Think Mind Science - Pop Culture Cognition: Understanding People, Power, and Your Own Mind

Mind Science is thrilled to partner with TPR for our Think Mind Science event on Thursday, July 30th. In this talk, Jazlyn Nketia, PhD, uses familiar pop culture examples to demonstrate how cognitive science can be used to anticipate behavior, power dynamics, and decision-making well before outcomes are apparent. She translates key concepts from cognitive science and psychology into practical frameworks that people already apply intuitively, making the science accessible and relatable rather than abstract.

Rather than analyzing pop culture for entertainment, the talk will reveal how everyday pattern recognition is rooted in well-established cognitive mechanisms. Audiences will leave with a new perspective for understanding individuals, institutions, and their own decision-making—without requiring any technical background.

Jazlyn Nketia, PhD

Dr. Jazlyn Nketia is a developmental cognitive scientist and Founder & CEO of Cognitive Horizons LLC. Her work sits at the intersection of cognitive science, AI literacy, public science communication, and educational innovation, with a focus on translating research into real-world impact. She earned her PhD in Cognitive Science from Brown University and completed her dissertation at Columbia University as an IvyPlus Exchange Scholar, where she studied how lived experience shapes cognitive development. A former American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow and Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Policy Fellow, her career spans academia, federal policy, and cross-sector institution building. She currently serves as a 2026 Digital Science Communication Fellow with the Museum of Science, Boston, where she brings cognitive science to public audiences.