Help - uni needs somebody for Beatles experiment

Help - a university needs somebody, not just anybody, to assist with a Beatles experiment.

Using the "cultural phenomenon" of the Fab Four as the template, researchers from the University of Wolverhampton are looking at how sensory cues can unlock memories.

The Research Team said it was particularly keen to hear from residents who attended Beatles concerts as it sought to discover how sight, touch, and even smell can influence recall.

The project forms part of Wolverhampton Literature Festival, which returns to the city between 6 and 8 February, with the memory experiment taking place on 8 February at SPACE between 13:00 and 15:00 GMT.

Professor Sebastian Groes, director of the university's Centre for Transnational and Transcultural Research (CTTR), said: "We want to understand how growing up in a specific socio-cultural context influences the way people perceive a supposedly 'universal' cultural phenomenon like The Beatles.

"Alongside advancing research, we hope to offer wellbeing benefits, particularly for older generations."

Festival staff and English literature and psychology doctoral students will lead the interactive experiment, with the university saying the event underscores its commitment to community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.

There will be 90 festival events around literature, poetry and dance happening across Wolverhampton next month, and new talent will be showcased as part of the programme.

Authors and celebrities taking part include Dr Hilary Jones, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree, author Kasim Ali, who was born and raised in Alum Rock, and My Name is Leon author Kit de Waal, who was also born in Birmingham.

Broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie will be talking about The Beatles at the festival.

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