TudoRama
TudoRama explores the nature and practice of creativity in the arts, sciences, politics and above all in everyday life. Tudor Rickards is Emeritus Professor of Creativity and Organizational Change at the University of Manchester. Tudor studied chemistry and radiation chemistry at The University of Wales at Cardiff. Following post-doctoral research at New York Medical College, he returned to the UK to work in technical management before joining Manchester Business School. He has published numerous books and articles on creativity, sporting management and leadership, as well as fictional works involving the mythical University of Urmston. He has been influential in the de...
Wit and Wisdom April 2025
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Doc continues his punning streak…
I taught my four year old son how to use the word abundance in a sentence. He said: Thanks Dad that really means a lot!
I’ve been meaning to mention this often-repeated tweet which seems designed to convince very dim people how they may be able to conceal their dimness.
"My friends think I'm a crypto genius, (I'm not) it's because I read WAGMI’s weekly newsletter (and they have no idea it exists)" - Every Crypto Degen
Republicans against Trump
Tu...
Battle of the bins
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Is it me, or is the collection of bins beyond the capabilities of a householder like myself?
For several weeks, I had noticed that my green bin was not collected on the designated day, which happens to be Thursdays.
To be precise, I mean emptied of the garden and household waste it contained.
Donald Opens Alcatraz Trump Tower
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The press waited in expectation for the latest announcement from Donald Trump. They had been promised sensational news which would be the biggest news even of this administration.
The fortunate reporters who had passed the loyalty test permitting them access to breaking news waited agog. Had the invasion of Canada begun? Had Israeli prime minister Netanyahu sealed the agreement that Gaza would be renamed the American eastern territories? Had Donald’s nomination for Pope gained growing acceptance by the Cardinals?
Cricketer and Philosopher Geoffrey Boycott wins Nobel Prize
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The April 1 announcement came as no surprise to the many supporters of the philosopher and cricketer Sir Geoffrey Boycott whose work has been much admired in intellectual circles for many years.
The announcement cited his contribution to economics in general, and to his conceptualisation of the corridor of uncertainty.
The corridor of uncertainty is a term now popularised by Boycott and his supporters. It is based on his discovery that in cricket as in life, dangers can be warned off by playing a literal or metaphorical straight bat to...
What’s my line? Tennis tantrums down the ages.
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At one level, tennis has a squeaky clean reputation with images of strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, smartly dressed officials and players following the written and unwritten rules of the game.
However, there is a dark side to tennis. Every so often a bad boy or a bad girl erupts on the court and into the media.
Perhaps the most celebrated was John you can’t be serious McEnroe.
But it’s also worth remembering Gregor Dimitrov, who was disqualified from the final of a match after smashing three racke...
Consciousness revisited. Book Review of Being you, by Anil Seth
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Seth, Anil. Being you: A new science of consciousness. Penguin, 2021.
The nature of human creativity has been increasingly recognised as a route to understanding artificial intelligence, and the mimicry of human behaviours by the emerging chatbot systems.
Consequently, Being You, by the distinguished neuroscientist Professor Anil Seth, arrives at a significant time. As I read it, I became increasingly aware of the way in which it might contribute to the debate on Artificial Intelligence and its significance for our understanding of creativity and what I have termed everyday creativity.
Wit and Wisdom, April 2025
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We continue the era of American liberation from exploitation by the rest of the world. I will try to squeeze other news and perhaps some with a little wit and wisdom …
The story so far. President Trump’s announcement of his plan to MAGA produces a substantial negative effect on stock markets and criticism from economists in an unusual show of agreement.
...
The Nipper-nipping Chess Robot
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The headlines are striking. ‘Chess robot grabs and breaks finger of seven year old opponent’
The vicious act of nipper nipping took place in a demonstration event in Moscow. It seems that the robot had been programmed in turn-taking. Its human opponent moves a piece from one chess board square to another. The robot differentiates legal and illegal chess moves.
If the move is legal, the robot activates its move-making sequences, plucking up an opponent’s piece if its move involves a capture, then moving his own piece...
Defining a woman
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Defining a woman. The legal case challenging the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the equality legislation (2010)
April 17 2025
The case was brought by Women For Scotland, a gender critical organisation, against ministers of the Scottish Parliament. The case eventually reached the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, whose ruling was announced this week.
