Monday 12 March
BOOKS: Another Fiction Lab takes place at the Royal Institution tonight as host Jennifer Rohn discusses Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers. FREE, 7pm
Tuesday 13 March
EINSTEIN'S BRAIN: Did the great theoretician have particularly fine grey matter? The ever-entertaining Mark Lythgoe host UCL's Lunch Time Lecture about Einstein's autopsy. FREE, 1.15pm
TAXIDERMY: The chaps at the Last Tuesday Society ask whether taxidermy is art, science or bad taste. If you give a stuff, get down to 11 Mare Street. £4-£12, 7pm
QUIZ: Thinking Bob, a new event-organising group for people who like talking about interesting stuff, holds a geek quiz tonight...with buzzers. We popped along to one last night and were not disappointed (well, apart form coming second after a tie-break question). "If you love science, maths, computers, coding or web stuff," join them in Ye Olde Cock Tavern, Fleet Street. Cost unknown, 7pm
DRUGS & HANGOUTS: IQ2 hosts a debate about the war on drugs at Kings Place and via a Google+ Hangout. And, by golly, they've got quite a panel. Julian Assange, Ian Blair, Richard Branson, Jemima Kahn, Peter Hitchins and Russell Brand are just a selection of the big names offering live opinions via Google+ from four cities. Tickets are no sold out, but you can watch live here. FREE, 7pm
EARLY RECORDING: By contrast, London Historians' History in the Pub event can't field A-list celebrities. But you can join host M@ (from Londonist) and guests to hear some of the world's earliest recordings, learn more about the capital's audio archives and join in with the fun Londony quiz and open mic session. The action takes place upstairs at The Bell in Spitalfields. £3, 7pm
SCI-COMS: The Royal Institution's debate tonight looks at the role science journalists play in interpreting research for a wider audience, and what scientists think of their efforts. The Guardian's Alok Jha leads the event. £10, 7pm
TRANSPORT: A busy week at the Dana Centre begins with a look at car use in London, and how much we should try and reduce traffic. FREE, 7pm
UKE SKYWALKER: Is the name of a sci-fi themed ukelele night at Lincoln Lounge, King's Cross. Read our preview here, but brace for bad puns. FREE, 8pm
Wednesday 14 March
FRACKING: The controversial gas extraction technique with a memorably silly name comes under scrutiny in the film Gasland, a special screening of which, followed by Q&A, will take place at the Dana Centre tonight. FREE, 6.30pm
Thursday 15 March
IMAGING: Another UCL lunch hour lecture, this time looking at the very, very small. Or, more precisely,what kit do we need to look at the very, very small. FREE, 1.15pm
NUCLEAR: Science Question Time is back for an event at the Institute of Physics (Portland Place) looking at all sides of the nuclear energy debate. Panelists include a rep from the UK Atomic Energy Authority, a Baroness, a Greenpeace campaigner and someone from Chatham House. FREE, 6.30pm
LIFE: How did life begin on Earth, and how common could it be elsewhere? The oft-debated topic gets another airing at Imperial tonight with a lecture by Dr Zita Martins. £10, 7pm
CHANGE: Change is inevitable, so they say. Unless you're using a platform vending machine. Tonight's Dana Centre event gathers a trio from the worlds of architecture, food and sustainability whose ideas seek to change people's habits. FREE, 7pm
Friday 16 March
GAMING: London Transport Museum continues its series of events themed around its Sense and the City exhibition with an evening devoted to city-wide gaming. How are social networking services and mobile technology opening up London as a playground for unusual games? £9, 6.30pm
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments, or email us about upcoming events at [email protected]
Image by Emily Webber in the Londonist Flickr pool.
