2
www.BrightonScience.com
Serious Fun Robin Ince, Ben Goldacre, Belle de Jour, Richard Wiseman, plus sex, slime and psychopaths – and all in very good taste. This year the Festival straddles four weekends for four reasons. Firstly (Feb 9-10th) All of Life; Science has proved what we always knew: the most important thing in life is sex (Robin Ince’s Dirty Book Club, Friday Feb 8th and The Science of Sex, Saturday Feb 9th). We also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the unravelling of life’s blueprint. DNA is arguably the most important molecule of the 20th century (DNA DAY, Sunday Feb 10th). Secondly (Feb 16-17th) Bright Sparks weekend brings the family together for a stream of hands-on workshops and demos, every one an eye-popper. Hissing cockroaches, reptiles, sheep patting, edible geology, science magic, or operating a giant drawing machine made from an old bicycle in an action packed weekend of live science. Thirdly (Feb 23-24th) White Heat is designed with post-12s in mind – more demanding activities for a more demanding age. With zombies, practical jokes, vampires, robots, skateboard technology, the Incredible Machine and ingenious inventions in a weekend of creative and scientific mayhem. Finally (March 2-3rd) Le Geekend: The Big Science Weekend proves there’s nowhere in the world, or off it, which can’t astonish. Ben Goldacre, Richard Wiseman, entertainment from snails to Shakespeare with a sliver of infinity and a drizzle of interpretive dance thrown in for good measure. This programme runs chronologically though. Here are some landmarks: p 4 The Festival begins p 6 The Science of Sex, Saturday Feb 9 p 8 DNA DAY Sunday Feb 10 p 11 Bright Sparks. Saturday and Sunday Feb 16-17 p 12 Family events for half term p 14 Other events during half term week p 16 White Heat Saturday and Sunday Feb 23-24th p 18 The Festival continues p 20 Big Science Saturday, March 2nd p 22 Keeping In Touch, Sunday March 3rd p 23-24 Maps and details
www.BrightonScience.com
3
Wednesday 6 February, 7.00pm CITY BOOKS PRESENT MASSIVE
Ian Sample, Guardian science correspondent, on The biggest science story of our time, Massive spans four decades, weaving together the personal stories and intense rivalry behind the search for the ‘God’ particle or Higgs boson – the particle that gives mass (or weight) to all things. Ropetackle Arts Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EG Tickets £8, available from City Books (23 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1AF), www.city-books.co.uk or Ropetackle: 01273 467523/ www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk. Ages 16+
Thursday 7 February, 7.30pm Hammer and Tongue
The monthly poetry slam, once described as a cross between Poetry Please and the Battle of Waterloo, has a tilt at our themes: DNA, Communication and of course Science. Komedia Studio, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UN Tickets £5/£4, available on the door. Ages 14+ (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult).
Thursday 7 February, 6.30pm HELIX
Adam Rutherford, of BBC programs The Cell, The Gene Code, and Playing God, launches an art-science collaboration at Lighthouse with animator and artist-in-residence David Blandy, on the theme of DNA. Lighthouse, 28 Kensington Street, Brighton BN1 4AJ Tickets £3 from www.lighthouse.org.uk/programme/monthly-talk-adamrutherford Ages 16+
There will also be a full programme of events at Lighthouse to mark both the residency and the Festival, including: David Blandy Open Studio- 14-16, 21-23 & 28 February and 1-2 March. 12.00-5.00pm. Free. Edo Wonderpak Hack Day, Saturday 23 February, 11.00am-7.00pm. Tickets £5
David Blandy, and illustrators Inko & Daniel Locke. Talk & Roundtable. Tuesday 26 February, 6.30pm. Free. To find out more about all of these events and to book tickets, please visit www.lighthouse.org.uk/programme/brighton-science-festival-at-lighthouse
4
www.BrightonScience.com
Friday 8 February, 8.00pm ROBIN INCE’S DIRTY BOOK CLUB
Robin Ince’s Book Club won numerous awards when it began from Time Out’s Outstanding Achievement, Chortle award for innovation, and nomination for best live show (unsurprisingly beaten by Little Britain – damn the public vote!) For one night only he brings back a very special part of the book club – the strangest passages of sex from numerous books rescued from skips and charity shops. Expect shock, confusion and possibly revulsion as you hear of sex during killer crab attacks, liaisons with donkeys… and a bit on De Sade The Old Market, 11a Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS Tickets £9/£7, available from our website and http://theoldmarket.com/ TomTickets/ or call T.O.M. box office on 01273 201 801 Tickets on door subject to availability. Ages 16+
BUILD BRIGHTON ELECTRONICS WORKSHOPS:
Build Brighton give a friendly introduction to the exciting world of technology, computing and electronics, in graded workshops:
Saturday 9th February, 11.00am and 3.00pm SOLDERING IS EASY!
