Birkbeck project 'Me, Human' at the Science Museum
Led by Dr Gillian Forrester, Senior Lecturer in Birkbeck’s Department of Psychological Sciences, Me, Human is a set of scientific experiments that the public can participate in, that seeks to understand how traits from our 500 million year-old brain still underpin some of our most important and unique behaviours – such as recognising faces and speaking.
Me, Human will be held at the Science Museum as part of Live Science from 2 July to 30 September 2019 and is open to all members of the public, from babies to great-grandparents. Throughout the exhibition, participants will work with a team of scientists and take part in experiments, using their hands, eyes and ears to solve puzzle boards, recognise faces and react to various sounds to learn how different sides of the brain control different activities.
This is a chance for the general public to play a role in cutting edge research through fun psychology experiments. At the end of their experiment visitors will be be given a personalised report and have their name entered in a weekly raffle to win a Me, Human prize.
Dr Gillian Forrester, who is leading the project, said: “I feel very fortunate and excited to be directing the Me, Human project. This is a large multi-disciplinary and multi-institution operation. Our team consists of people at all levels of their careers from undergraduate students to senior academics. The success of the project relies on much of the work being done 'in kind' by passionate researchers who want to share our message that human brains and behaviours are the product of 500 million years of evolution and as such we are all connected to the natural world.
Me, Human will be at the London Science Museum all summer, so come and meet our scientists at the "Who Am I?" gallery. You can watch your brain in action as you participate in activities that engage your eyes, ears and hands - to learn about how the two sides of your brain control different kinds of ancient animal behaviours. “
Me, Human at Live Science will be open from 2 July until 30 September at the Science Museum in London. Find out more about Me, Human and Dr Gillian Forrester’s research.