The British Science Festival in Birmingham

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We hope you find lots of events to intrigue, amuse and enlighten you and your family.

For more information about events such as audience level and people taking part click on the name of the event. Where events are bookable through the British Science Association, you can book by clicking on the shopping trolley next to the event entry. Where no shopping cart is shown, click on the event title for more information about how to book.

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ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: HOW WHERE YOU LIVE INFLUENCES YOUR BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR 14/09/2010   10:00-12:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB155, Aston University Summary: On islands big mammals may become small, and small big. But how robust is this biogeographic rule? What causes differences and why do they occur? Why do humans across the globe behave in such a wide variety of ways? Examining relationships between body form, geography, culture and environment, explore how the biology and behaviour of humans and animals change according to where they live.
THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP 14/09/2010   10:00-12:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB461, Aston University Summary: Traditional approaches to leadership see it as very much an 'I' thing - as something that resides in the character and qualities of leaders in isolation. Fresh research, however, shows that leadership is much more of a 'we'-thing and that to be effective, leaders need to build a sense of shared identity with followers. Come and explore this in relation to a range of topical issues.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE OBSERVATORY 14/09/2010   10:00-16:00 cost: free Venue: Blue Room, Students' Guild, Aston University Summary: Come along and experience cutting-edge scientific psychological research. You can view demos and experience psychological effects, as well as have the chance to take part in contemporary psychological studies currently underway in British universities
JOSEPH LISTER AWARD LECTURE: FACT AND FICTION ABOUT NEUROMARKETING 14/09/2010   12:00-13:00 cost: £ 3.00 Venue: Main Building, Sumpner LT, Aston University Summary: This lecture takes you on a whistle-stop tour of recent findings in the brain sciences, and their link to consumer decisions. Together, we will explode myths about both advertising and the brain, to gain a basic knowledge of how the brain works, and how it relates to our consumer decisions, to enable you to form educated opinions about what might and might not be possible in the future.
FROM PAVLOV TO PRESENT 14/09/2010   13:00-15:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB549, Aston University Summary: Ivan Pavlov gave his dogs a signal - ringing a bell before feeding them. The food made the dogs drool and after a few signal-food pairings the dogs drooled during the signal - when no food was given. What exactly had his dogs learned? Today's speakers look forward to telling you about some new and interesting facts about associative learning in animals (including people).
AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND HUMAN EVOLUTION: GROWTH OF A SOCIAL BRAIN 15/09/2010   09:30-13:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: G11, Aston University Summary: All humans have African roots. For 2.5 million years our ancestors have produced cascades of archaeological evidence, providing vital clues about technologies and social behaviours. Examine key pieces of archaeological evidence from across Africa and the idea of the Social Brain to reconstruct how our earliest ancestors developed technical and social skills in demanding environments.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE OBSERVATORY 15/09/2010   10:00-16:00 cost: free Venue: Blue Room, Students' Guild, Aston University Summary: Come along and experience cutting-edge scientific psychological research. You can view demos and experience psychological effects, as well as have the chance to take part in contemporary psychological studies currently underway in British universities.
LIFE EVERLASTING? THE SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF AGEING 15/09/2010   13:00-17:00 cost: free Venue: MB461, Aston University Summary: We are scared of ageing badly whether it be from a social or a personal perspective. How are scientists and researchers readily manipulating the ageing process to create the prospect of longer, healthier lives and the probability of new treatments? When it comes to ageing in the 21st century, is the only thing we have to fear fear itself?
BEYOND THE YUCK FACTOR: JUST HOW 'HUMAN' SHOULD LABORATORY ANIMALS BECOME? 15/09/2010   13:00-15:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB549, Aston University Summary: Huge advances in science are rapidly increasing the amount of human DNA and cells that scientists can transfer into research animals, and in the long-term their findings could help transform our understanding and ability to treat diseases. Help us explore where the human/animal boundary might be drawn, and where this research might lead.
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF HUMAN EVOLUTION BEYOND AFRICA 15/09/2010   14:00-16:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: G11, Aston University Summary: Early humans originated in the tropics but spread far beyond Africa much earlier than was thought, probably in waves. The last of these, starting about 100,000 years ago, populated the world with modern humans. Why did this evolution happen so fast, and what led to such wide dispersal? Examine exciting evidence from archaeology, genetics and fossils far and wide in the search for answers.