Soldering is useful, and much easier than folk typically think. BuildBrighton helps you make a Drawdio, which squeals as you draw with it. £15, ages 12+ (must be with parent or guardian) Tickets from http://buildbrighton.com/workshops/bsf13-soldering/
Saturday 16 Feb, 11.00am-5.00pm Arduino MP3 player
Using the Arduino platform, add a simple character-based LCD and buttons and make your very own portable mp3 audio player. Now what could be cooler than that? £50 with own Arduino kit, £75 including our Arduino starter kit. Ages 12+ (with parent or guardian). Equipment and components provided. Tickets from http://buildbrighton.com/workshops/bsf13-mp3/
Sunday 17 February, 11.00am-5.00pm Mmmmm Pi !
Raspberry Pi workshop from Build Brighton. The clever Pi will connect to temperature sensors, motor controllers, light detectors – and then report to Twitter & it’s own wee website. £50 with own Pi, £85 including a full Pi kit. Ages 12+ (with parent or guardian). Shed A, Rodhus Studios, 16-30 Hollingdean Road, BN2 4AA Tickets from http://buildbrighton.com/workshops/bsf13-pi/
www.BrightonScience.com
5
THE SCIENCE OF SEX Dr. Brooke Magnanti (Belle de Jour), Susan Quilliam (author The Joy of Sex), and many others experts guide us through a scientific sex education for adults, bringing a modern understanding of monogamy, homosexuality, childhood sexualisation, sexual health and porn, with plenty of opportunities to debate these important issues. Curated by Emily Dubberley Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £10/£8, from website or on the door. Ages 16+ 11am: Tales from the Clap Clinic As founder of Harley Street’s largest private sexual health clinic, Dr Malcolm Vandenburg has encountered more sexual health questions than most. Here he offers advice with compassion, humour and honesty. 12pm: Coffee shop discussion: How to make safe sex sexy 12pm: Is Cheating Inevitable? Monogamy is often seen as the norm, but as we all know… Dr Meg Barker discusses whether our expectations are healthy, sustainable and natural. Is there a better relationship model? 1pm: Coffee shop discussion: Is monogamy unnatural? 2pm: Do I Look Gay? Charlie Bauer explores perceptions of gayness. Was he born this gay or was there something in his surroundings that turned him? 3pm: Coffee shop discussion: Why do gays exist? 3pm: Sex, Lies and the Media Petra Boynton discusses how the press reports and manipulates sex research. She is a Senior Lecturer in International Primary Health Research at UCL and agony aunt for The Telegraph. 4pm: Coffee shop discussion: Sex in the press 4pm: I’m too Sexy for This Childhood? The reality of child sexualisation Child sexualisation attracts a lot of media and policy speculation - but what do we actually know about it? Professor of Media at Middlesex University Feona Attwood examines the issues, 5pm: Coffee Shop Discussion: How do we approach sex education for kids? Beneath the headlines, what do students actually learn in sex education classes? 5pm: Is Porn Bad for Your Health? A discussion with Brooke Magnanti, Feona Attwood, Daisy Rock, Benedict Garrett, Robert Page and Emily Dubberley. Should porn reflect reality? How can it be used to educate people about sex? How do sexual fantasy and reality intersect? 6pm: Coffee Shop Discussion: Porn, fantasy and reality.
