Uploaded March 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What are heuristics? They are simple rules of thumb that our brain uses all the time in order to make judgments / decisions quickly and efficiently. They are not always accurate but they sure save us a hell of a lot of time.
Here are some examples of everyday heuristics we use (instead of answering the difficult first Q, our brain uses the answer to the second as an approximation): 'How happy are you with your life' - ['What is my mood right now?'] / 'How popular will Obama be in 6 months?' - ['How popular is he now?'] / 'Is she a good sex-partner?' - ['What is her Waist-to-Hip ratio?'] / 'Is he an attractive man?' - ['How tall is he?'] (examples taken from Kahneman ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ – p. 98).
Apparently, animals too use heuristics – even guppy fish according to Rory Sutherland.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
What are heuristics? They are simple rules of thumb that our brain uses all the time in order to make judgments / decisions quickly and efficiently. They are not always accurate but they sure save us a hell of a lot of time.
Here are some examples of everyday heuristics we use (instead of answering the difficult first Q, our brain uses the answer to the second as an approximation): 'How happy are you with your life' - ['What is my mood right now?'] / 'How popular will Obama be in 6 months?' - ['How popular is he now?'] / 'Is she a good sex-partner?' - ['What is her Waist-to-Hip ratio?'] / 'Is he an attractive man?' - ['How tall is he?'] (examples taken from Kahneman ‘Thinking Fast and Slow’ – p. 98).
Apparently, animals too use heuristics – even guppy fish according to Rory Sutherland.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
![Comedy for ELT - Star Wars [Phonecalls]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O1TTFt-zVHE/mqdefault.jpg "Comedy for ELT - Star Wars [Phonecalls]
OK – the first one is good, the second one is simply brilliant! In the first phone call, we have Yoda calling 192 (Directory Enquiries). The bemused operator is asked to find Obi Wan Kenobi’s number… In the second phone call, Obi Wan Kenobi calls the Dorchester Hotel (one of the best in the whole galaxy!). He wants to book a room, but there are a number of things he needs to check first… Enjoy!
NB: The phone calls are real! The actors make a number of calls and record them; then they go through them all, they keep the funniest and they just add the laughter tracks… [You can imagine how the guys at the other end feel… They realise it’s some kind of practical joke, but they cannot very well hang up… :-) ]
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].")
![Comedy for ELT - Frank Dad 2 [Friends]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OFHxvZ3JrOE/mqdefault.jpg "Comedy for ELT - Frank Dad 2 [Friends]
He is male, he is a father and he is divorced. He is also very frank… So when his son asks him about things, he is only too happy to reply. It’s just that one wonders whether his son might not have been better off not asking questions in the first place… In this clip, Paul is a little upset because he feels socially excluded… Enjoy!
Quite apart from the entertainment value, these little sketches contain very real-life language, including discourse markers and idioms. Taken from the BBC Series ‘The Armstrong and Miller Show’. Level: C1 – C2. Topic: Family / Parents – Children / Friendship / Social Exclusion.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
SCRIPT
D: You’re all right, old fellow?
S: I can’t sleep…
D: Something on your mind?
S: No…
D: Come on Paul, I’m your dad… What did we say? No secrets…
S: Dad….why don’t I have any mates?
D: What?
S: Well, it’s Craig Higson’s birthday this weekend and he’s invited all the boys in my class… except me… Why doesn’t anyone want to be my friend?
D: Well, they don’t mean to hurt your feelings… It’s just you are quite boring. * I mean, I love you cause I’m your dad; but the chances are other people aren’t really going to see the attraction. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love all the little stories about what happened to drama club, or how mum nearly left the gas on when you went to the shops but, let’s face it, you’ll never get work as an after-dinner speaker… * And that lack of animation or anything interesting to say can have the knock-on effect that you leave very little impression on people… * I mean, if I’m brutally honest, after I’ve dropped you off at your mum’s on a Sunday, well, by Wednesday, even I have trouble remembering what you look like… * Do you want a hot milky drink? I can’t remember… do you take sugar? *")
![Comedy for ELT - Frank Dad 4 [Birds and Bees]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PDrLKAByJrM/mqdefault.jpg "Comedy for ELT - Frank Dad 4 [Birds and Bees]
He is male, he is a father and he is divorced. He is also very frank… So when his son asks him about things, he is only too happy to reply. It’s just that one wonders whether his son might not have been better off not asking questions in the first place… In this clip, Paul asks his dad how he came into this world… Enjoy! :-)
Quite apart from the entertainment value, these little sketches contain very real-life language, including discourse markers and idioms. Taken from the BBC Series ‘The Armstrong and Miller Show’. Level: C1 – C2. Topic: Family / Parents – Children / Marriage / Sex.
[NB: I do not own the copyright to this video clip. I have uploaded it here for educational purposes].
SCRIPT
D: How are your dippers?
S: They’re great! Can I have some more ketchup?
D: Oh, go on then…
S: Dad, where do I come from?
D: Ipswich. *
S: No, I mean… How did I get born?
D: Oh, right… Well, I met your mum at work. We bumped into each other in a corridor – literally. Then we had a few dates, got to know each other and found out we got on really well. And then eventually, we fell in love and got married and, yeah I know, icky stuff… And then in November 1994, your mum got drunk and had sex with two builders. * And nine months later, out you popped… I’m not sure which of the builders is your real dad… * I’m guessing it’s not the Chinese one… * Right! Choc ices?!? *")
