What does it mean when we lose something and why are some of us better at finding things than others?

We define the concept of losing something and discuss different heuristics, strategies and technologies that have developed to help us find things. We also mention the psychological impact of losing something, how much time we spend looking for stuff and consider why some people may be better predisposed to locate misplaced objects.

A few things we mentioned in this podcast:

- Humans are surprisingly unproductive with their eye movements when searching for items. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2016.2767

- Passport application data https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-passport-office-data-august-2020

- Express article on losing things https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/681961/Common-lost-items-keys-phones-glasses-revealed-list

- Losing objects can induce grief https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/losing-something-you-love.htm

- Losing things has a genetic component? https://www.uni-bonn.de/Press-releases/genetic-factor-contributes-to-forgetfulness

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44

Image: Andy F via Wikimedia Commons