6
www.BrightonScience.com
Saturday 9 February, 11am-6pm
All day: Quiz the Sexperts With Susan Quilliam: relationship psychologist who specializes in love and sexuality Robert Page: Author of the Lovers’ Guide Emily Dubberley: Founder of the UK’s first erotica site for women,Cliterati.co.uk Benedict Garrett: Campaigner for sexual liberalism. Justin Hancock: Sex educator and creator of sex-ed site bishUK.com
Saturday 9 February, 8.00pm THE SEX MYTH WITH BROOKE MAGNANTI (BELLE DE JOUR)
What is a sex myth and how do we spot one? As Belle de Jour, Brooke famously funded her scientific research by becoming a sex worker and writing about it in a blog – since adapted into the hit ITV show, Secret Diary of a Call Girl – and the best-selling Belle de Jour series of books. In a lighthearted ramble through the dark corners of sex and the media, she examines the connections between the things we believe and the people who want us to believe them. Drawing on her experiences she plumbs the depths of sexual mythmaking and exposes the truth behind what we think we know. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £12/£9 from the website or on the door. Ages 18+.
Saturday 9 February, 11.00pm THE LOVER’S GUIDE : IGNITING DESIRE – 3D
How to have the best sex of your life. “admirably explicit, honest and clear” – Peter Bradshaw, THE GUARDIAN Duke’s at Komedia, Gardner Street, BN1 1UN Tickets £9.50, £7.50 m’bers, concessions availabe, on the door, or at http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Dukes_At_Komedia. Ages 18+
www.BrightonScience.com
7
DNA DAY
Sunday 10 February, 11.00am-4.30pm It has been a helter-skelter ride since the day in 1953 when Crick and Watson announced that the molecule of life, DNA, was finally decoded. The double helix is still surprising and challenging us six decades later. As the story of DNA is unraveled in an series of talks, we find it has many twists and turns. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £10/£6 from the website and on the door. Ages 16+
11.15 – The Discovery of DNA: Airing Science’s Dirty Laundry One of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the 20th Century is also a tale of plot and intrigue. Oliver Wilkinson and Aaron Alt discover that not all scientists are as squeaky clean as they’d like you to think. 11.45 – Different in identical ways There’s more to identical twins than Shakespeare comedies - but to what extent are they truly identical? Do twins become more or less similar over time? How do nature and nurture work together to make us the people we are? With Bonamy Oliver. 12.15 – The Descent of DNA Human evolution has slowed to a halt in recent times, because we have made our environment less demanding. So are we descending rather than ascending the evolutionary path? With Adam Eyre-Walker. 12.45 – Unlocking Genomes Turn DNA detective as you test your ability to decode genomes with Dr Alison Sinclair, and join in with an exploration of how DNA is wrapped and unwrapped as its code is read. 2.30 – The Epigenetics Revolution What makes YOU is not just your genes, not just the ‘big wide world’, but more: Epigenetics is the most exciting new field of research in biology – Nessa Carey tells how it affects your habits, loves, diseases, and how you will die. 3.30 – Personalised Medicines One drug does not actually fit all. The human genome project has led to a new understanding of how we develop and prescribe drugs – the right drugs at the right dose at the right time. From the Pharmacological Society.
8
www.BrightonScience.com
Sunday 10 February, 5.30 and 7.30pm ZOMBIE SCIENCE: WORST CASE SCENARIO
Theoretical Zombiologist Doctor Austin puts you at the heart of a hypothetical Zombieism outbreak and teaches you how to identify, contain and control the disease should a Zombie epidemic occur. An interactive tutorial on the real science behind a disease outbreak only science can save you! “Superbly entertaining” ***** – Edinburgh Spotlight “Genuine educational entertainment” **** – Latest 7 Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £8/£5 from the website and on the door. Ages 11+
Sunday 10 February, 7.00pm PHILOSOPHY IN PUBS
What is the point of embarrassment? Why do we experience it, and what happens if we feel it too little or indeed too often? PIPs arranges monthly informal pub-based discussion for those with a passion for enquiry and a penchant for good company. The Palmeira, 70-71 Cromwell Road, Hove, BN3 3ES FREE. Ages 18+
Wednesday 13 February, 8.00pm ROBIN INCE: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING INTERESTED
A preview of Robin Ince’s new solo tour show, a sequel to Happiness Through Science. From Dennis Potter’s “blossomest blossom” to Darwin’s “tangled bank” via Feynman’s diagrams, Robin investigates why viewing the world with the fascination of a child is something we shouldn’t lose, however old we are. Blind Tiger Club, 52-54 Grand Parade Brighton, BN2 9QA Tickets £9/£6 from the website and on the door. Ages 16+
