Weds 20th September | The Weird and Wonderful World of Eels
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PubSci this Wednesday: The Weird and Wonderful World of Eels | Dr Michal Williamson of ZSL Institue of Zoology
Posted in Uncategorized
Weds 20th September | The Weird and Wonderful World of Eels
[Booking via eventbrite. Free to attend but donations to running costs are greatly appreciated]
Eels! Where do they breed? What was ‘eel rent’? And where have all the eels gone?
On Wednesday 20th September PubSci is delighted to welcome Dr Michael Williamson of ZSL Institute of Zoology to talk about the weird and wonderful world of eels.
The common European eel (Wikimedia Commons)
Eels are one of the UK’s most mysterious native fish species, so much so that a rich cultural folklore surrounds them. The Mighty Boosh even sang about them.
Eels were once so common that taxes were sometimes paid by the 10,000 eels but a recent environmental DNA survey found absolutely no trace of them in the Somerset Levels – a landscape once famous for eels. So what is going on?
In this talk, Mike will discuss the history of eels in human culture, their bizarre – and still mysterious – lifecycle and migration habits, and the enormous threat that now faces this most curious of fish. He’ll even address a question we’ve all wanted to ask but were too shy to say out loud… “Are eels better than whales?”
Once again, we’re using Eventbrite booking – please follow this link to reserve your spot.
• • •
Mike Williamson is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Zoology, the research division of the Zoological Society of London (the global conservation organisation best known to children as Regents Park Zoo). He works at the interface of conservation, climate change and biodiversity, seeking to minimise the impact human-activity has on the natural world.
Michael uses tagging technology and remote sensing to investigate the movements and migrations of marine and freshwater fauna, exploring how this is influenced by environmental drivers, anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. He has tagged whales, tracked sharks and is currently knee-deep in eels.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear what he has to say. Booking via Eventbrite is now live!
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Photo: Michael Williamson
PubSci is grateful to Mike for stepping in at short notice. Erica McAlister’s talk will now take place next year.
Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge station. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.
• • •
Please support PubSci.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Because so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally too. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.
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.
Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
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We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
Posted in Events
Tagged conservation, fish, geek, London, Pub, Science, science in the pub, social
Weds 20th September | The Weird and Wonderful World of Eels! (Dr Mike Williamson)
[Free to attend but donations to running costs are greatly appreciated]
In a change to the published schedule, PubSci is delighted to welcome Dr Michael Williamson of ZSL Institute of Zoology on Wednesday 20th September.
A recent survey of environmental DNA in the Somerset Levels found absolutely no trace of eels in a landscape once famous for its eel population. In this talk, Mike will discuss the history of eels in human culture, their bizarre – and still mysterious – lifecycle and migration habits, and the enormous threat that now faces this most curious of fish.
Michael Williamson works at the interface of conservation, climate change and biodiversity, seeking ways to minimise the impact human activity has on the natural world. He has tagged whales, tracked shark migrations and is currently knee-deep in eels. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear what he has to say.
Put the date in your diary! Full details will be published here soon
• • •
Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge station. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.
PubSci is grateful to Mike for stepping in at short notice. Erica McAlister has had to reschedule her talk due to work commitments and we look forward to hosting her at PubSci next year.
• • •
Please support PubSci.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Because so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally too. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.
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.
Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
__
We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
Posted in Events
>> Stop Press! August PubSci… is in August <<
A superluminal neutrino glitch* has occurred at PubSci Towers, resulting in today’s blog post giving the impression that August’s PubSci would take place on 19th July.
This is, of course, impossible as it would require faster-than-light travel to achieve (an idea so proposterous that the infinite monkey typing pool spontaneously all produced “Hahahahaha!” on their keyboards).
James Riordon will, quite naturally, be speaking at PubSci on 16th August 2023. As if further proof were needed, you can read the corrected blog post here.
It’s going to be another popular one, especially as James will be addressing the world-famous Royal Institution the following evening. To ensure you catch him at PubSci first, please book your place via Eventbrite. PubSci is always free to attend, but we can only run events with your support.
We suspect it’s no coincidence this late-night measurement error occurred while writing about James’ talk. Neutrinos were reported to have travelled faster than light in the OPERA experiment in 2011. It was later established that a loose cable was responsible for this anomaly – which is pretty much how I came to leave last month’s date in this month’s blog post!
Hope to see you on the 16th August
Richard
* Superluminal Neutrino Glitch fills the whole B-side of PubSci’s forthcoming prog rock concept album, Parity Symmetry Breakdown, played entirely on Theremin and cowbell.
16th August | James Riordon: “Ghost Particle – How Neutrinos Could Answer The Biggest Question in the Universe”
On Wednesday 16th August PubSci is excited to welcome the celebrated US science writer James Riordon to lead us through the search for the so-called Ghost Particle of physics: the elusive neutrino.
[Eventbrite registration required. Free to attend but donations are very welcome.]
