Dr Angus Davison, Associate Professor and reader in evolutionary genetics who will be at the Small Creatures, Big Questions event that’s on the Pint of Science calendar
Get your tickets soon because some of this year’s ‘Pint of Science Festival’ events in Nottingham are already sold out! Pint of Science is now a firm fixture in city’s annual events calendar. Academics from the University of Nottingham are joining forces with researchers across Nottingham to deliver talks and demonstrations that will bring contemporary scientific research to a pub or café near you.
Pint of Science takes place simultaneously across the globe – this year in 24 countries and in towns and cities across the UK between 20 and 22 May.
If you want to know more about hybrid cars or electric aircraft; how drones above the rain forest are helping to tackle global warming; brain-controlled movies; what happens to the water we use; artificial intelligence at the nano-scale; what’s great about spiders and how snails can tell us more about the twists and turns of our own bodies then this 3-day event is for you.
The Nottingham co-ordinators Lizzie Killalea, Chemistry PhD Student and Matt Wadge, Doctoral Researcher in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “With an ever more media-centric world, trying to sift out ‘fake news’ from genuine scientific fact is becoming an increasingly impossible task. Pint of Science is an ideal metaphorical torch to shine a light on the fascinating and real research taking place in the UK and internationally to help the public feel more confident with the information they are being given. The relaxing, engaging and approachable pub environment where great academic and research speakers can talk about their work and the impact it has on our everyday lives is key to the festival’s success.”
Established in 2012 the event is run by teams of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. The aim is to recreate the buzz of popular music festivals, offering multiple stages in cities across the country for experts to present, discuss and take questions on their latest discoveries and research
Among the scientists this year is Chemist, Professor Steve Howdle. His sell out event will be asking the question ‘can we live without plastic?’. He said: “Plastic waste and pollution has quite rightly been a very topical issue. But our society can’t now live without plastics. What we need to learn to do is value them and use/re-use them effectively. I’ll be talking about some of the cutting-edge things that scientists are trying to achieve right now, and asking questions about what society can do to help.”
Among the host of events will be the Creative Reactions art exhibition which has been created by local artists inspired by the city’s scientific research. Exhibits include dance based on artist-scientist pairings; improv comedy based on scientists’ short monologues; an astronomy-inspired audio-visual show. The exhibition will be the catalyst for the Pint of Science closing event 7.30pm-9.30pm at the Canal House on Thursday 23 May.
Pint of Science is staged over three days, Monday 20 May to Wednesday 22 May. The events are being held at:
Parliament Bar – 67 Upper Parliament St, Nottingham, NG1 6LD
Technology for the Mind: It’s a no-brainer! (Sold Out)
Scratching the Surface of Material Science
Rough Trade – 5 Broad St, Nottingham, NG1 3AJ
Body Rhythms, Stroke and Mice?
The Lord Roberts – 24 Broad St, Nottingham, NG1 3AN
Small Creatures, Big Questions
Undoing Damage (Sold Out)
The Art of Adaptation: Future Food & Biodiversity
The Herbert Kilpin – 10 Bridlesmith Walk, Nottingham, NG1 2HB
Our Housing and How We Live (Sold Out)
Language & Emotion (Sold Out)
The Waterfront – Canal St, Castle Wharf, Nottingham, NG1 7EH
Love and Other Drugs (Sold Out)
Don’t Forget About Your Memory! (Sold Out)
31K – 31 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FE
The Canal House – 48-52 Canal St, Nottingham, NG1 7EH
Creative Reactions Closing Night
Myth Busting: Trust Me, I’m a Doctor (of Science) (Sold Out)
Vat and Fiddle – 12 Queensbridge Rd, Nottingham, NG2 1NB
Angel Microbrewery – 7 Stoney St, Nottingham NG1 1LG
It’s a Material World (Sold out)
Out of This World (Sold out)
Untangling the Quantum World (Sold out)
