Important Tips

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kipp Bodnar is HubSpot’s CMO. He’s also an AI expert. Today, I interview him about how he uses AI, how he expects marketing teams to change, and h...

How sights, smells and sounds alter what you buy

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2011, Coca-Cola introduced a white version of their Coca-Cola can. The drink inside was identical to original Coca-Cola, but customers drinking fro...

Is this famous team-building model wrong?

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is the classic forming, storming, norming, performing model wrong? In this episode of Nudge, Professor Colin Fisher challenges one of the most famous ...

Why (often) you're less productive in a team

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever felt like your team isn’t pulling its weight or sat through a meeting where nothing gets done? In this episode of Nudge, Professor Colin Fisher...

Why AI-generated content won't move you

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most people prefer AI art until they know it’s AI-generated.  Today on Nudge, Professor of Consumer Psychology Matt Johnson explains why.  --- ...

This small change can make a politician electable

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What determines who you vote for?  You probably think it's due to rational reasons. Economy. Sustainability. Immigration. Growth.  But research s...

When Schiphol Airport shredded 400 squirrels (and why no one was to blame)

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have businesses become less accountable? If something goes wrong with your flight, train, or takeaway, you’ll probably struggle to get a helpful re...

Dissecting Zohran Mamdani’s winning marketing tactics

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I joined The Hustle Daily Show to chat about NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's and how his campaign cracked the code of modern political psycholo...

Did I Get It Wrong? | Revisiting Priming

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A few weeks back I debunked five studies on priming. But did I get it wrong?  Today’s guest on Nudge thinks I missed something.  Tune in to hea...

‘New Coke’ and the marketing blunder of the century

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1985, Coca-Cola changed its flavour. You probably know that this was a complete failure. ‘New Coke’ was discontinued after just 79 days. But...

How your brain can reveal what you buy

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Zak can predict what customers buy without speaking to them.  He’s even able to boost charitable donations by spraying a donor with hormones....

How this indie movie used psychology to beat Hollywood

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

97% of independent films fail. Boiling Point did not. Today, I chat with executive producer Paul Mellor to learn how this movie applied psychological ...

Why naming a dish “field-grown” doubled sales

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How would you encourage sustainable behaviour?  You might assume logical messages work best.  Stuff like “the average three-hour flight creates ...

Three tricks Super Mario uses to keep gamers hooked

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Super Mario Bros is 40 years old. It’s an incredibly simple game (it takes up the same memory as a smartphone wallpaper), yet it’s incredibly popu...

This single text made girls 45% more likely to get vaccinated

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can one text message save 100s of girls from cervical cancer? Today on Nudge, Niall Daly and Dr Giulia Tagliaferri discuss their county-wide study inv...

A surprisingly effective way to persuade (almost) anyone

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a psychological principle that helped end South African apartheid.  It reversed the Pope’s declining popularity.  It reduced university s...

I debunked psychology’s greatest myth

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I interviewed 60 Brits to debunk one of psychology’s greatest myths. Priming is one of the best-known biases in behavioural science. Kahneman mentio...

The surprising true story behind “the greatest ad ever made”

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most marketers will remember Apple’s 1984 ad.  Many consider it the “greatest ad of all time”.  But you probably don’t know that just 12 m...

Instagram failed until it made THIS simple change

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Instagram wasn’t always a runaway success. The first version of the app flopped.  However, the Instagram founders were taught a behavioural scienc...

I tested this marketing guru’s advice. Was it a waste of time?

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I gave this marketing expert one hour to create an unforgettable ad.  I showed his ad to 30 Brits and measured exactly how memorable it was.  Does...

A year-long happiness experiment: Try one new thing a week (did it work?)

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This behavioural scientist spent one year doing a new thing every week. He tried acupuncture, gambling, day-trading and dancing. He visited Just Sto...

Learn 7 scientifically-backed marketing tips in 27 minutes

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In just 27 minutes, you can learn 7 scientifically backed marketing tactics to apply to your website today.  You’ll learn:  How one word increas...

Six eco-brands using psychology to sell

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Oatly, Tony’s, Ecosia and more all use behavioural science to persuade you. Today, author and founder Chris Baker explains how.  You’ll learn ab...

