Cognitive biases: The bugs, features and zero‑days of the human mind (emf2026)

Our brains are extraordinary: fast, intuitive and endlessly creative, but they also come with quirks, shortcuts and predictable bugs. These “cognitive biases” shape everything from the food we order to the technologies we build, often without us noticing. In this talk, we’ll explore some of the most surprising and entertaining biases that influence our everyday decisions and what they reveal about how humans actually think. This isn’t a list of flaws. It’s a tour of the elegant, messy, deeply human heuristics that help us navigate a complex world. By understanding these patterns, we can design better tools, make smarter decisions and be kinder to ourselves and others when things don’t go to plan. Expect demos, relatable examples and practical takeaways you can use the moment you leave the tent. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ about this event: https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2026/97-cognitive-biases-the-bugs-features