www.BrightonScience.com
9
Thursday 14 February, 8.00pm CATALYST CLUB
The company is always good, the talks are always great. ‘And Now For The Science Bit….’ - Dr Ali Goode talks about the use and misuse of science in advertising, and whether adverts really do persuade us unconsciously. Save Your Best Jokes for the Seagulls - Michael Brooks asks, can telling jokes aid survival in icy waters? Find out how a positive attitude can aid your chances or survival, whether you’re swimming in the arctic or trying to fend off flu. Transhumanism - Can biotechnology abolish suffering throughout the world? Transhumanists think so - discover how. Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF Tickets £5, on the door. Ages 16+
Saturday 16 February: BRIGHT SPARKS – see next page Saturday 16 Feb, 11.00am-5.00pm BUILD BRIGHTON ELECTRONICS WORKSHOP Arduino MP3 player See page 5
Sunday 17 February: BRIGHT SPARKS – see next page Sunday 17 February, 11.00am to 5.00pm BUILD BRIGHTON ELECTRONICS WORKSHOP Mmmmm Pi! See page 5
Sunday 17 February, 2.00pm GATTACA
A glimpse into a dystopian future where genetic makeup and destiny are unavoidably entwined. Gattaca asks deep and moving questions about genetics. Duke of York’s Picturehouse, Preston Circus, Brighton, BN1 4NA Tickets £7-9 available on the door, from 0871 902 5728 or at http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Duke_Of_Yorks/. Ages 15+.
10
www.BrightonScience.com
Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 February, 10.00am-5.00pm A chance for children and their parents to share science. All interactive, always surprising. Some old favourites and some newcomers; potted archaeology, extreme endurance, bottle gardens, jumping beans, Brad Gross, DNA extraction, bugs, snakes and sheep petting are amongst the hands-on activities on Saturday and Sunday. See the website for differences between the days. Hove Park Upper School, Nevill Road, Hove, BN3 7BN Tickets: free for under 7s, £4 for 7-14, £6 for 15+, £16 for family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) Buy from www.Brightonscience.com or on the door. Advanced booking recommended. No unaccompanied children
www.BrightonScience.com
11
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT No unaccompanied children
Monday 18 February
The Hawth, Crawley 11.00am-4.00pm The Pocket Science Festival visits Crawley. A interactive science funfair: the Incredible Machine, plus many incredible other things, plus incredible talks from Richard Robinson - (“Victor Meldrew meets Basil Fawlty! Fantastically engaging!”) Tickets £5/3 available from the website or on the door. Ages 7+ Latest Music Bar, 11.00am-4.00pm Games and Tricks Day. Novel board games, strategy games, educational games. Tickets £3/£1 on the door, Ages 7+
Tuesday 19 February
Latest Music Bar, 11.00am-4.00pm Beach Craft. Build a beach in the bar: Create hovering seagulls, join a sandcastle competition, try pebble balancing and see if you can pin the tail on the whale using echo-location Tickets £3/£1 on the door, All ages. Booth Museum, 10.30-11.30, 12.00-1.00, 2.00-3.00 Investigate the Iguanodon – the local dinosaur, now at the Booth Museum Tickets £2, on the door. All ages
Wednesday 20 February
Booth Museum, 10.00-12.00pm, 1.00-3.00pm Meet the Booth. Explore the Booth Museum in the company of Mr & Mrs Booth as they introduce this historic and fascinating collection. Free. All ages
12
Latest Music Bar 9.00am-7.00pm. 2 hr. long workshops Who Dunnit, with Think Forensic. Use real forensic techniques to solve a crime: fingerprints; analyzing blood spatter; identifying and matching hair and fibres under the microscope; shoe prints and tyre tracks. Serious fun for future forensic scientists. Tickets £10. £30 family tckt 2 adults + 2 children. Includes your very own personal crime scene suit to keep. Booking is essential contact info@ thinkforensic.co.uk or 01484 860 599. All ages.
www.BrightonScience.com
THROUGH HALF TERM Booth Museum, 10.30-12.30, 1.30-3.30. Fossils and minerals. Bring your mystery stones and fossils to be identified, and come face-to –face with the museum’s collections. Free. All ages Jubilee Library, 2.00pm The Two of Us. A talk about sex, among other things, for kids 5+ from Richard Robinson. Why do we have two of everything; arms, legs, nostrils...? And why does it take two people to make a baby? The two are linked. Free. Ages 5+
Thursday 21 February
Latest Music Bar 11.00am-4.00pm Beach Craft. Building a beach in the bar : hovering seagulls, sandcastle competition, Pin the Tail On The Whale, and science. Tickets £3/£1 on the door, All ages.
