Monday
Cafe Scientifique at the Royal Society tonight is hosted by Dr Holly Bridge from the University of Oxford, looking at how visual information is processed by the human brain, and how this can be altered to change our perception of our surroundings. No specialist knowledge is required, although most participants are scientists and audience participation is encouraged. Entry is free and open to all on a first-come, first-served basis; doors open at 5:45 for a 6:30 start at the Royal Society.
Tuesday
Science Showoff, the open mic night for science communicators, is back at the Wilmington Arms tonight with some random words plucked from the line-up summary including Darth Vader, Voyager’s Golden Record and TB or not TB. Free, but donations to the charity of the night barely optional as you come in. Doors at 7 for 7:30; get there early, it fills up!
Before that starts, a rather more traditional, but no less fascinating sounding style of communication from Imperial: a lecture on how engineering and technology are changing heart surgery. 5:30pm; free but book.
Wednesday
A new series starts tonight at the Royal Institution: Cutting Edge. The series is tied in with the approaching Olympics and this first event looks at the sports science of basketball and features athletes, scientists and ethicists (on the morality of cheating) looking at a whole range of aspects. 7pm start; free but book.
Thursday
A welcome return from the Dana Centre, the adults only events space/bar at the Science Museum with two events this week. The first is on Tuesday; this second tackles personal genetic testing and asks what we know about our ancestors, what do we really want to discover from DNA tests and how much will genetics be able to tell us about ourselves? 7pm; free but book.
Meanwhile Science London presents The Science of Optimism at that most favoured of London’s sciencey pubs, The Lamb on Lamb Conduit’s Street. All about how the brain is irrationally positive, Dr. Tali Sharot, a neuroscientist from UCL will take us on a tour of the irrationally optimistic brain and asks whether optimism is, in fact, crucial to our existence. Free; 7 for 7:30.
The Weekend
Hampstead Observatory is still running its winter schedule of observing, open Friday and Saturday night 8-10pm for star gazing and Sunday 11-1pm for sun gazing. Free and no need to book, but all weather dependent, so check first.
You can follow the Nature Network London Google calendar of events in London at https://blogs.nature.com/london/2011/05/17/scientific-events-calendar. Updated daily.