Neutrinos are the second most abundant particles in the universe, and hundreds of trillions of them stream through your body every second, but you can’t feel them at all. Atomic nuclei produce neutrinos whenever they come together or break apart – even bananas emit them – yet these amazing particles have proved incredibly difficult to detect.
At August’s PubSci, James will take us on an extraordinary journey from the heart of the sun to the cold Antarctic ice, and into the universe beyond, as we explore everything from the Big Bang to dark matter, and ask whether neutrinos could even be the reason there is anything in the universe at all.
His newly published book will be available after the talk.
Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head near London Bridge station. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.
We anticipate a large turnout for this event and are using Eventbrite to manage numbers. Please reserve your spot ASAP to avoid disappointment.
• • •
James Riordon has written for Science News, Scientific American, Quanta Magazine, New Scientist, Popular Science, The Washington Post, Physics Today, and Analytical Chemistry. In his spare time, James goes in search of abandoned and decrepit science laboratories (sometimes with his friend Michael Lucibella).
Some of those explorations contributed to research for the book Ghost Particle: In Search of the Elusive and Mysterious Neutrino (MIT Press/Random House, 2023), which he wrote with physicist Alan Chodos, and others will embellish his next book, Crush: A Quest to Uncover the Mysteries of Gravity, due out from MIT Press/Penguin Random House in 2024.
When he’s not skulking about in old labs, James lives in Clarksville, Maryland with his science writer spouse Martha Heil, two daughters, and numerous family dogs, cats, and snakes.
• • •
Support PubSci.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Because so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally too. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.
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.
Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
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Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
Posted in Astrophysics, Dark Matter, Events, Physics, Science, talks
Reminder for PubSci, Weds 19th July
Can humans sense underground water, dream the future, attract metal objects to their bodies, as some believe…? What does science have to say about such claims of extraordinary abilities?
This month, PubSci is delighted to welcome the wonderful Professor Chris French.
His day job is exploring psychological explanations for the experiences that people report as paranormal , and Chris is the absolute expert in his field. He’s written books on cognitive and anomalistic psychology, edited collections of articles, appeared on TV and radio, written dozens of articles for the Guardian newspaper and appeared as an expert witness in court.
This Wednesday he’ll not just be talking about that, he’ll explain how claims of paranormal ability, from dowsing to clairvoyance, are tested… and what happened when Chris and his team at Goldsmiths, University of London, tested them under controlled conditions.
Were they sincerely deluded, were they charlatans, or were some able to demonstrate their incredible abilities? Come to this month’s PubSci and find out!
Follow this link to read more and then reserve your place on eventbrite
Posted in Announcements, Events, Paranormal, Popular Science, Pubsci, Skeptics, Superstition, talks
19th July | Chris French: “Putting Paranormal Claims to the Test”
[Eventbrite registration required. Free to attend but donations to running costs welcome]
On Wednesday 19th July PubSci is delighted to welcome back Professor Chris French, renowned head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London.
1900s theatre poster advertising a mind reading act
Prof. French’s unit explores non-paranormal explanations for experiences that people have reported as paranormal. His team has also devoted considerable time and effort over the years to directly testing paranormal claims
In this talk, Chris presents an overview of these investigations, including claims of psychic ability and mediumship, “human magnetism”, dowsing, and precognitive dreams. Join us for a fun and fascinating evening exploring the claims people make, the beliefs they hold, and what happens when they are subject to scientific enquiry.
Spoiler alert: He is still a sceptic.
‘Human magnets’ in Vietnam compete to stick the most items to their bodies. Image © Ryan Hinkson
Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head near London Bridge station. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub. We anticipate a large turnout for this event and are using Eventbrite to manage numbers. Please reserve your spot ASAP to avoid disappointment.
• • •
Professor Chris French. Image © Bill Robinson
Chris French is Emeritus Professor and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of UK Humanists.
Chris has published well over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims.
His most recent book is Anomalistic Psychology: Exploring Paranormal Belief and Experience and his next book, published by MIT Press, will be The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal, is out next year.
• • •
Join us for a mind-bending evening as Chris French describes testing claims of the paranormal. Will you be you convinced by the science?
• • •
Please support PubSci.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. Because so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally too. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.
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.
Please check our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our iCal feed. The Spring/Summer talks programme will also be announced at this event. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
Posted in Events, Paranormal, Popular Science, Pubsci, Skeptics, Superstition, Uncategorized
Tagged event, Geeks and Nerds, London, Pubsci, Science, science in the pub, social
Update: PubSci this Wednesday FULLY BOOKED!
Dr Eugenia Cheng is proving to be one of our most popular speakers ever, and there are [only 10] no more tickets available for her talk Is Maths Real at the Old King’s Head on Wednesday 21st June.
