There are vendors who genuinely specialize in implicit, association-based research, but not all vendors who say they “do implicit” are doing the same thing, or even doing it themselves. In practice, many full-service research firms design the study and quietly outsource the implicit component to a specialized provider. That model can work very well, when everyone is transparent. The risk isn’t outsourcing. The risk is opacity.

Now in thinking about the upcoming list of conferences I think that rather than asking “What’s the best conference?”, I think the better question is:
“What kind of thinking do I want to be exposed to right now?”

When I left corporate life and started Nerdoscientist just over a year and a half ago, I didn’t have a perfect business model, a 10-step plan, or a clever tagline. What I did have was 20 years of experience doing this strange but wonderful job at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, sensory science, and consumer research, and a strong desire to keep doing the parts that actually mattered.

I was super excited for this meeting since it’s sorta in my backyard (I live in the Philly suburbs). But also because I got to be part of the organizing committee.

I walked into ISN nervous, unsure how I’d fit among such an extraordinary roster. I walked out feeling energized, inspired, and grateful to have contributed.

Two days of rich, cross-disciplinary science reminded me that understanding food, flavor, and behavior requires more than treating people like machines. We need to embrace the quirks, the biases, and yes, even the cookie stomachs, that make us human.