Cogito Ergo Summary: Your Weekly Science Listings

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By M@ Last edited 221 months ago
Cogito Ergo Summary: Your Weekly Science Listings
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These listings appear every Wednesday. If you want to let us know about any upcoming science or technology events, you can contact us on londonistSciTech@Gmail.com

An absolute bumper crop this week (and it’s 100% GM-free). So without further ado…

Event Of The Week

For the second week running, little green men are the ‘star’ attraction. The Science Museum’s new exhibition ‘The Science of Aliens’ opens from Saturday, and contains four areas. Zone 1 (which should have been called ‘The Twilight Zone’) concerns itself with science fiction; Zone 2 looks at unusual life right here on the Earth, and what it might tell us about possible extraterrestrial beings; Zone 3 is an exposition of fanciful creatures from the imaginations of exobiology experts (and a Channel 4 tie-in); and Zone 4 looks at how we might communicate with our galactic neighbours (how long until we start up a Betelgeuse-ist?).

Elsewhere, it’s a busy week on the talks and ‘tainment circuit. Sticking with the other-worldly theme, the Dana Centre presents a Punk Science evening devoted to space creatures. (Are we being paranoid, or are all these alien events a way of preparing us for something?)

A rip-roaring ride through star systems, crop circles, UFOs and extraterrestrials, Punk Science asks: Is anybody out there? Does anybody actually care?

Well, we would hope so. This is a free event, so why not scoot along and let us know how many times Uranus is mentioned.

Elsewhere, the Royal Institution has a trio of lectures over the next week. Tonight, 'Inside Out' takes a look at just why that cardigan is to die for, as ‘two psychologists and a fashion editor…look at the vibrant life of the fashionable brain’. If you’re the kind of person who can’t even have a kidney transplant without taking it back, this one’s for you. The insights might tempt you to go late-night shopping on Oxford Street tomorrow, but you should consider going back to the RI instead. This is your chance to grill two baronesses and a Tory MP in that shady area where Science meets Politics. Finally, we’re back to spacey stuff on Tuesday as Prof Ken Pounds talks about his life in astrophysics in Chance encounter with a black hole.

According to Jimmy Carr, cats have nine lives…making them perfect for animal experimentation. The less flippant may wish to join a debate at the Dana Centre tonight on the ethics of animal research. The presence of ‘a scientist, a philosopher and a representative of an anti-vivisection organisation’ ensures a lively discussion.

Just when you thought the Dana Centre had got all serious on you comes tomorrow’s event called ‘Making Sense: experiencing the world around us’. They promise us

‘An evening exploring and challenging human perceptions and senses through performance, illusion and wine tasting.’

What's not to like?

Finally, if you've been nurturing ambitions of spending large chunks of your weekend discussing neuroscience, now's your chance. Those busy people at the Dana Centre are hosting a two-day event where the public can engage with leading brain researchers: Meeting of Minds.

Where and When

Inside out, Royal Institution, Tonight 7-8.30, £8

The Ethics of Research Involving Animals, The Dana Centre, Tonight 7-8.30, FREE

Science meets politics, Royal Institution, Thursday 7-8.30, £8

Making Sense: experiencing the world around us, The Dana Centre, Thursday 7-8.30, FREE

The Science of Aliens, The Science Museum, opens from Saturday, £8.25 (adults), £6.25 (children and concessions)

Meeting of minds, Dana Centre, Saturday and Sunday 9.30-5, FREE

Chance encounter with a black hole, Royal Institution, Tuesday 7-8.30, £8

Punk Science: Aliens, Dana Centre, Tuesday, FREE

Last Updated 12 October 2005