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Human behaviour is messy. People aren't always perfectly rational and don't always have the right information to make perfect decisions.

But can mathematics help us model the way people will act in a given situation so that we can better prepare our energy grids and health systems?

We spoke with Dr Ellen Zapata-Webborn, a Senior Research Fellow in Data Science and End Use Energy Demand at the UCL Energy Institute, where she works on the Smart Energy Research Lab (SERL) project. She was also an organiser for the INI's satellite programme on Mathematics for Human Behaviour, which took place from July 20th to August 14th at the University of Nottingham.

In a wide-ranging discussion, we talk about career paths in behaviour modelling, how time in industry can give a fresh perspective, what useful patterns might be hiding in smart meter data, and the potential benefits of interdisciplinary working.

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This episode was supported by the quantitative research firm G-Research, which has launched a new series of mathematical puzzles called G-Riddles. It's free to try and could win you a cash prize: https://www.gresearch.com/griddles/

Living Proof is the podcast of the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge.

The Isaac Newton Institute is a national and international visitor research institute. It runs research programmes on selected themes in mathematics and the mathematical sciences with applications over a wide range of science and technology. It attracts leading mathematical scientists from the UK and overseas to interact in research over an extended period.

Produced by Jon Farrow.

Edited by Keerthi Raj.

Music: 'Origami' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au