Monday

Competitive start to the week with the approximately monthly quiz at the Royal Institution’s# Time & Space Bar. £2 entry per person: no need to book.

Tuesday

The monthly MathsJam is back tonight, for maths geeks to get together in the Devonshire Arms, near Piccadilly Circus to talk about games, puzzles or anything else interesting and mathematical. All welcome.

Wednesday

Firstly, ignore the name of Robin Ince’s School for Gifted Children Summer Science Fiction Module. the event at the British Library tonight is not just for children, but features an evening of comedy, inspired ideas and Science Fiction mini-lectures with scientists and comedians, including a guest appearance from Frank Skinner. £7.50: book now.

Thursday

A double bill of events at the Wellcome Collection’s Dirt exhibition tonight: at 6pm, a talk on cleaning products from the 1870s when germs were first discovered followed at 7pm by a panel discussing what archeology can tell us about our past dirt. Both free, but book now.

Friday

Bewildered by black holes? Puzzled by photons? At a loss over ash clouds? Soapbox Science is a one day event organised by ZSL in association with the L’Oreal UNESCO Women in Science programme to bring female scientists to the South Bank to answer questions. A whole series of weird and wonderful talks and scientists will take your own questions too. 12:30 – 3:30pm, Riverside Walkway (by Gabriel’s Wharf, just to the west of Blackfriars Bridge). Free.

Saturday/Sunday

The Science Museum’s summer holiday programme begin this weekend: a treasure hunt style adventure for kids to explore space through the museum’s collection. From Saturday, children can report to the museum for their space passport and take it from there…

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.