Bearded Soldiers

Cognitive Engineering

Preposterous protocols, nonsensical norms, and peculiar policies: what makes a rule weird? In this podcast, Nick, Ben, Leon, and Fraser discuss the British army's recent dropping of the ban against beards: the history behind the ban, what motivated the recent change, and what the whole affair can tell us about 'weird' rules more generally. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - British Army May Lift Beards Ban After 300-plus Years https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/04/hair-today-why-british-army-may-lift-beards-ban-after-300-plus-years - Crimean Heroes https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/34493/ - 130 Years of Facial Hair Trends, in One Chart https://www.vox.com/2015/3/1/8123457/beard-history-chart - Did Van Halen's Concert Contract Require the Removal of Brown M&Ms? https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/brown-out/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email [e-mail]