While we wait for Eventbrite to fix a broken UI update, read about what happened last week, what’s happening soon, and how you can stay on top of everything that matters…
February’s PubSci was a banger!
Many thanks to Mark Hardman for his talk last week on explosives, propellants, and the history of Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, packing more than 300 years of history into 45 minutes. London’s River Lea got a mention, not only because it used to power the gunpowder mills (and the oil mill that preceded them) but also because transporting explosives by barge was a lot smoother (and so safer) than going by road, especially when moving nitroglycerine.
We also learnt that the Mills produced the very finest black powder in the early 18th century under the ownership of one Philippa Walton who overcame the conventions of her time to thrive as a successful entrepreneur following the death of her husband at the age of just 43
March PubSci: Can Cells Think?
Is there a limit to the complexity of puzzles that cells can solve?
Cells perform surprisingly powerful computations as they interact with their environment using simple chemical reaction networks. But Pavlovian conditioning requires only four chemicals, so can cells perform this function too? After years of fierce debate by biologists, powerful computational tools might provide the answer.
It’s a tantalising thought, and one we’ll be exploring on Wednesday 19th March when Dr Jenny Poulton delves into the topic. Unfortunately Eventbrite made some unannounced changes recently which have prevented me creating this event. I hope to send even invites out on Monday, but in the meanwhile, please put the date in your diaries.
Never miss PubSci again…
Talking of diaries, did you know PubSci has an online calendar where you can view future events? You can view it here.
I put PubSci dates in the calendar several months in advance, along with a brief outline of the talk. If you subscribe to our calendar, PubSci events will automatically appear in your own calendar. You’ll be the first to know when I schedule new events and you need never double-book yourself on a PubSci night again.
The calendar subscription link downloads a small .ics file. Open it to add PubSci events to your work or home calendar. Events update automatically as details and ticket links are added.
Finally, how many readers were aware that we publish a programme of PubSci events three times a year? It displays as a jpeg and you can can link to it from your own page, blog etc (as shown below), but you can also download it as a PDF for printing.
Why not put a copy and stick it on your work fridge for everyone to see!
PubSci: Sipping • Supping • Science
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That rounds off this month’s news. Thanks for reading and thanks for helping us Keep Science Live! Don’t forget to grab your tickets for March’s PubSci as soon as they’re released.
Posted by Richard Marshall, PubSci organiser and host.
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About PubSci talks
PubSci meets upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge tube. No specialist knowledge is required, just curiosity. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Talks run for ~45 minutes and are followed by a Q&A session. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.
We use Eventbrite booking to manage numbers. Follow us on Eventbrite to be notified when new tickets become available and reserve your place for February’s PubSci here! PubSci is a pay-what-you-can event – please consider making a donation with your reservation to help us cover our costs.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a cash whip-round to cover expenses on the night – consider it “Pay What You Can”. Very few of us carry cash these days, so you can also make a donation when registering for ticketed events with Eventbrite. Please help us continue putting on events. PubSci has no other source of funding.
We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, although it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the function room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.
Check out the Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our Google Calendar so PubSci events automatically appear in your own Calendar. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
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We meet on the third Wednesday of the month, upstairs at the Old King’s Head near London Bridge Underground (Borough High Street east side exit). Join us every month apart from December for a regular dose of Sipping, Supping & Science.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
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