Unlikely Collaborators

Sold-Out Boston Event Turns Everyday Objects Into a Mirror for the Mind

Boston – October 05, 2026 -- Tickets for a new immersive experience exploring how the brain creates meaning from ordinary objects sold out shortly after going on sale, organizers confirmed.

The Perception BoxTM Adventure will run from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, at Boston's SoWa Power Station. The event is a collaboration between nonprofit Unlikely Collaborators and Boston cultural group The Jar, which has been a grantee of Unlikely Collaborators for the past two years.

Elizabeth R. Koch leads a night built around a simple object test

Elizabeth R. Koch, founder and CEO of Unlikely Collaborators, will lead the evening, which blends neuroscience, storytelling, live music and personal reflection. Guests will examine a collection of curious objects, toys and trinkets and track the assumptions, memories and emotional associations their minds generate in response.

Flavor Chemist to Unpack Why Taste Is Really All in Your Head

Los Angeles – September 29, 2026 -- Nonprofit Unlikely Collaborators will host flavor chemist Melissa Conklin for a free public talk on October 13, examining why the same bite of food can taste completely different to two people.

The event, called "Taste, Scent, and Perception Box," takes place at the organization's Santa Monica headquarters and will also stream online. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., the program starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. with no late entry, and a reception follows at 7:00 p.m. Registration is required but attendance is free.