Monday
There is something very strange going on with science and Mondays… this is the second week in a row that we have not been able to find a single event happening! Do you have an explanation? Is there an underground society of scientists meeting on a Monday that we don’t know about? Let us know!
Tuesday
The Society of Chemical Industry, a forum for the intersection between science and business runs a regular series of talks and events, both in London and around the UK and tonight’s at UCL looks like a good one. “What’s in my stuff?” is a project combining science and art to get the public thinking about the materials in everyday objects. Reduce, reuse and recycle are the watchwords, especially on the electronics front, and this talk will look at how the early stages of the project, involving turning the components of a mobile phone into jewelry, have worked. Free, 6pm in the Ramsay Lecture Theatre at University College London, with doughnuts at 5:45 for early arrivers.
In the ongoing unfortunate clash, the open mic night Science Showoff is back at the Wilmington Arms from 7pm with lightning, musical science and the Golden Ratio while Science in the Pub starts at 7:30 for 8pm in the Brixton Ritzy with Paolo Viscardi celebrating Darwin Day with a talk on Darwin’s life, ideas and legacy.
Wednesday
City University takes on science policy tonight with “UK energy policy – will it deliver, can it deliver?” In the Bridge Lecture, Dr David Clarke, CEO of Energy Technologies Institute, looks at the UK’s energy policies and the strategic planning done by ETI. Free, but booking required. 6pm start at Tait Building, City University London, EC1V 0HB.
Thursday
A new series starts tonight which definitely looks worth trying out: a Cafe Scientifique run by the Institute of Psychiatry. The first topic is “Alzheimer’s Disease: the quest for a cure” with expert speaker Dr Amy Pooler. Dr Pooler will give a talk and take questions, and discussion is highly encouraged, although the aim is public engagement, so no expert scientific knowledge is required. Free,but book in advance. 6:30pm start at the IoP, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF (near Denmark Hill).
If space is more your thing, the Royal Observatory offers “Spacetalk: Mapping the Universe“, looking at how new ways of mapping space on huge scales has allowed astronomers to trace superclusters of galaxies and how the galaxies, gas and mysterious dark matter which comprise them interact. 6:30pm: £5. Currently sold out, but may be worth watching for returns or booking future events in the series now.
Friday
The Valentine’s edition of UCL’s academic stand-up night Bright Club, and I think the only thing to do is to quote directly from their blurb: “Join our line-up of comedians, musicians and researchers to find out about everything from duck sex to medieval seduction, and from internet dating to the pure love of a scientist for her apparatus (not that kind of apparatus).” 7:30pm; £8; book now.
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.