Friday 22 February
Latest Music Bar 11.00am-4.00pm The Beach continues, with all of the above and more – windmill-making workshop Tickets £3/£1 on the door, All ages. Booth Museum 10.30-11.30, 12.00-1.00, 2.00-3.00 Microscope Madness. Help the Booth Museum’s muddled scientist identify rocks and insects using microscopes and magnifying glasses. Free. All ages
Friday 22 February
Blind Tiger Club, 10.00am-4.00pm FLAVOUR SENSENATION - An exciting new interactive event takes your taste buds on a roller-coaster ride through the senses. It will challenge each of your innate senses – taste, smell, touch, sight and sound – to see how they react with each other when different flavours and textures are thrown into the mix. Tickets, £1 on the door. All ages Phoenix Brighton 1.00pm-4.00pm, Talk at 3.00pm WORKSHOP: PAINTING, SCIENCE AND RESTORATION - Artist and Conservator Stig Evans will reveal the hidden secrets of a painting, with hands on experiments and demonstrations. FREE. Ages 8+
Saturday and Sunday, 23-24 February Latest Music and Blind Tiger 11.00am-4.00pm Craft workshops and demos. Tickets £3/1 on the door. All ages
Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF The Booth Museum, 94 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 5AA Blind Tiger Club, 52-54 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 9QA Phoenix Brighton, 10-14 Waterloo Place, Brighton, BN2 9NB The Hawth, Hawth Avenue Crawley, RH10 6YZ Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton BN1 1GE.
www.BrightonScience.com
13
ELSEWHERE DURING Tuesday 19 February, 7.30pm CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE: THE SCIENCE OF GM ANIMALS
With an expanding population, are GM animals the only way to produce enough food? Professor Helen Sang of The Roslin Institute, which first cloned Dolly the sheep, covers the key risks and benefits of genetically modified livestock. Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF FREE. Ages 18+
Thursday 21 February, 7.00pm doors and bar for 7.30pm start PECHA KUCHA
Intelligent Designs – Rapid-fire virtuoso PowerPoint presentations – 20 slides at 20 seconds per slide – leaving plenty of time for ‘chitchat’ (in Japanese, ‘pecha-kucha’) Lighthouse, 28 Kensington Street, Brighton BN1 4AJ. Ages 16+ Tickets £5/£3 on the door, or online at: http://www.lighthouse.org.uk/programme/science-festival-pecha-kucha
Thursday 21 February, 8.00pm SPERM WARFARE
So you’ve found a healthy, fertile mate, you’ve fought off your rivals and you’ve convinced them that you are what they were looking for. Sorted! But the reproductive race is far from over, my friend. We have entered the realms of Sperm Warfare. Simon Watt tells of the devious tricks used by cells, organs and bodies to win the race to fertilisation. Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF Tickets £7/4, from the website or on the door. Ages 16+.
Friday 22 February, 7.45am-9.30am THE SCIENCE OF OMNISCIENCE-RICHARD ROBINSON
One day you look around the office and realize you know everyone’s jobs better than they do. Should you let on? Richard Robinson offers a stark choice. Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at Carluccio’s 1 Jubilee St. BN1 1GE Tickets £24 (guests) / £12.50 (members) inc breakfast. Available from www.businessinbrighton.org
14
www.BrightonScience.com
HALF TERM WEEK Friday 22 February, 6.00pm-Midnight ASTRONOMY IN THE PUB
Spend the night stargazing in Chailey as the Horns Lodge pub turns off its lights and introduces the natural wonders of the night sky. Horns Lodge, South Street, South Chailey, East Sussex BN8 4BD FREE, For all ages.
