South Mimms U artwork

What makes people (and robots) creepy?

South Mimms U

English - May 12, 2020 18:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MB - ★★★★★ - 3 ratings
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We all know that some people find clowns creepy – and funeral directors as well as taxidermists too. But why. What is ‘creepiness’ and can it be studied? And when we encounter robots that are almost human, but not quite, why do we feel as if we’re in what’s called ‘the uncanny valley’? Our Professor of Creepy Studies (who happens to be a robot) explains. And we interview Marc Abrahams from ImprobableResearch.com (who’s also the organizer of the globally renowned Ig-Nobel Awards) to find out if even being interested in the nature of creepiness is itself… creepy.

 

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