Oliver Burkeman: “Most scholars worked for just 4 hours a day”

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Charles Darwin, Virginia Woolf, and Henri Poincaré all follow the same four-hour rule? In this episode, bestselling author Oliver Burkeman re...

Oliver Burkeman: “I stared at a painting for 3 hours straight”

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Could staring at a painting for three hours make you more productive?  In this episode, I try a strange experiment inspired by bestselling author Ol...

The most destructive ad campaign in history

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did a marketing campaign lead to one of the worst public health disasters in American history?  In this episode, I investigate the rise and fall...

Louis Grenier’s Extremely Uncensored Take on Marketing

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode of Nudge is a little different. The no-nonsense marketing expert Louis Grenier gives his uncensored, uncut, and explicit take on mar...

One simple trick to improve your memory

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is one straightforward trick to help you remember more. Today, Dr. Ranganath reveals why testing yourself (even when you fail) can supercharge y...

Will tips from a 102-year-old marketing book work in 2025?

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 1923, Claude Hopkins wrote the definitive book on advertising. David Ogilvy said the book “changed his life,” and over eight million copie...

Can you implant fake memories?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1980, Michelle Smith published a book that triggered the Satanic Panic, a worldwide fear that Satan worshippers were recruiting millions to embrace...

Elon Musk’s Controversial Interview Question

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk’s hiring strategy goes against conventional wisdom—he asks just two questions and relies on gut instinct. But does it actually work? Tod...

Surprising truths about memory with Dr. Ranganath

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I explore the surprising science of memory with Dr. Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember. Today, Dr. Ranganath reveals why forgetting isn’t a...

Should you trust your gut?

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Golf players, investors and CEOs perform better if they take their time. Or do they?  Today, Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer reveals why intuition often outpe...

“99.9% of ads are genuinely awful” Tom Goodwin

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Learn why so many ads today are ineffective and what marketers are getting wrong. Today, Tom Goodwin reveals the four simple truths about advertising,...

7 marketing psychology tips you can apply today

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join the Nudge Unit: https://maven.com/nudge-unit/course-cohort Why does a $5 Uber voucher turn angry customers into loyal fans? In this episode, Eva...

Tiny nudges that can drastically improve your life

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join the Nudge Unit: https://maven.com/nudge-unit/course-cohort Can tiny nudges dramatically change our behaviour? In this episode, Eva van den Broek...

Introducing: Nudge Unit

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join the Nudge Unit: https://maven.com/nudge-unit/course-cohort

Why most bestselling business books are BS

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Business books are everywhere, offering seemingly simple solutions to complex problems—but are they truly helpful? In this episode, Alex Edmans expl...

Can 10,000 hours of practice make you great?

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I explore the truth behind the famous 10,000-hour rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell. Today, Prof Alex Edmans uncovers why the rule persists despit...

What sets top negotiators apart?

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Neil Rackham’s groundbreaking research uncovered what separates skilled negotiators from the average. Drawing insights from real-world negotiation s...

Can you see the invisible gorilla?

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

75% of us expect to spot the unexpected. But we’re wrong. Today on Nudge, Dan Simons shares his results from perhaps the world’s best-known psycho...

Francesca Gino Scandal: What Really Happened

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Francesca Gino scandal shook the academic world, exposing fraudulent research practices at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, Har...

Can I fool veteran marketers with my AI fakery?

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I put AI to the test at one of the world’s largest marketing conferences, Inbound 2024. This episode dives into the surprising results of my experim...

The experiment every marketer should know

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From curing scurvy to shaping billion-dollar business strategies, this is the story of the most important experiment in science and its profound impac...

The best of Nudge in 2024

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I spoke to the leading behavioural science authors, researchers and practitioners in 2024. Here are their top lessons. It features insights from Tali ...

Every trick Steve Jobs used to persuade in 68 minutes

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve scoured his 38-year career and documented every persuasion tactic he’s used. Here’s how Steve Jobs became the most successful CEO of all ti...

I changed one sentence and got 20% more views

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I tested a fairly unknown persuasion principle on 96 loyal Nudge listeners. It made my message 20% more effective. To hear how and why, listen to the ...

