From the emotional triggers that make our phones impossible to put down, to the hidden chemical signals our noses detect without our knowledge, we’re exploring the subconscious drivers of human behaviour. Finally, we’ll step into the virtual world to discover why simulated stakes in gaming can feel as intense as real life-or-death situations. Discover the science behind your habits, your senses, and your play.
How Emotions Shape Phone Habits
Tiia Ladvelin (Postgraduate researcher, University of Essex)
Why is it sometimes easy to ignore your phone, and other times almost impossible? This talk explores how everyday emotions influence our self-control and how we respond to digital distractions competing for our attention.
What Your Nose Knows, But You Don’t
Dr Saideh Ferdowsi (Lecturer, University of Essex)
We are constantly surrounded by odors and signals we don’t even notice. Your sense of smell is doing far more than helping you enjoy food; it’s picking up hidden signals all the time. In this talk, I’ll show how scientists use brain imaging and machine learning to explore how we detect and respond to invisible chemical cues such as body odors. Discover how your brain is quietly shaping your emotions and behaviour without you even realising it.
It’s Just a Game – Why Does it Feel so Serious?
Richard Lay-Flurrie (Postgraduate researcher, University of Essex)
You are the last player alive on your team. Your heart is racing, your team is counting on you, in this moment nothing else matters. You go for the finishing move… you WIN!. Jubilation. You are elated… and then, the round is over. It is forgotten about and nothing has changed. Why do the outcomes of tasks in simulated environments produce such strong feelings when they are, in effect, meaningless? This talk explores that question through simulations of unmanned surface vessels, using autonomy, uncertainty, and decision-making under pressure to explain why virtual stakes can feel completely real.