Words At Large

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Ever been on a first date and wondered what your date is really thinking? Wonder no longer! M.I.T. professor Alex Pentland has designed a digital sensor that clips onto glasses or clothing and analyses non-verbal cues such as tone of voice and body movements to reveal what someone is thinking or feeling. He describes how this “sociometer” works in his book Honest Signals (M.I.T. Press).

In this conversation with Spark host Nora Young, Pentland discusses how this device, which monitors the unconscious signals that underlie social interactions, can be helpful in a range of situations, from job interviews to working on group projects. And he gives examples of how the “honest signals” of body language can influence group dynamics as well as individual behaviour.

First aired October 29, 2008 on Spark. [runs 17:12]