Friday 22 February, 8.00pm UGLY ANIMAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
With Simon Watt and friends. Why is it just the cute creatures get the campaigns? An evening of comedy to raise the profile of some of Mother Nature’s more aesthetically challenged children. A host of comics help the Society choose an iconically ugly endangered species…will the naked mole rat finally have its day? Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £9/£6, from website or on the door. Ages 16+
www.BrightonScience.com
15
WHITE HEAT SATURDAY 23 February, 10.30am-5pm
Stuff for teens, with more demanding activities for a more demanding age. Fronted by The Festival of the Spoken Nerd, the guys who, miraculously, have made science sexy, White Heat will stop you in your tracks, make you laugh, then make you think. For ages 11+, with activities for younger children at The Blind Tiger Club next door and the Latest Music Bar nearby. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £5, from the website or on the door. 10.00-12.00 Festival of the Spoken Nerd do tricks. To the Nerds, all magic tricks have tales to tell. The Nerdy guys will reveal everything in two hours of walkabout, talkabout knockabout. Steve Mould, Matt Parker, Helen Arney and Simon Watt. 12.00pm Mark Kaplan: The Science of Monsters Mark has probed deep where zombies, werewolves, vampires and other monsters came from and why they seemed so terrifying. 1.00pm Longboarding and Skateboarding With video clips and animations Jonathan Hare’s talk goes deeper into the science and technology of skateboards and longboards. 2.00 Who killed Marilyn Monroe? Since Monroe, the greatest of Hollywood’s sex symbols, died conspiracy theories have involved the CIA, president JF Kennedy and communist plots. So who dunnit? We think we have the answer. 3.00-5.00 Steve, Matt, Helen and Simon do two hours of walkabout, talkabout knockabout. ALL DAY Hang out and practise those tricks you just learned, or just hang.
You’ve been PIPped. Philosophy In Pubs (PIPs) does what it says on the can - only today we do it not with philosophers in pubs, but with peeps in a cafe. Vox Pop. Be a media star and mouth off on your favourite subject.
Designed to please. Brighton University students try out their designs and products on you. What do you think? The Dropsy Wheel. You cannot stand in front of this wheel without falling over. No, you can’t. We put the mattress there because you can’t.
16
www.BrightonScience.com
Saturday 23 February, 8.00pm FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN NERD
Back at the Brighton Science Festival with a brand new night of comedy for the insatiably sci-curious. This year, stand-up mathematician Matt Parker, geek songstress Helen Arney and experiments guy Steve Mould are looking at Life, Oh Life. They’re asking: Who are we? Where do we come from? And, are we nearly there yet? Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £9/£6, available from the website or on the door. Ages 18+.
WHITE HEAT SUNDAY 24 February, 10am-4pm
A day for crazed creatives, mad makers and instant inventors get to grips with robots, zombies, a mass of crafts, a raft of music, glue, paint and mess. Build Brighton’s in here somewhere with stars of the Mini-Maker Faire, and the Incredible Machine, if there’s room. Make new things. Wear old clothes. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £5, available from the website or on the door. For ages 11+. For under 11s, craft workshops and demos at the Blind Tiger and Latest Music Bar. See pages 12-13.
17
Sunday 24 February, 2.00pm CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (Werner Herzog, 2011)
Legendary director Werner Herzog was fortunate enough to document the interior of the Chauvet Cave in southern France, where the world’s oldest cave paintings were discovered, dating back 30,000 years ago. Using custom made 3D cameras, the cave and the astounding artwork are bought to the screen in a way that a few years ago would have been unimaginable. The artistry inside the caves evokes what Herzog describes as the ‘awakening of the human soul’, this mesmerizing documentary brings this idea and these remarkable works of art to the spotlight. Duke’s At Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton Tickets from £7 to £9 on the door, or at http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/ cinema/Dukes_At_Komedia/ All Ages.
Tuesday 26 February, 7.00pm HOW MUCH IS A CURE WORTH?