Why Donald Trump is being compared with Chairman Mao
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No, it’s not because they both wrote a book. Over a billion copies of Mao’s little red book is believed to have been printed. The Art of the Deal has reached a puny million copies.
It’s because President Trump’s leadership is increasingly being compared with Mao’s disastrous attempt to transform China, known as the Cultural Revolution.
Fungus the Bogeyman's tennis bag. How decluttering changed my life
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Confession. I am referring to my own sad case, having eventually accepted that my aging tennis bag was in serious need of restoration to some minimum level of acceptability on the hygiene front.
Yes, a weekly sequence of spills from water bottles, biscuits, sunscreen lotions, muddy boots, energy drinks, unwashed sportswear and assorted sandwiches had taken its toll on it.
The last straw wasn’t literally a straw but a spilt pack of fruit pastilles which had turned into squashy goo at surprising rate between two tennis games...
Irish Humour. The skull of Brian Baru
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A joke attributed to the great Irish comedian and raconteur,Dave Allen.
The joke has been related many times and I was reminded of it recently on the website Quora in an entry by Roland Wyvern of Brighton in England.
Stay up-to-date with all of Tudor's podcasts, blogs and current affairs commentary by signing up to our newsletter! Email everydaycreativityuk@gmail.com to sign up!Wit and Wisdom March-April 2025
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Wish I could have found more on other news items, but what became known as Signalgate had peak billing as March drew to a close, and Donald Trump’s tariff tantrums then pushed itheir way to dominate the highlights.
@Acyn
Reporter: Can you share how your information about war plans was shared with a journalist?
Hegseth: So you are talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who has made a profession of peddling hoaxes
@FrankC164
So @PeteHegseth leaks U.S. war plans in a group chat...
Controligarchs by Seamus Bruner. Book Review by Tudor Rickards
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Controligarchs by Seamus Bruner. Book Review by Tudor Rickards
Reviewer’s warning: The book presents a perspective which other commentators have described as promoting conspiracy theories.
Donald Trump Coup
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Donald Trump Coup. Sensational News revealed in a leaked Signal message
Deadline April 1st 2025
Donald Trump was captured in a successful coup overnight. The news was revealed in a leaked Signal message.
The instigators had mistakenly added the name of a British Journalist, Sandy Darricks, who posted a redacted version on X reproduced here
More than meets the eye...why there's hope for the NHS
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This is a story which started with the editing of a textbook about leadership and is turning into a case study of the dilemma of leadership in the national health service...
Conspiracy theories. The assassination of President Kennedy
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Conspiracy theories. The assassination of President Kennedy
In March 2025, a a bizarre example of a conspiracy theory occurred as the voluminous records of the assassination of President Kennedy were released for public scrutiny.
At almost the same time, a conspiracy theory developed that the assassination had been carried out by a popular English television actress of the time, Penelope Keith.
<...
So much symbolism as Teuchel faces his first match as England football manager
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England’s football team has a new manager, Thomas Teuchel. According to the British football pundits, the role is one the hardest in the world in which an incumbent can succeed. This in part is an indisputable measure of a national team’s success, namely winning the highest of prizes, the World Cup.
The significance has grown since the failure to win the Cup since 1966.
Wit and wisdom March 2025
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Wit and Wisdom March 2025
The news continues to be dominated by Trumpet calls from the West (Wing). Are we yet at peak Trump?
@HagwithAttitude
Forgot to tell you of my great achievement yesterday!!! I managed to open a pack of bacon using the ‘peel here’ tab, and not the kitchen knife!
Me
I’m adding that to my examples of Everyday Creativity
The Free Press
“For Americans who still cling to the n...
Chess Masters: The Endgame. A review
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BBC 2 attempts to do for chess what Like Littler is doing for darts, generate mass interest in a niche sport.
I watch with mixed emotions, having turned down an invitation to take part mainly out of cowardice. So watch out for a version of non-buyer’s regret in my commentary on the first episode of Chess Masters: The Endgame
So, here’s my take on the event. I settle in sofa commentary goggle-mode: replenish wine glass. Watch the ending of Mastermind.
The Glorious Victory of the B team adds a Footnote to Chess History
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The Glorious Victory of the B team adds a Footnote to Chess History
It is well known in our league that East Cheadle Chess club B team also known as the east Chile buffaloes are prone to surprise their opponents, often scoring well in unexpected ways.
