The Psychology of Curiosity at Cheltenham Science Festival

About this episode

Claudia Hammond leads a discussion on the psychology of curiosity with a panel of experts at the Cheltenham Science Festival.

Is curiosity good for us, or should we learn a lesson from what curiosity did to the cat? And why does curiosity drive some people to explore the ends of the earth and beyond, while others just really aren’t very curious at all? As a journalist and author, Claudia Hammond has turned curiosity into a profession. She invites a panel of people for whom curiosity is also at the centre of what they do to discuss the psychology of curiosity in front of an audience at the Cheltenham Science Festival. They are... Tim Peake – astronaut, test pilot and author. His lifelong curiosity took him to live for six months on the International Space station. While he was there he famously ran the London Marathon on a treadmill and he was the first British astronaut to walk in space. Gosia Goclowska - a lecturer in the department of psychology at the University of Bath. She researches some of the more unusual emotions we experience such as curiosity, awe and surprise. And Matthias Gruber - an associate professor of psychology at the University of Cardiff. His research focuses on the neuroscience of curiosity and learning. Producer: Lorna Stewart Production Coordinator: Jana Holesworth Sound…

People in this episode

Host: Claudia Hammond

Guests: Tim Peake, Gosia Goclowska, Matthias Gruber

Topics covered

• curiosity
• psychology
• exploration
• science festival
• emotions

Keywords

• curiosity
• psychology
• Tim Peake
• Gosia Goclowska
• Matthias Gruber
• science festival
• exploration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Bath, University of Cardiff

Places: Cheltenham Science Festival, International Space station

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