Dr Hurt will talk about the genetic abnormality in Cystic Fibrosis, how understanding it has led to new treatment and the ethical dilemma facing the NHS and society because of the expense of this innovative approach. The Audrey Emerton Building, Eastern Road (opposite the Royal Sussex County Hospital), Brighton BN2 5BE. Ages 14+ FREE, but please reserve a place on 01273 664936 or email hospitalfriends@lineone.net
Tuesday 26 February, 7.30pm THE SCIENCE OF HONEY
Is all the buzz about the health benefits of honey justified? What is it made of? Pharmacologist Clive Page will tackle these questions joined by honey producer Daniel Basterfield to unravel some of the mysteries of the so-called elixir of the gods. Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF Free. Ages 11+
18
www.BrightonScience.com
Wednesday 27 February, 7.30pm DARWIN’S SACRED CAUSE
James Moore and Adrian Desmond argue that Darwin developed his evolutionary theory not with the coolness of a scientist interested only in higher truths, but with a hatred for slavery so intense that he was driven to prove that all human peoples were of one blood and ancestry. Proving that organisms can change over time, through natural and sexual selection, was part of a campaign, consciously and unconsciously waged, to bring an end to the evils against which his family had fought and from which he had recoiled on the Beagle voyage. Lord Nelson Pub, 36 Trafalgar Street Brighton, East Sussex BN1 4ED Tickets £5 on the door. Ages 16+
Thursday 28 February, 8.00pm CATALYST CLUB
Pleasant company, pleasing surroundings and three talks on pleasure. Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain – How full is that glass? And does it matter? Elaine Fox explores the connection between optimism and happiness, and shows the new techniques for training happiness into the brain. The Secret Logic of Sexual Fantasy – Zoltan Dienes explores what function sexual fantasy may serve, and why they are so different for different people. The Little Death – Vanessa Austin Locke explores the brain chemistry and psychology that colour extreme sexual experience. Latest Music Bar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF Tickets £5, on the door. Ages 18+
Friday 1 March, 7.30pm OFFICE POLITICS
Oliver James and Kevin Dutton reveal the gruesome truth about life in the office. Kevin Dutton, author of The Wisdom of Psychopaths, invites you into the murky world of office politics to discover how psychopathic tendencies may be the best way of getting jobs done, while Psychologist Oliver James reckons that if you really want to get on at your job, the last thing you should do is bother what the job is; reputation management is more important than work. Friends’ Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AF Tickets £9/ £6 from the website or on the door. Ages 16+
www.BrightonScience.com
19
BIG SCIENCE SATURDAY Wide-ranging talks and activities ranging from the large Hadron Collider to the slug. With LOL- testing if you can tell a real smile from a fake one. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £10/£6, from the website or on the door. Ages 16+ 10.15 Infinity Infinity worries people. They drowned the man who first thought of it. Another was driven mad. Brian Clegg demonstrates its paradoxes and its usefulness. 11.30 Noise: A Human History of Sound & Listening Acoustics expert David Hendy has five soundbites from history that show how we keep being tricked and misled by sound - and how we can trick others. 12.45 Extremes - Life, death and the limits of the human body Learn from anaesthetist and intensive care expert Dr Kevin Fong how cutting-edge medicine is pushing the limits of human survival and the future of health. 2.00 Mark Thompson – The People’s Astronomer Mark takes us on a journey through time and space to see how our view of the Universe has changed over the centuries. 3.15 Inside Shakespeare’s Medicine Cabinet Drugs feature heavily in Shakespeare, but how well did he know his herbs, and can we recreate the effects today? An entertainment with actors and pharmacologists. 4.30 The Seven Ages of Man Journey through the seven ages of man from the moment we’re born to our final breath, and find out how our hormones play the starring role.
20
2 March, 10am-6pm Debate Table
Fifteen-minute talks followed by debates, if debatable issues come up.
11.00 Can We Travel Through Time? The 20 Big Questions of Physics Time travel! Falling apples! Dead cats! Parallel worlds! Free lunches! Michael Brooks has set out to answer the 20 big questions of physics.
12.00 What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? The most impressive machine on earth is Nature itself. But as we play with it, we are putting it under stress. Tony Juniper shows us some surprising unintended consequences. 1.00 Project Sunshine Can the sun provide sustainable food and energy for the entire world? Tony Ryan and Steve Mc believe it can, eliminating the need for ‘fossilized sunshine’ in the form of coal, oil and gas.
2.00 A Slow Passion Snails have a homing instinct? Gardeners hate them, but Ruth Brookes has found they are more subtle than we have imagined. We might yet learn to love them. 3.00 Cracked Why is psychiatry such big business? James Davies investigates the failings of modern psychiatry, exploring how the practice must change to win trust back.
Elsewhere:LOL What is laughter? What happens when we laugh? Join the Laughter Lab a team of cognitive neuroscientists & comedians trying to find out...
