Monday

Jenny Rohn’s Lablit book club roles around again tonight at the Royal Institution (7pm, free). Discussion swirls around The Hungry Tide by Amitov Ghosh.

Tuesday

An intriguing event at ZSL tonight (6pm) looks at how forensic CSI-style techniques can be used to help conserve wildlife. This one’s free with no advance booking required. Another free event takes place at the Royal Society (7pm), where James Gleick reveals the history of information, stretching right back to when ‘every thought and utterance vanished as soon as it was born’.

I may be somewhat biased, but the big event of the night is upstairs at the Camden Head pub, where I’ll be co-hosting a night of space-themed variety with comedian Helen Keen. It’s all in celebration of Yuri’s Night. Tickets (on the door) are £3 and the fun begins at 8pm. A different Gagarin even takes place at the Institution of Electrical Engineers (6pm, free), where space scientist John Zarnecki, film maker Chris Riley and David Williams of the UK Space Agency put the Gagarin flight in historical perspective.

Thursday

Imperial’s Brian Hoskins speaks at the Society of Chemical Industry on the scientific evidence for climate change (6pm). It’s free, but you need to pre-book.

Friday

Today’s lunchtime lecture at the Royal Society (1pm, Free) concerns itself with Sir John Soane and the learned societies of Somerset House (which once included the RS itself, of course).