COMPASS - with Sigge Winther
Physicist Niels Bohr famously said that God gave physicists the easiest problems. The laws of physics are predictable. Social change, on the other hand, is extremely difficult to capture in a formula.
In the podcast, Sigge Winther Nielsen and host Silas Moody set out to explore the stories behind guests who have brought about major changes—analyzing the strategies they used to revolutionize society.
KOMPAS is produced in collaboration with the Carlsberg Foundation.
From smoke-filled daycare centers to smoke-free beaches
The shift away from Danish smoking culture is a textbook example of successful change. This section examines it in depth with one of the key architects of that change, Jesper Fisker, CEO of the Danish Cancer Society.
Minisode: How We Make Municipal Strategies Exciting
Kristine Fisker, INVI’s program director for change tools, is very enthusiastic about municipal strategies. This surprises Silas. That’s why he has invited her in for a chat about why municipal strategies are important
Uffe's Campfire Leadership: A Whole New Approach, Chaos, and a “Huge Mistake”
Uffe Elbæk is, in every sense of the word, the Grand Old Man when it comes to social change. We take a closer look at the founding of Alternativet and Uffe’s charismatic campfire-style leadership, which is alternative to the core.
Mini-episode: Dear Politicians, Are You Asleep at the Wheel?
AI is turning our society upside down. The Danes have realized this, and they’re even coming up with concrete solutions. Politicians, on the other hand, hardly seem to have grasped the gravity of the situation.
Emma Holten's socially critical Dan Brown-style technique
According to Emma Holten, everyone has a right to abstract analysis. That is why she has written a fundamental critique of established economic logic, using Dan Brown’s crime novels as a model.
How Katrine Fønsmark Is Changing Society
Can a fictional journalist from a Danish TV series actually change real-world politics? The short answer is yes—if your name is Birgitte Hjort Sørensen and you’ve played the role of Katrine Fønsmark in *Borgen*.
We are shaping Denmark's AI mission
The government’s policy platform devotes a total of 4.5 pages to artificial intelligence—in stark contrast to the previous government’s policy platform, which devoted 0 pages to the topic. AI has burst into our daily lives, our workplaces, and our personal lives. But how do we define a mission for a technology that is constantly evolving?
Wicked Mirror: With Yourself as Your AI Opponent
Imagine standing face to face with yourself—but as the person with whom you disagree the most politically. That is the experience offered by the artwork *Wicked Mirror*, created by artist and creative technologist Andreas Refsgaard in collaboration with INVI’s chief analyst, Sofie Burgos-Thorsen
Meta vs. Theta: The Battle for Digital Sovereignty
What if we used AI to reclaim the public discourse? What if we no longer submitted to American tech giants and algorithms designed to promote hate speech?
Can a virtual population save democracy?
A synthetic population is a digital model of a population, based on data that makes it possible to simulate how real people think, vote, and react without asking them directly. But what does this mean for our democracy?
Lea Korsgaard's Obama-Inspired Cult, Zetland
"Build a cult and never pay your employees more than they were making before." That was the advice given to Lea Korsgaards when she founded Zetland, and today that advice has helped make Zetland one of the most remarkable stories of transformation we’ve ever covered.
Mini-Episode: 8 Points – How to Bring About Social Change
Of the 12 most important societal challenges we face, Danes believe that politicians can solve only one.
We have created a reform checklist that, based on past reforms, identifies eight specific questions that must be answered for a reform to be successful.
From Rule by Politicians to Rule by the People with the Founder of Folkemødet
Hidden behind the lobbyists’ tents, free draft beer, and advertisements is a boat: Lilla Dan. Here, Bertel Haarder sits ready to answer the question:
How can we ensure that the People's Assembly isn't corrupted? And did it actually turn out the way Bertel had hoped?
“The landslide is the best thing that has happened to democracy in a long time”
How do you change society as an activist? And perhaps even more importantly, how do you bring your activist, “fuck the system” mindset into the system?
Minisode: Discount Democracy Has a "Buffet" Government
In many ways, the new government platform resembles a political all-you-can-eat buffet, but while we debate what the politicians will put on their plates, we overlook the weakened machinery that is supposed to put the many aspects of the government platform into practice.
How can a cup of coffee change the entire global economy?
When Peter Dupont first visited the underpaid coffee farmers in Nicaragua, he decided to challenge the postcolonial structures.
Has the government not listened to KOMPAS at all?
Silas has pored over the government platform, but can't really find a tool for change—I wonder if they've listened to KOMPAS?
Sigge is trying to help. The government’s platform consists largely of what they want to do, but not so much of how they plan to do it.
Peter Aalbæk's Abegrotte Method
Porn actors, outcasts, and great artists all in the same cafeteria. That’s how Peter Aalbæk founded Zentropa, as a protest against the existing film industry.
The success? According to Peter Aalbæk, it’s due to the Abegrotte method…
How Did the Public School Reform End in Failure? - With Christine Antorini
“I no longer believe that major reforms can change our society,” says former Minister of Education Christine Antorini, who is behind the most criticized reform in modern Danish history.
So why did it go so wrong?
What Lars Løkke Can Learn from Maj My Humaidan
Through her personal stories, Maj My Humaidan has managed to change the way we view family life and our role as citizens in today’s world. In particular, she has inspired change through a specific approach from which most Danish politicians could learn a great deal.
The Billionaire's Battle Against Capitalism
Billionaire Jacob Jelsing is spending a large portion of his fortune on purchasing farmland to convert it into natural areas. The trained marine biologist wants to change our perception of nature, but what approaches to change are effective when trying to get the population of an agricultural nation to prioritize nature over economic growth?
The secret behind Meyer's success
Over the past 30 years, Claus Meyer has revolutionized the Danish people’s understanding of food. With love and passion, he has forged a shared mission and inspired countless people to work toward the same goal. And the success? Well, it’s due to one thing in particular.
Prologue: A COMPASS for Social Change
We’re back every Monday! And not only that, but we’re back with a host of exciting guests who have truly managed to bring about change in society. On KOMPAS, Sigge Winther and host Silas Moody explore the stories behind guests who have brought about major changes in society and analyze how they have revolutionized society.