We’ll try to squeeze everybody in, but it looks like being a full house, so please register on Eventbrite if you intend to come*. It’s still free to attend but we use Eventbrite ticketing to manage numbers. *Update: With all places now allocated, you can only add your name to the waitlist at this stage.
Priority of admission and seating will naturally be given to ticket-holders, with walk-ins only admitted at the very last minute, and only if there is space.
You have the option of making a contribution towards PubSci’s running costs when you register on Eventbrite or you can put a few quid in the beer mug on the night.
•••
If you want to get an idea of what Dr Cheng has to say, she was on BBC Radio 4 Start The Week this morning, in conversation with Sarah Hart, Emily Howard and Kirsty Wark on the combined joys of maths, music and literature.
Listen on BBC Sounds if you missed it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001n1k5
Hope to see you this coming Wednesday, and don’t forget to put next Month’s PubSci in your diary: On Weds 19th July, Professor Chris French will be talking about The Science of Weird Sh*t and testing paranormal claims – definitely not to be missed!
“Nuclear Now” – Invitation to Oliver Stone Documentary Screening + Director Q&A | Weds 14th June (Exclusive PubSci Discount)
As fossil fuels continue to drive climate change, Oliver Stone confronts the influence of oil companies whose tactics have enriched a small group of corporations and individuals for generations, and argues that the solution to the combined climate and energy crises is found in nuclear power.
Whether we are inclined to agree or disagree with him, The Royal Institution presents this unique opportunity to see Stone’s campaigning documentary at its first UK screening and make our own minds up, followed by a live panel Q&A with the legendary film director himself.
All details on the Royal Institution website. Enter the code PubSci25 at checkout for an exclusive discount only made available to PubSci friends and followers.
NB This is an external event, organised by our friends at the Ri, which PubSci is sharing due to general interest.
Posted in Uncategorized
21st June 2023 | Eugenia Cheng: Is Maths Real?
[Ticketed event – free, with optional donation]
On Wednesday 21st June PubSci is delighted to welcome the extraordinary mathematician, Dr Eugenia Cheng, whose talks and books bring maths to life in unexpected, powerful, even life-affirming ways. Reserve your place now.
On a mission to rid the world of maths phobia, Eugenia presents maths as you’ve never seen it before, revealing how profound insights can emerge from seemingly unlikely sources.
Want to learn maths while cooking food? Eugenia wrote a book about that.
Could maths could help us see the world more clearly and make a case for justice and human rights? Eugenia covers that.
Ever thought maths was hard, obscure, or simply not for you…? Eugenia is the person who can, and probably will, change your mind.
Eugenia Cheng makes the case for maths emerging from normal human curiosity, and shows that being the kid who asked “But, why does 1+1=2?” could be more important than being the kid who always got the right answers.
• • •
US-based Dr Cheng is curently promoting her latest book, “Is Maths Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths” and we’re delighted to be included in her UK tour. June’s PubSci offers a unique opportunity to hear this celebrated mathematician in the intimate surroundings of a London pub. Don’t miss this chance to see maths in a wholly new way!
“Is Maths Real?” is published by Profile Books on 1st June. Copies will be on sale on the night.
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Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge station for an extraordinary evening of discovery and wonder. We anticipate a large turnout for this event and are using Eventbrite to manage numbers. Please reserve your spot ASAP to avoid disappointment.
Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub. The nearest tube station is London Bridge (Borough High St. exit).
• • •
Eugenia Cheng is a British-born mathematician, author, public speaker, columnist, concert pianist, composer and artist who wants to rid the world of ‘maths phobia’.
As a mathematician, Eugenia’s field is Category Theory – the study of connections between things – which she encountered at Cambridge University where she received her PhD.
Her acclaimed books for a general audience include “How to Bake Pi”, “Beyond Infinity”, “The Art of Logic”, “x+y: A Mathematician’s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender”, and “The Joy of Abstraction: An Exploration of Math, Category theory, and Life”. She has written two children’s books, “Molly and the Mathematical Mysteries” and “Bake Infinite Pie with x+y“.
Dr Cheng is Scientist In Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, won tenure in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield and is Honorary Visiting Fellow at City, University of London.
She also writes the Everyday Math column for the Wall Street Journal and has completed mathematical art commissions for hotels and cultural spaces in the USA. She has been a guest on BBC Radio 4’s More or Less with Tim Harford and The Life Scientific with Jim Al-Khalili, as well as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the USA.
Eugenia’s YouTube videos have been viewed almost 15 million times.
Eugenia Cheng talking on maths and music
• • •
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a whip-round to cover expenses. As so few of us carry cash these days, you can contribute digitally through our TipJar link or make a donation when registering for ticketed events with Eventbrite. Please help PubSci continue to put on events.
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.
__
We used to meet on the first Wednesday of the month but PubSci is now on the third Wednesday.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
Posted in Events, Maths, Popular Science, Pubsci
Tagged event, Geeks and Nerds, Maths, Popular Science, Pubsci, Science, science in the pub
PubSci 