Monday
- Plasticity of the Brain: the key to human development, cognition and evolution. Royal Society, 6.30 pm. Former head of the MRC Professor Colin Blakemore delivers the Ferrier Prize Lecture on the adaptiveness of the brain. It’s free, and there’s no need to book, but I recommend you get there early to ensure you get a seat.
Tuesday
- The Eerie Silence: Are We Alone in the Universe, Royal Institution, 7pm. Paul Davies, the man who would be first to know in the event of alien contact, assesses the chances of life on other planets and the future of the SETI program. Tickets are £8.
- Living in the Sun’s Atmosphere, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, 7pm. Solar physicist Lucie Green describes the energies of the sun and how they affect the Earth. Tickets must be pre-booked for £7.
Wednesday
- Earthwatch Lecture: Farming and Sustainable Development, Royal Geographical Society, 6pm. Environmental scientists Ken Norris and Mark Chandler discuss ways to feed the ever growing population while protecting ecosystems. It’s free, but you need to pre-book.
Thursday
- Decoding Consciousness, UCL Darwin Lecture Theatre, 1.15pm. A lunchtime lecture by Professor Geraint Rees examines emerging technologies for ‘reading the mind’. Part of Brain Awareness Week. Entry is free, and you can just turn up.
Friday
- The Miraculous Disaster of Immortality, Royal Institution, 7pm. It’s a busy week for Colin Blakemore, as he lectures at the RI about the looming prospect of an aged or even immortal population. Prebook, tickets £8.
Saturday
- Rising to the Climate Challenge: Artists and Scientists Imagine Tomorrow’s World, Tate Modern, 10.30am. In a collaboration between the Royal Society and Tate, a series of talks, workshops and film screenings look at different viewpoints on climate change. It’s an all-dayer and will cost you £13, but it’s an exciting programme.