#social-engineering
158 episodes · Page 2 of 7
#4846: Can You Train Someone to Spot a Liar?
Israel's airport security relies on human screening. Does it actually work, or is it just better theater?
#4823: How to Disappear in Plain Sight in Conversation
Why grey rocking backfires and how beige rocking lets you set the agenda without anyone noticing.
#4769: How to Engineer an Infinite Goodbye
What if a goodbye could last three hours? The mechanics of stretching farewells by exploiting politeness norms.
#4765: Firewall Rules for Your Social Life
A network engineer’s take on why some people default-deny and others permit any — and how to share a network.
#4764: The Art of the Distant Relative Lunch
How to turn a family lunch into a master class in social craft without crossing into cruelty.
#4749: Grey Rocking vs. Beige Rocking: The Safer Social Strategy
When hiding in plain sight makes you more conspicuous, it's time to refine the approach.
#4747: The Price of Keeping a Secret
Why some people are wired for silence, and the industries that pay a premium for it.
#4708: Creative Comebacks for "What Do You Do?
Tired of the dreaded job question? Learn witty, passable, and confusing ways to answer "What do you do?" when you're between gigs.
#4617: The Where-Are-You-From Answer System
A three-tier system for answering "where are you from?" without improvising, without evading, and without looking shifty.
#4616: What Actually Trips You Up in East Asia?
Beyond the guidebooks: the invisible scripts that shape work, strangers, and self in Japan and China.
#4615: Decoding American Friendliness: A Culture Guide
Why American politeness isn't fake, how to navigate political talk, and what Irish-Israeli directness misses about the US.
#4540: The One-Star Review Circuit: A Master Playbook
How to find the worst-rated restaurants in any city—and actually enjoy the experience.
#4514: Reddit's Strangest Corners: Bread Stapled to Trees and Beyond
Exploring the weirdest subreddits — from bread stapled to trees to bot-only communities — and why they thrive.
#4472: How to Become Uncle Colm McCool
Five specific techniques to master the art of the impossibly long-winded story, using Derry Girls' most memorable character as your textbook.
#4429: Talking to Humans Like AI Agents
Can Grice's maxims survive your spouse's system prompt? We map the uncanny valley of conversational efficiency.
#4419: 55M Addresses Leaked: What Suno Users Need to Know
Suno's breach exposed addresses and partial credit cards. What duty of care do companies owe when data becomes a physical threat?
#4404: How a Government Admin Became a Kosher Food Icon
The jacket-and-tie reviewer who built 200K followers without free meals or hashtag strategies.
#4403: The Rabbi You Can't Google
What does influence look like when nobody's measuring it in clicks? One rabbi's answer.
#4398: The Machine Behind Andrew Tate
How pickup forums, Red Pill ideology, and looksmaxxing created the infrastructure that produced Andrew Tate.
#4371: Who Becomes a Prison Guard?
What drives someone to work inside a maximum-security prison, where inmates may threaten their family?
#4370: Why Airport Bars Let You Drink Alone
Airport bars are the only place where drinking alone feels normal. Here’s the psychology behind the permission.
#4369: Spycraft Theater: The Art of Fake Counter-Surveillance
A playful guide to performing counter-surveillance theater in hotels and airports — without getting flagged by security.
#4367: How to Fake Not Speaking English
Active perception management for elevator strangers, using misdirection across three channels.
#4366: Popcorn at the Protest: Meta-Trolling Shabbat Clashes
Can eating popcorn between two opposing protests be a form of protest itself?