Mindworks

12/09/2022

We’ve had a great season of group visits! 🤗🥰 We love hosting people from all over Chicago, from high schoolers to MBA students to alumni and professional colleagues.

Schedule your group visit today, at the link in our bio! ✨

11/23/2022

Happy Thanksgiving! We'll be closed this Thursday and Friday to celebrate, but we look forward to welcoming you back again on Saturday, November 26th!

11/03/2022

What are you up to next Thursday evening? 📆 We’ll be networking with alumni, sipping on cocktails, and listening to some of the leading voices in behavioral science! 🍸🧑‍💼🤝

Join the Chicago Booth Alumni Club of Chicago for their annual capstone event, featuring a networking reception, tours of Mindworks, and an expert panel. The event kicks off at 5:30 at University Hall, and later migrates over to Mindworks for an exclusive tour.

Register now under “Upcoming Events” at the link in our bio!

10/13/2022

Mark your calendars, our return to Think Better series is kicking off with a bang at the end of this month! The one and only , host of the Happiness Lab podcast, will be coming in to share ways that behavioral science research can teach us how to be happier!

09/23/2022

We LOVE to read our visitors’ reviews 🥰 it makes us so happy to hear about your experience at Mindworks!

If you‘ve come to visit us, we want to hear about it! You can review us on TripAdvisor at the link in our bio ☺️

09/02/2022

We are SO excited to announce that we have been nominated as a finalist (!!!) for the AIA Chicago's () Lerch Bates People's Choice Award. The project was chosen from 125 entries, and now we need your help in winning! To vote for Mindworks, click the link in our bio, and create an account (voting ends 09/06).

In case you want a refresher about the work we do 😇 We are the world's first behavioral science lab and interactive discovery center. Located on Michigan Ave, in the historic Railway Exchange Building, we’re completely free and open to the public. We’re a truly unique space where visitors can learn about their minds and take part in engaging, hands-on research studies.

This project wouldn't be possible without our many collaborators, including Pentagram (), Nia Architects (), ArchiTech Consulting, AKLD Lighting Design (.lighting.design), C.C. Johnson & Malhotra, PC and Threshold Acoustics ().

Photo reposted from .sexton.partners!

09/01/2022

Welcome to Mindwoofs 🐶🐾🐱 a small assortment of furry friends featuring their favorite Mindworks swag!

Meet: Amos, Becker, Suki, , and Idli 🥰 comment your pet’s name below!

08/24/2022

⚪ VOTE in the Lerch Bates People's Choice Awards

Wonderful news! Mindworks is up for an AIA Chicago People's Choice Award in the Community & Culture category. Kudos to our incredible architects Krueck Sexton Partners. http://ms.spr.ly/6184je6kI

Chicago is a city that prides itself on its extraordinary architecture. As a laboratory for innovation, Chicago’s architects never tire in their quest of creating beautiful and innovative masterpieces; buildings that contribute not just to our iconic skyline, but to the quality of life for its cit...

08/18/2022

We had a wonderful afternoon hosting the Machine Learning in Economics Summer Institute!

Curious about group visits? Visit https://www.chicagobooth.edu/mindworks/resources-for-educators

08/17/2022

Delving deep into the mind at Mindworks Chicago.

We were thrilled to have Fox 32 Chicago LIVE at Mindworks this morning! Watch Tim McGill uncover the ways your mind plays tricks on you at this fun, free discovery center. https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/1106327

Mindworks Chicago is a combination interactive museum and behavior sciences laboratory. It's also part adult arcade where your participation could earn prizes. Did we mention it is also free? Tim McGill did a mind experiment there for Good Day Chicago.

08/12/2022

Hiring alert 🤩 if you’re passionate about behavioral science, have 3+ years of research experience, and strong organization & leadership skills, come join our team as Mindworks Associate Director!

Apply at the link in our bio 😊

08/09/2022

🙈🙉🙊 believe it or not, each of these memes reference awesome research going on at ! Read on for some cool findings ☺️

1. Shereen Chaudhry studies social communication, and one of her new papers studies apologies in the context of mutual blame. Her research uncovered that the pain of apologizing first is decreased more when followed by a return apology than forgiveness by the other party!

2. Postdoc James Dungan and CDR Faculty Director Nick Epley found that confrontation actually tends to go better than expected! Recognizing that other people want to help us resolve conflicts can help us be more open when having challenging conversations.

3. Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler coined the term “sludge”, which refers to product design that makes it hard to make a good decision for yourself (like hiding the “cancel” button when you’re trying to figure out how to unsubscribe from a service!)

Sources (and further reading):

1. Chaudhry, S.J. “I’m sorry if you are: The risk of apologizing first”. Paper under review.

2. Dungan, J.A., & Epley, N. “Surprisingly Good Talk: Misunderstanding Others Creates a Barrier to Constructive Confrontation”. Paper under review.

3. Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2021). Nudge: The Final Edition. Penguin.

