Kickoff at 7pm sharp. Top floor of the store

This special event comes to you in association with our friends from PubhD Glasgow.

The format is nice and simple;

1. Three researchers will each have 10 minutes to talk about their subject area to an interested audience in a pub
2. There will be up to 20 minutes of (friendly!) Q&A per speaker.
3. Each speaker gets at least one pint (or other drink of their choice).

A whiteboard/flip chart and coloured pens will be provided.

Speakers & topics:

Alison McCandlish – My research examines ways of using creative engagement techniques to explain and explore cultural assets. I worked within the context of a live civic bid (Paisley 2021) and my work involved the production of a digital cultural asset map, digital storytelling and cognitive mapping.

Anna Henschel – Robots are becoming increasingly prevalent in our society, as they help us in the household, work in factories and nudge us to behave more healthily. Interactions with humanoid robots have an inherently social side, due to anthropomorphizing processes that are deeply ingrained in our minds. The deepening integration of robots into our social sphere raises a number of important questions, both within the realm of experimental psychology and social robotics. The aim of my PhD is to use an interdisciplinary approach to investigate factors influencing the perception and interaction with robots.

Ben Butterworth – Have you ever got drunk to make yourself feel better? Or do you drink to forget? Many people drink more after experiencing trauma, with different theories suggesting that people drink to either cope with painful memories or forget traumatic events. This is important, as painful memories are among the most severe symptoms of trauma, developing into PTSD if traumatic memories persist. However, it is unknown how getting drunk after experiencing a traumatic event influences our memories, despite many people using alcohol more after trauma. This PhD will explore the relationship between post-traumatic alcohol use and traumatic memories, and how this may influence the development of PTSD. Laboratory experiments will test how getting drunk after watching a traumatic film influences memories, whilst interviews with heavy drinkers will explore beliefs and motivations for drinking in response to memories. Combined, these findings will help inform the treatment and prevention of PTSD and drinking problems. Overall, this research will ensure that when people get drunk, they won’t drink to regret.

This is event is free to attend, although we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn’t end up in anyone’s pocket – it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.

Accessibility: The talk is on the top floor of the store, however there is however a lift available for customers to use. More detailed accessibility information can be found here: https://www.disabledgo.com/access-guide/glasgow-city-council/waterstones-3