Week In Geek: 19-25 March 2012

M@
By M@ Last edited 144 months ago
Week In Geek: 19-25 March 2012


London events for people with curious minds.

Monday 19 March

FILM: Catch a special screening of Terry Gilliam's sci-fi fantasy Time Bandits at Greenwich Picturehouse, followed by a discussion with astronomers from the observatory. £9.50, 6.30pm

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: Another talk at Imperial College about sustainable methods for generating energy. The talk is followed by a drinks reception and research poster display, allowing the wider public to pretend they're at a scientific conference. What fun. FREE, 6pm

QUIZ: Head along to the Royal Institution's bar tonight for another sci/tech/geek quiz, c0-hosted by Londonist editor M@. £2 per person, 7pm start (but get there early for a table)

Tuesday 20 March

MAD SPACE STUFF: Robbert Dijkgraaf's Gresham lecture at Bernard's Inn Hall focuses on "string theory, quantum gravity, and the interface between mathematics and particle physics". Be interesting to see how he delivers that in an accessible way. FREE, 3pm

METALS: What makes a metal a metal? Peter Edwards of Oxford University discusses the material at the Royal Society tonight, and is also charged with speaking about superconduction. FREE, 6.30pm

MONSTERS! The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, presumably not based on a true story, screens at UCL's JZ Young Theatre tonight. This 1953 dinosaur flick was an influence on Godzilla, but rarely comes up from the depths today. As ever, the film is followed by a private view of the Grant Museum and a free glass of wine. FREE, 6.30pm

BRIGHT CLUB: The show that mixes UCL academics with comedians returns to the Wilmington Arms tonight for an evening themed around Connections. £5, 7.30pm

Wednesday 21 March

MEDICINE: Is the world really on the brink of eradicating polio? Former Chief Medical Officer for England Sir Liam Donaldson is at Imperial College to set the scene. FREE, 6pm

CYBERCRIME: Hacking, online fraud, data breaches, privacy, piracy and other digital issues are now in the headlines several times a week. Join a panel of experts at Imperial College to discuss the current state of cybercrime. FREE, 6pm

FAMELAB: The Royal Institution tonight hosts the finals of the Famelab contest, a quest to find a promising new science communicator. Each of the competitors has just three minutes to convince the judges and audience that he or she has what it takes to be the next Brian Cox. £10, 7pm

BODYSHOCKS: Wellcome Collection tonight probes the history of electricity and the body, from the discovery of electrical activity in the nervous system to Victorian electric belts for curing all ills. FREE, 6pm

Thursday 22 March

BACK TO LIFE: 'Celebrated British architect' Edward Cullinan almost died from pancreatitis, hovering in and out of life. Tonight, he speaks about his recovery at Wellcome Collection, along with the physiotherapist who played a key role in helping him return to normal life. FREE, 7pm

Saturday 24 March

BRAINS: Quentin Cooper and Ken Hollings discuss the various attempts to understand the brain and cognition over the past few decades, at Wellcome Collection. Cost not given, presumably free, 3pm

GUARDIAN OPEN WEEKEND: The two-day festival of brainy talks at the Grauniad's Kings Place headquarters was all booked out, but a few tickets to individual sessions have become available. At the time of writing (Sunday 18 March), available sessions include speakers such as Zac Goldsmith, Robert Harris, Zoe Margolis and Camila Batmanghelidjh. £10 per session, times vary.

Sunday 25 March

PHOTOS: Last chance to see the Royal Photographic Society's International Images For Science exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall, which closes today. FREE, 11am-3pm

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below. Or tip us off about upcoming events by emailing matt@londonist.com.

Last Updated 19 March 2012