And so it was recently as reported by our inspiring captain Jim.
I have taken his graceful elegantly scripted account and added a few more earthy remarks of my own.
Stay up-to-date with all of Tudor's podcasts, b...Wit and wisdom, Late February 2025
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Wit and Wisdom, late February 2025
Still heavily biased towards political posts. I tried and failed to find a wider set…
Me
PMQs
6 questions about a refugee permitted entry to the U.K.
2 questions about sorting out Donald Trump
0 questions about the Gaza ceasefire
0 questions about global warming
0 questions about the economy
Did I miss anything?
@NicholasTyrone
I’m always amazed at the people in Britain who look at Ukraine being invaded and think they should just roll over to the R...
Sporting Dilemmas. The case of the Virtual Assistant Referee
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Sporting Dilemmas. The Case of the Virtual Assistant Referee.
Sporting progress has always been measured. The metrics may vary, but the prize goes to athlete or team considered to have carried out the best performance, be it speed, distance, height, accuracy of core tasks or endurance. Sport requires judgement.
As a sport develops and becomes professionalised so do the role of judge, and the sophistication of the measures. At the highest levels of competitive sport, the regulation of metrics is an important aspect of sports administration.
The Trumposki Gambit. The most feared weapon in the world of hand to hand combat
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The rarely-played Trumposki gambit has hit the headlines for its continued use by its devoted followers who believe it to be the greatest gambit of all time.
The gambit was played in an acrimonious match in the opulent settings of the Trumposki Towers recently.
The match, sponsored by Aeroflot airlines, was played according the Newchess rules, in which the home team has a second player able to play a special skewer move during the game, often turning a weak position into a strong one.
Stay up-to-date with all of...How to save a lost game at chess
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In our league match this week, the most interesting point about my game was how I managed to convert a completely lost position into a draw.
I’m not sure how much is Chess skill and how much is a psychology applied to escape from defeat.
Stay up-to-date with all of Tudor's podcasts, blogs and current affairs commentary by signing up to our newsletter! Email everydaycreativityuk@gmail.com to sign up!Mao to Xi. A tale of two leaders
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Chinese leadership from Mao to Xi. A review of The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, by Tsang and Cheung.
To understand the role played by Xi Jinping in shaping China’s future it is necessary to understand the revolutionary origins of the State.
The birth of the nation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) occurred under the charismatic leadership of Chairman Mao.
Mao Zedong fits a profile of charismatic revolutionary leaders, whose stories have become embedded in history. His courage, creative vision, and resourcefulness were backe...
Beyond mimicry: Can AI exhibit creativity?
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The question was posed by a team of creativity researchers as the AI revolution of 2023-4 was in full swing. AI was setting new questions about the nature of work, and the capacity of computers to replace humans
Ref
Marrone, R., Cropley, D., & Medeiros, K. (2024). How Does Narrow AI Impact Human Creativity? Creativity Research Journal, 1–11.
Writing in a leading creativity research journal, they pose their research question as ‘How Does Narrow AI Impact Human Creativity?’
To carry out their stu...
Proposal for collaboration with CIM for contributions to the new edition of Dilemmas of Leadership
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Invitation and call for ideas.
CIM Community Meeting, March 2025
As invited by the Editorial Board I have submitted an idea for consideration at the CIM Community Meeting, March 2025
The Idea: Proposal for collaboration with CIM for contributions to the new edition of Dilemmas of Leadership
Proposer: Tudor Rickards
I am inviting contributions, initially in the form of citations of publications on emerging issues in creativity and innovation, to be published in the fourth edition of my textbook Dilemmas of Leadership, Routledge. Publication date is...
Manchester United can't be going bust. Or can it?
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It’s a hard time to be a Manchester United supporter. Many are seeking therapy to cope with their anguish over the last few years. They had seen the super club under super Manager Alex Ferguson drop down the GLOBAL rankings and even worse have had to suffer the indignity of accepting that United is no longer even the strongest club in Manchester, out spent and out competed by the noisy neighbours, Manchester City.
Grumbling is part of the requirement of becoming a football fan, but this is not normal. One supporter I k...
