The World As We Know It

Is it possible to read minds? Professional mind readers can seemingly pluck an idea straight out of your head. Is it real? How do they do it? If they can so easily identify your very thoughts, surely science can do better?
Join us for mind reading madness and mental mysteries as Dr Aneurin J Kennerley guides us through recent advances in modern neuroscience helping us to understand how the brain works. This event will mix live stage mentalism with world leading science happening right here in York! Come and learn how we are pushing the limits of brain imaging to see right inside your head.

Are you concerned about the growing proliferation and dissemination of false and misleading information on the internet? Join Dr Alexander Reid as he discusses this prescient issue and possible interventions aimed at enhancing online media literacy in adults that are being developed at the University of York. Alex will discuss some preliminary results from his work and share some useful tips and advice on avoiding ‘Fake News’.

Intonation patterns form a large part of how we characterise regional accents and dialects, and it is not hard to think of dialects that meet the description of having ‘special’ or ‘sing song’ intonation. In this talk my goal is to persuade you that there is a distinctive rise-fall intonation pattern which is used in consistent ways by some York speakers, but not all. I’ll be looking for some audience participation in a mini-experiment to help work out who uses the rise-fall, and why.