Author Archives: Alison Kidd
Growth and Waist
UK grocery sales in decline for first time in 20 years. … was the shocking headline in the Guardian in November 2014. At a time of very low inflation, UK shoppers failed to buy more from supermarkets than they had … Continue reading
An Experimental Mix of Birds, Psychology and Art
Background For the past year, I’ve been a member of the ‘Larks and Ravens‘, an experimental group of two artists and a psychologist. We’re exploring how to create visual contexts which trigger people into seeing their world differently for a … Continue reading
Energy Storage – Report of Smart Energy Wales Conference
The Prospectors recently attended a 1 day Conference organised by Smart Energy Wales on energy storage and smart grids. It was billed as ” bringing together the most experienced practitioners from industry, academia and the public sector to provide insights and … Continue reading
Electric Car Running Costs
Individuals don’t generally buy things for their collective benefit, so industry and government would be wasting their time trying to persuade us to buy electric cars because they offer a better long term personal transport solution for society and the … Continue reading
Chaotic or coherent behaviour?
Many years ago, we did some collaborative research on ant behaviour with a delightful group from the University of Bath. The way it challenged our thinking about human behaviour has stayed with us ever since. This recent article provides a … Continue reading
Working on ideas which go against the mainstream
Refreshing to read a synopsis of Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book ‘David and Goliath, Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants‘. In particular, Gladwell talks about the French Impressionists who were exploring a radically different way to paint and were … Continue reading
Start of Boma 7 All Terrain Wheelchair trial
With their Eco Travel Network hats on, the Prospectors are running a trial this summer of a Boma 7 All Terrain Wheelchair designed and manufactured by Molten Rock Ltd. We are exploring whether a hiring model can work here in … Continue reading
Money or Excitement? – David Hockney Quote
“I think I’m greedy, but I’m not greedy for money – I think that can be a burden – I’m greedy for an exciting life. I want it to be exciting all the time, and I get it, actually. On … Continue reading
Doing or Having – which gives us the greater pleasure?
There’s been research evidence for a while that people enjoy longer lasting happiness from experiences (things they do) than from material acquisitions (things they have). This is partly because enjoyment from experiences can increase over time as we relive them … Continue reading
Research Report – Electric Vehicle Trial on Eigg
With their Eco Travel Network hats on, the Prospectors have issued a research report on the 3 month trial of their modified Rural Twizy on the Hebridean Isle of Eigg. You can read the full report here .They have now … Continue reading