Trump v Associated Press. The battle for the first amendment
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Written and spoken by Tudor Rickards, based on an Associated Press statement.
AP statement on Oval Office access, Wed 12 February 2025
QUOTE Today we were informed by the White House that if associated press did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump’s executive order, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America associated press would be banned from accessing an event in the Oval Office. This afternoon, our reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing. END QUOTE
Stay up-to-date with all of...Wit and Wisdom February 2025
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@ShoelMolvi
I am getting married on Feb 30th..
Everyone is invited
Me
I thought you said it was going to be April 1st
Two from the witty Doctor
@DocAtCDI
Son: Dad, I had a test at school today.
Dad: Oh yeah, what was it on?
Son: Paper.
and for his follow up
What does Arnold Schwarzenegger say at the beginning of a game of chess?
...On Learning of Donald Trump's plans for Gaza and Ukraine: The Fate of Tyrants
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Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Spoken by Tudor Rickards
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read...
Chasing after moonbeams: The human quest for knowledge of the future
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Chasing after moonbeams: The human quest for knowledge of the future
The search for emerging trends is as old as the human quest to understand and influence the future. As civilisations arose, so did men and women were whose views were treated with respect and who were regarded as having mystic powers.
Perhaps the most famous,even to the present day, was the Oracle at Delphi. The myth emerged that at the sacred temple, the high priestess would reveal the future to visitors wealthy enough to seek her advice.
Wit and Wisdom Late January 2025
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Another humorous collection of posts, but some also marking the tragic Washington DC air crash in the last days of the month.
@ShoebMolvi
After the storm, Dave’s worried about the caravan in his front garden, as he didn't have one yesterday👀
@gardnerstewart39
Morrisons have run out of haggises. It's a bit late to be rushing to Scotland to catch one in the wild. I thought the plural of Haggis was Haggi, apparently not.
Big Ben Bonged for Britain. The Day we left Europe
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January 31, 2020 was the day the UK formally left the EU. It was celebrated by the victorious Leave voters celebrated 'freedom day' with a grand party and Big Ben ringing out the joyous news.
It was also a day when the first victims of what was going to become the COVID pandemic were hospitalised.
This is a summary of my notes at the time, concluding my five year diary since the Referendum in 2016.
When the water drops and refreezes’: Where do new ideas come from?
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When the water drops and refreezes’: Where do new ideas come from?
‘ That happens when the water drops from the guttering, and refreezes’ I said to myself.
The ice had formed in an unexpected way and I had arrived at an explanation for my observation.
‘When the water drops and refreezes’ stayed in my consciousness as a promising first line for a poem.
I could easily have become involved in the process of creating a few more lines of poetry in some form or other. (I did mentio...
Did Donald Trump contribute to the crash in share prices in his first week?
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Did Donald Trump contribute to the crash in share prices in his first week?
As Donald Trump’s first week of his second term as President came to an end, the Chinese A.I. company DeepSeek sent the stock markets plunging with claims of matching leading chatbots with substantially lower computer chip costs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/business/us-stock-market-deepseek-ai-sp500-nvidia.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
The President’s reaction was robust: “The release of DeepSeek, AI from a Chinese company, should be a wake-up call for our indust...
The weaponisation of DEI
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Among the flurry of executive orders announced by President Trump arriving in office in January 20, 2025, was Executive Order 14171, directed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in government...
Chess and Darts. Not as different as you might think
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At first sight, Chess and darts seem very different games. This week, several coincidences drew my attention to an unexpected similarity.
At Chess this week, I had watched the remarkable emergence of gifted young chess players taking apart their seniors during a local Chess league match. No real surprise there, as it mainly reinforced the trend of young Chess players out-performing the older generation, led by our new teenage world champion, Gulesh.
But then, the first coincidence. I noticed a young man being interviewed after a success in a...
Wit and Wisdom. The first week of the Trump Presidency
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A lengthier than usual audiopost. These posts included are heavily against President Trump and his actions. Also, one commentator, @Acyn has been particularly prolific. I will try harder to search for more posts supportive of the new President in future collections.
@Scaramucci
Launch of Melania coin is causing Trump coin to crash. Elon was right, we are living in a simulation. Which one of the kids coins will perform best? The day before inauguration as leader of free world and this is what Trump is focused on. Tells you e...