Saturday 2 March, 7.00pm BAD PHARMA
After taking on quack doctors and pseudoscientists, relentless campaigner for truth Ben Goldacre puts the $600bn pharmaceutical industry under the microscope. Ben ”shows how people have suffered and died because the medical profession has allowed industry’s interest to trump patients’ interests” Sir Iain Chalmers, Founder of the Cochrane Library ‘Terrifying and true. You may never look at your medicine cabinet the same way again’ Dara O’Briain Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £15/12 available from the website and on the door. Advanced booking highly recommended. Ages 16+
www.BrightonScience.com
21
KEEPING IN TOUCH 3 March, 10.30am-4pm
Events and talks around the topic of communication, its evolution in animals, and history among humans. How we communicate when we don’t want to, and how we fail to when we want to. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £10/£6, from the website or on the door. Ages 11+ How to Argue Dan Jones shows the scientific evidence that we have evolved to argue, followed by charisma workshops to improve our effectiveness and speed debating workshops to give us practice. Evolution of communication Animals have always communicated. A series of brief talks takes us through from the first bacteria through to our cousins the chimps, showing how each evolved their own ways to keep in touch. History of communication From grunt to tweet, how communication happens in humans. Where words came from, how the alphabet happened and the story of printing. Problems of communication When people have disabilities and communication is difficult scientists and artists help them to get the message across. How many of our problems are cause by ‘sending the wrong signals’? Myths Morphs and Memes Telling stories is an integral aspect of traditions across the world psychology, myth and morals and art intertwine through storytelling and art.
Sunday 3 March, 8.00pm RICHARD WISEMAN ON THE PARANORMAL.
Paranormal phenomena do not exist - and yet 73% of Americans claim to have experienced them. Professor Richard Wiseman, psychologist and illusionist, examines the science behind the supernatural, revealing what ghosts, psychics and out-of-body experiences prove about our brains and beliefs. This is a journey into the world where the truth is far stranger than fiction. Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton, BN2 0JY Tickets £9/6, from the website or on the door. Ages 16+
22
CENTRAL BRIGHTON VENUES & contact DETAILS 1. Sallis Benney Theatre University of Brighton, 58-67 Grand Parade, BN2 0JY 2. Blind Tiger 52-54 Grand Parade, BN2 9QA 3. Latest Music Bar Manchester Street, BN2 1TF 4. Friends Meeting House Ship Street, BN1 1AF 5. Lighthouse 28 Kensington Street, BN1 4AJ 6. Phoenix Brighton 10-14 Waterloo Place, BN2 9NB 7. Jubilee Library Jubilee Street, BN1 1GE 8. Lord Nelson Pub Trafalgar St, BN1 4ED 9. Carluccio’s 1 Jubilee St, Brighton, BN1 1GE 10. Komedia 44-47 Gardner Street, BN1 1UN 11. Duke of York’s P’house Preston Circus, BN1 4NA 12. Shed A, Rodhus Studios 16-30 Hollingdean Road, BN2 4AA,
www.BrightonScience.com
23
Hove Park Upper School, Nevill Road, Hove, BN3 7BN Travelling to Hove Park School Train: 5 min walk from Aldrington Station. Right onto Old Shoreham Rd, then first left onto Nevill Rd. The school is 200m on the left. Buses: The 5 and 5A go from Churchill Sq. to Sackville Rd, travelling every ten minutes on Saturday and every twenty minutes on Sunday. Car Parking on street. No parking on school grounds.
The Hawth, Hawth Avenue Crawley, RH10 6YZ
Travelling to events in central Brighton We recommend taking public transport into the centre of town. Street parking is very limited, although there are several car parks (marked P on map). Tickets Some tickets will be sold at the door but you are advised to book in advance for all events through our website: www.brightonscience.com Website tickets are purchased through PayPal and there will be a handling charge. The receipt number given by PayPal is your ticket. Please print the email or bring the number with you. Concessions are given to full-time students, registered disabled and registered unemployed. Please be prepared to show proof of eligibility at the door. No unaccompanied children.
Brighton Science Festival 18 Temple Street Brighton BN1 3BH Phone 01273 777 628 Email richard@BrightonScience.com Website www.BrightonScience.com