In this edition of the PubSci blog: Looking back over April, something to do this weekend, details of May’s PubSci, and something to do at the end of the month.
Spring has sprung, the grass is ris’ – and last month I began our interstitial blog post with the words: “The sun is out, the trees are in blossom, and the PubSci blog is bursting with wonderful things to do…”
I can reuse that for today’s today’s post, although the warmest Mayday on record is of course a cause for concern within the context of shifting climate patterns and rising global average temperature.
On a lighter note, if you came to the Ig Nobel Awards tour on Sunday 6th April you might have seen me dressed as a banana for reasons that made sense at the time but are now difficult to explain. Blame the Annals of Improbable Research. Photos exist but have been hidden to protect the innocent.
April’s speaker, Snezana Lawrence (https://x.com/mathshistory) with PubSci Hosts Richard and Mike
We had a wonderful evening in the company of Snezana Lawrence at April’s PubSci, hearing about the writing process and contents of her beautifully illustrated new book A Little History of Mathematics. It was great to see so many new faces among the regulars and the Q&A was really engaged.
The Royal Institution gets a double mention in this month’s post, firstly because I’m event managing a brilliant talk there this coming Saturday 3rd May. In the Mathematical Life of Shakespeare, award-winning author Rob Eastaway (Why Do Buses Always Come in Threes?) explores the surprising ways that maths and numbers crop up in Shakespeare’s plays. With historical asides about games, optics, astronomy, music and magic, you’ll never think about maths or Shakespeare the same way again. Suitable for adults and anyone aged 8 and above.
If you stay for the evening event, I’ll also be hosting How Physics Connects Our Universe when theoretical physicist Chris White presents a new hypothesis linking quantum mechanics and general relativity.
But enough about them, what about us…?
Next PubSci: Wednesday 16th April | Science Goes Pop!
From Faraday to Van Tulleken, The Royal Institution of Great Britain – known by its chemical symbol, Ri – has been The Home of Science since 1799 and is famous for its public demonstrations which bring science to life. On Wednesday 21st May we bring the wow of live science to The Old King’s Head for a special event celebrating 200 years of Ri monthly Discourses and annual Christmas Lectures.
Michael Cutts from the Ri’s renowned demonstration team has designed, built, and showcased science demos at the Ri and around the world. He’ll take us through the history of live science and the importance of showing as well as telling. There may even be a few live demos suitable for a pub setting.
Doors 6.30 for 7pm start. Book your place on Eventbrite ASAP – tickets are going fast. As usual, you can make a contribution to PubSci’s costs via Eventbrite (minimum £1) or in cash on the night. Help PubSci keep science live. Hope to see you there!
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Finally, last weekend I went to Moonwalkers at Lightroom in Kings Cross, and I can’t recommend it enough. I paid full price (£29.50) which feels rather steep, but you can book through TimeOut for £19 if you plan your visit better than we did.
Blending archive footage and stills with brilliant graphics and a powerful soundtrack, Moonwalkers tells the story of the Apollo moon landings and looks forward to NASA’s Artemis mission planned for November 2025. It’s movingly narrated by Tom Hanks, who was involved in every stage of its making and shares his personal passion for spaceflight that began with watching Apollo 11 land on the moon in 1969. Highly recommended.
Moonwalkers plays in rotation with other events at Lightroom, next showing over the last week in May.
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Keep Up With Future Events
Dd you know PubSci has an online calendar where you can view future events?
Event titles and dates go 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.
We also publish a programme of PubSci events three times a year which you can view online or download for printing. The latest edition has just been uploaded. Why not print it out and put a copy on your work fridge for everyone to see!
Posted by Richard Marshall, PubSci organiser and host.
PubSci: Sipping • Supping • Science
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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.
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 Afford”. As few of us carry cash these days, you can 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.
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
Dr Craft has spent much of his career finding innovative ways to represent data in appealing, accessible, or aesthetically pleasing ways. Associate Professor at the University of Washington since 2015, Brock was previously Lecturer in Physical Computing, at Goldsmiths, University of London and programme founder/Senior Tutor on the MA in Information Experience Design at Royal College of Art, London.
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