This Harvard prof made my emails 3.5x better

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve spent weeks writing handwritten letters rather than emails. I’m running an experiment inspired by today’s guest, Harvard Professor Mike Nor...

17½ persuasion tactics in 28 minutes

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is one of my favourite interviews of the year. Listen, and you’ll learn why you should go last in a job interview, why you should pay incentive...

I watched 300 TV ads: Here’s how they nudge you

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I spent four hours watching 300 ads back to back.  Today, I reveal how they use psychological principles to persuade you.  Subscribe to the (free)...

The Psychology Behind a Perfect (SaaS) Website

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s best websites follow psychology-backed rules. Today’s guest, Thomas McKinlay, has read over 500 scientific marketing papers to figure ...

Can I create a viral YouTube video?

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, I use a marketing psychology principle to try to go viral on YouTube. Did it work? Listen to find out.  Effortful YouTube vide...

I shrunk Britain’s #1 bread. Did anyone notice?

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I shrunk Britain’s favourite bread and showed it to a dozen Brits from Bolton. I was experimenting with shrinkflation. Companies shrink the size of ...

Can I persuade 20 strangers to listen to Nudge?

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I try to persuade 20 total strangers to listen to Nudge. To help, I’ve asked Brain Ahearn for advice. Brian’s Tedx talk on pre-suasion has ...

Lessons from the longest study on human happiness

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What makes us happy? This question generates wildly different answers. I asked four Nudge listeners and got four different answers. Being the behaviou...

Is the “godfather of influence” still relevant?

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Cialdini is known to most as the godfather of influence. But is his 40-year-old book still relevant? Today, with Bas Wouters, best-selling auth...

Did Nintendo Brain Training make me smarter?

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Nintendo Brain Training. I’ve always thought it’d make me smarter. Most people agree. I asked 25 Brits, and...

Everything I know about creativity is false

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This advice has changed the way I work.  Professor Adam Alter covers the science behind creativity, Bob Dylan’s songwriting tricks, Pfizer’s pro...

This professor increased my sales by 6x

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Danny Zane told me to slightly change how I promote my products. His advice increased my sales by 600%. Today, on Nudge, I reveal what he to...

This is why your boss makes bad hires

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tesco is the largest UK employer. They conduct almost 1 million interviews a year, yet I think they might be pointless. Today, I will share psychologi...

The trade secrets con men don't reveal

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fraudsters use four common tactics to con you. These tactics have been proven to work in scientific labs, adopted by the world’s best marketers, and...

How Messi Used Psychology to Become Great

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a strange ritual Messi does at the start of every game that helps make him great. This ritual also helps job candidates succeed in interview...

This Harvard Professor Studies Our Weird Rituals

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether clinking a glass with a friend, blowing on a cake, touching wood for good luck or tapping the plane before boarding, most of us have at least ...

How I persuaded 8 influencers to promote Nudge

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I didn’t pay them. I didn’t force them. I didn’t even try to persuade them. No, to convince these 8 influencers I used an extremely powerful psy...

21 Psyc-Tips to Increase Sales (with Nick Kolenda)

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I interviewed a (former) mind reader. He still reads minds today, but not for gimmicks. Instead, he uses his powers to help companies increase their s...

Can Charles Duhigg Make Me Popular?

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The bestselling author of The Power of Habits and Supercommunicators shared his top communication advice. Today, on Nudge, I tested Charles Duhigg's a...

What happens when AI can persuade humans?

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook has developed AI that’s smart enough to manipulate and persuade humans. Political spinsters have used it to persuade voters. Scam artists u...

7 cognitive biases that might ruin your life

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do Maradona’s Hand of God and Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” have in common? Both might be due to cognitive biases. Today, on Nudg...

The lying psychologist who fooled the world

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

He lied to his students, his friends, and his family. He fabricated data in 57 separate studies. He publicised racist views as scientific fact. And fo...

Rory Sutherland on Drink Driving, Five Guys and the Tube Map

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode of Nudge, Rory Sutherland explains how to Sell a £500 hoover Make a flight delay pleasurable  Improve the London Tube map  Pe...

How to give an election winning speech

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do election winners have in common? What makes a speech more persuasive? Are there tactics that every politician follows? And can we use these sa...