08/02/2022

A little roundup carousel of our birthday celebration 🥳 🎉 we had one heck of a weekend from July 22 to July 24th!

A record-setting 600+ visitors got to experience our prize wheel, guided tours, one-of-a-kind "compliment booth" and more. The anniversary celebration inspired the single busiest day and week in Mindworks history. More than 200 of these visitors participated in surveys and interactive studies to help advance the science of judgment and decision making 🎊

A huge thank you to all the people and organizations who helped make this event happen 🥰 it was a ton of fun, and we’re already looking forward to next year!

07/28/2022

Little Miss: Behavioral Science Edition!

Based off research by faculty , Richard Thaler, and Nick Epley 😎

Tag yourself, I’m number 1 ☺️

07/21/2022

We’re ringing in our first birthday with some awesome celebrations 🥳🎉🎊

 Make a reservation to visit during the anniversary celebration (between Friday July 22 - Sunday July 24th), and you'll be entered to win special prizes including: 

Tickets to the , , , , , Gift card to , C3 , wine from , and more! 

You can enter the sweepstakes by reserving your visit in our bio under “Plan your Visit!”

If you need MORE reasons to come visit this weekend, the full festivities include:

Door prizes for every visitor, guided tours by our chief scientist, Spanish-language tours, live music by 🎷🎶 and a one-of-a-kind "compliment booth"
As always, admission is free and all are invited.

Check the “upcoming events” link in our bio for more details!

07/15/2022

You’re invited to our first anniversary celebration! 🎉🥳🎊

From Friday July 22 to Sunday July 24th, we’ll have special activities going on at Mindworks to celebrate a year of making science happen 🥰

The festivities will include celebratory cookies 🍪 (It’s not a birthday party without a sugary treat!) Plus, on Saturday, we’ll have live music, courtesy of 🎷🎶

Special prizes include tickets to Chicago cultural institutions like the , , and more. Make a reservation to visit during the anniversary celebration to be entered for these special prizes! You can find the link in our bio 🤗

As always, Mindworks is free and open to everyone. Hope to see you there 🥰

07/14/2022

Have you seen the beautiful atrium of our building? 🤩

We love partnering with whenever we host events! They always have such delicious food and lovely drinks. These photos are from the Midwestern Psychological Association reception we hosted back in April!

Speaking of which, the Exchange is hosting a Rosé All Night event TONIGHT from 6-8 PM! Check their post for more details🍷☺️

07/13/2022

A throwback to our Nudge for Good event with ! The evening featured a fascinating conversation between Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler and , host of the .

This was one of our most exciting events of 2022, and we were thrilled to see a massive turnout. Thanks to everyone who participated in the event, in-person and online!

Credit goes to to and for all the photos.

07/07/2022

Meet: Becky!

Becky is the CDR Labs Director, as well as our team's biggest cheerleader and greatest supporter. Becky has the biggest heart of anyone you’ll ever meet, and she always leads with care and vulnerability 💞

On top of all that, Becky teaches classes at Booth as an Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Science, after earning her PhD in quantitative psychology from the Ohio State University, with a focus in the study of judgment and decision making.

06/23/2022

Happy Pride 🌈🥰🏳️‍🌈

At Mindworks, we welcome and celebrate individuals of all identities 💖

We’re also excited to celebrate Pride this month in Chicago! Thanks to for the roundup of great events.

We’re especially excited for the Sunday drag brunch, the festival, and the Chicago Pride Parade this upcoming weekend!

06/09/2022

We loved hosting the team for our Mindmeld event on Saturday! We gave away some awesome swag and helped visitors learn to design their best lives. Let us know any other organizations we should collaborate with in the comments!

06/06/2022

We'll miss seeing you around this week! Fret not, we'll be open again on Wednesday, June 15th, resuming our usual hours of 11-5 from Wednesday to Sunday 😊

05/26/2022

Happy May! As Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month, we wanted to highlight the phenomenal work of some of our AAPI faculty at the Center for Decision Research.

First up is Dr. George Wu. Wu is a leading scholar in the fields of decision making, goal-setting, and motivation, and also publishes work on biases in negotiation.

Wu came to Booth from the Harvard Business School, and has also worked as a lecturer at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to graduate school, Wu worked as a decision analyst at Procter and Gamble.

05/18/2022

Mark your calendars for x Nudge for Good event, featuring Richard Thaler in Conversation with on Tuesday, June 7 from 6:30-7:30pm.

This event will be hybrid, held in person at the Gleacher Center and as a webinar on Zoom.

Register now at the “WBEZ x Richard Thaler” link in our bio (before all the tickets are gone!)

05/17/2022

Meet the staff: Andie!

Andie helps guide people through Mindworks and encourages visitors to participate in studies. She also helps new people hear about us by distributing flyers around Chicago, and is in the process of translating our exhibits into Spanish!

Andie is originally from Puerto Rico. She's excited to be pursuing her master's degree in social work at starting in Fall 2022!

Outside of work, Andie likes all sorts of art! Theater, concerts, drawing, painting, taking photographs, and just being in nature.

