From stockpiling toilet paper to dropping £100 on a plain t-shirt, hype can get people doing all sorts of seemingly strange things. Canvas8 spoke to Gemma Milne, author of Smoke & Mirrors, to learn more about this psychological phenomenon and the role it can play in a public health crisis.
Gemma Milne is a science and technology journalist, broadcaster, keynote speaker, and author of Smoke & Mirrors: How Hype Obscures the Future and How to See Past It. She is a PhD researcher in science and technology studies at UCL, writes for outlets such as The Guardian, Wired, Forbes, and the BBC, and is co-host of the Radical Science podcast.
Lottie Hanwell is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in English Literature and Spanish, and spends a lot of time thinking, researching and writing about developments in society and culture. On her weekends, she likes to run, read and make a mess in the kitchen.
