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Read more about the work we do and our interests across behavioural science, design and data science.

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What’s in a Name? How Naming Something Changes the Way We Think About It What’s in a Name? How Naming Something Changes the Way We Think About It

Have you ever wondered why so many peoples across the world and through the ages have decided that they need a God of Thunder or Lightning? Be it Thor in Norse mythology, Zeus in Ancient Greece, Vajrapani in Buddhism, or Indra in Hinduism, the gods of extreme weather often play a particularly powerful and prominent...

Feb 22 2022 • 3 min read

Omission Bias, the Trolley Problem and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Omission Bias, the Trolley Problem and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

Imagine that you are standing beside a train track. A group of five people is crossing the track. Suddenly you notice a train barrelling uncontrollably towards the group. There is a fork in the track ahead of the group. Beside you is a lever, which you can pull to divert the train at the fork,...

Jul 1 2021 • 4 min read

False Positives and False Certainties of Covid-19 Test Results False Positives and False Certainties of Covid-19 Test Results

Imagine that you have recently been asked to take a Covid-19 test – maybe you are a resident of Lambeth, a school pupil, or about to travel abroad. You receive a message with your results, which reads as follows: ‘Your recent coronavirus test has come back positive’. Take a moment to consider how you would...

Apr 30 2021 • 3 min read

How Our Existing Beliefs About Vaccines Lead Us To Misinterpret New Information How Our Existing Beliefs About Vaccines Lead Us To Misinterpret New Information

As Covid vaccines have continued to be rolled out across the world, ‘vaccine hesitancy’ has become the subject of growing media interest. In some countries, surveys show a remarkable reduction in vaccine hesitancy. A recent survey of the UK population shows that 93% of people would accept a vaccine in the UK, up from 78%...

Apr 1 2021 • 5 min read