05/14/2022

Mark your calendars for the x Mindmeld: A Mindworks Takeover!

On Saturday, June 4 from 10am to 4pm, the WBEZ team will be at Mindworks handing out swag and raffling off prizes.

Make an appointment to visit at the link in our bio, or just drop by!

05/10/2022

Last week, the fantastic came in to teach a workshop on the science of motivation for the !

Ayelet's work focuses on how to harness the power of human motivation to achieve goals, and her book Get It Done shares her research in a compelling and interesting way. The workshop included worksheets to help participants achieve their goals, some private time to explore Mindworks, snacks, and keychains to remind participants of their commitment to their goals!

05/04/2022

We’ll miss seeing you around today and tomorrow, but can’t wait to see you back starting Friday! Our doors are open as normal, from 11 to 5 ☺️

04/28/2022

Did you know that we host events here at Mindworks? 🤯

In collaboration with , we provide food, drinks, and tours for larger groups!

We loved hosting a reception for the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) conference last week, and are looking forward to all sorts of other fun events coming up this season.

04/27/2022

Where do Mindworks visitors come from? 🗺

From all 50 states of the US, 41 countries around the world, across 6 continents, and counting!

Do you see your country highlighted here? 🧐

04/22/2022

"We're not going to win this battle with nudging" 🌎🍃🌊

Nobel-winning behavioral economist Richard Thaler shares his thoughts on how behavioral science can help us respond to the climate crisis, in this segment from our Think Better event held in Fall 2021.

Check out the link in our bio to hear the full conversation.

04/18/2022

: Meet , a second-year biology student at ! Saniyah is a student leader who brought her biology class into Mindworks to learn about psychology.

Saniyah especially liked doing the "How Well Do You Know Your Friend?" exhibit, because it allowed her to get to know her students better. She highly recommends coming to Mindworks with friends!

04/15/2022

Over the past century, we have explored the solar system, split the atom, and wired the earth, but we still struggle to understand something far more important: our own cultural differences.

Join Stanford Graduate School of Business's Michele Gelfand for a deep dive on tight-loose cultural dynamics next Monday, April 18 at 6pm CDT.

This will be a hybrid Zoom and in-person event, located at the Gleacher Center, 450 Cityfront Plaza Drive. For those attending in person, there will also be a reception starting at 5:30 PM, prior to the talk.

Get your (free!) tickets now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tight-and-loose-cultures-unlocking-the-hidden-code-of-social-norms-registration-295501742667?aff=MWFacebook

04/12/2022

Are you interested in how individuals form judgements and make decisions? Then we have good news--the Center for Decision Research at is hiring!

The Labs Manager will provide managerial and administrative support for researchers at the CDR. Anyone with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology (or similar field), strong organization and communication skills, and at least one year of research experience is encouraged to apply at the link in our bio!

04/06/2022

Meet the Mindworks Research Assistants: Yui Ito!

Yui is an RA at Mindworks, and also a student in the doctoral program for occupational therapy at . She’s originally from Saipan, but considers Chicago home! Yui became a research assistant at Mindworks in order to learn more about behavioral science and hone her research skills.

Her favorite exhibit is the choice architecture exhibit, that encourages visitors to Design Your Best Life (behind her). She likes the colors and shapes you get to play with, and finds it a really helpful exercise for visualizing her goals and overcoming her barriers.

In her spare time, Yui is passionate about powerlifting, plants, and finding great food and boba spots in the city.

Yui advises anyone coming into Mindworks to have fun!

03/31/2022

Warmer weather means Chicago is coming out of hibernation! Visit Mindworks like these citizen scientists to learn how insights from behavioral science can help you make wiser choices and reach your goals. Schedule your FREE visit at the link in our bio, or drop in Wed-Sun 11am-5pm.

03/20/2022

Mindworks will be closed from March 21 - March 29th! We’ll be open again during our regular hours (Wednesday through Sunday from 11-5) starting Wednesday, March 30th. Check out the link in our bio to make a reservation or inquire about a group visit!

03/16/2022

Dr. Marianne Bertrand is a Belgian-born applied microeconomist, who has published seminal findings in labor economics, developmental economics, and corporate finance. In 2000, she joined the faculty at , where she teaches, researches, and serves as co-editor of the American Economic Review. The studies highlighted in this post are but a small portion of her sizable contribution to the field.

03/05/2022

What do we "see" in a face? Take a deep dive into the science of first impressions with behavioral scientist Alexander Todorov, expert on facial judgments, stereotypes, and first impressions at his Think Better talk on Wednesday, March 9th at 6PM CST.

Get your (free!) tickets now at the link in bio!

P.S. Instagram has a new feature that will remind you when it’s time for an event. Click on the bell in the lower left corner of the graphic to get a reminder!

03/04/2022

In accordance with State, City, and University of Chicago regulations, Mindworks will no longer require visitors to present vaccination cards upon entry. However, in order to mitigate the risks of COVID-19, we encourage visitors to wear masks while in the space.