MARKETING IS ALL ABOUT T-SHIRTS AND POSTERS, RIGHT? 15/09/2010   17:30-18:30 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB550, Aston University Summary: Join us to explore the science behind "marketing" decisions and examine some marketing challenges for practitioners and academics alike. You can also see a demonstration of the latest market research software for those interested in word of mouth / social network marketing.
ANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY SECTION DRINKS RECEPTION 15/09/2010   18:00-19:00 cost: free Venue: G8, Aston University Summary: Join the Anthropology and Archaeology Section for drinks and chat.
HOW DO SCIENTISTS FIND OUT WHAT BABIES THINK? 16/09/2010   10:00-12:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB108, Aston University Summary: It is often supposed that if you asked a baby what they thought, they would not have much to say even if they could tell you. However, using new techniques scientists are finding that babies recognise faces and objects; count small numbers; learn words long before they can say them; and perform remarkable feats of imagination, causing us to re-consider what thoughts babies can and cannot think.
THE CONSOLATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE: SOCIAL THEORY FOR THE BEST AND WORST OF TIMES 16/09/2010   11:00-13:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB146, Aston University Summary: Does knowing about the world make life harder? How can we reconcile the pain of knowing about how imperfect the social world remains with living our day-to-day lives? This event explores whether by engaging in social analysis and increasing our understanding of what is happening and why, we can better cope with the ups and downs of everyday life.
GETTING ON WITH THE BOSS: WHY THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MANAGER IS SO IMPORTANT 16/09/2010   11:00-12:00 cost: free Venue: Main Building, Sumpner LT, Aston University Summary: The relationship between you and your manager can determine your job satisfaction and work effectiveness. If the relationship is good, then we work effectively but if the relationship is bad, then we are often unhappy and work poorly. Find out what determines the quality of the relationship we have with our manager, how this relationship changes over time and how it can be improved.
CAN WE EVER BE EQUAL AND SHOULD WE EVEN TRY? 16/09/2010   16:00-17:00 cost: £ 3.00 Venue: MB554, Aston University Summary: Society becomes more diverse daily, as do the demands placed on Government to meet the needs and entitlements of a wide range of excluded groups. But should society be expected to respond to all of the needs and claims of all excluded groups? How should the needs and entitlements of groups be assessed or competing 'claims' balanced? Equality is difficult - but can we live with the alternative?
OUTBREAK: ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE 16/09/2010   17:00-20:30 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: G8, Aston University Summary: What are your concerns about infectious disease outbreaks? What do you know, and more importantly, what do you want to know? Will your knowledge of pandemics change by watching dramatizations or films such as 'Outbreak'? Come along to a reception and discussion followed by a screening of the film 'Outbreak' and see if it will change your mind.
BLISS OR BLUES? RAPTURE OR RAGE? 17/09/2010   10:00-16:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: Blue Room, Students' Guild, Aston University Summary: When life is good, our joy is irrepressible but the world seems colourless when we are miserable. What is the vast repertoire of human moods and emotions for? Find out what our brains look like when we process emotion, what makes teenagers blue, and how many of us are fearful. Do we work better when we are happy? How do hormones change our moods? Express your emotions in an art workshop.
MOVING TO EUROPE: THE ALEVIS, CULTURAL CHANGE, RITUAL AND MIGRATION 17/09/2010   10:00-12:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB554, Aston University Summary: Join us to explore the mystical religion, dance and ritual of the Turkish Alevis, and trace their interaction with Europe as their migrant groups create a viable and successful relationship with their host nations. Featuring footage of the Alevi community taken by the University of Heidelberg, explore how Alevi ritual transformed as they moved from Turkey to Europe.
I MET A MAN WHO WASN'T THERE: THE NATURE OF HALLUCINATIONS 17/09/2010   12:30-15:00 cost: £ 5.00 Venue: MB550, Aston University Summary: Whether it is the schizophrenia sufferer hearing voices, or the victim of post traumatic stress disorder re-living a disaster, there is something unnerving about not being able to trust our senses. Come and explore the many ways in which hallucinations can develop, and why the brain is able to play such convincing (and sometimes frightening) tricks on us.
SEXING THE BRAIN: HOW NEURO-NONSENSE JOINED PSYCHOBABBLE TO 'KEEP WOMEN IN THEIR PLACE'. 18/09/2010   11:00-12:30 cost: £ 3.00 Venue: MB518, Aston University Summary: Blame the brain! Is women's biology the basis of their 'inferior' position in society? Hear how the new brain sciences are being used in this debate, how research into sex differences in the brain can be misquoted, misleading, misguided – and misogynist! Follow the road to Neuro-nonsense, learn how to spot Brain Bloopers and scoff at Neuro-trash. Brain stereotyping will never be the same again!
EMERGENCE 19/09/2010   10:00-16:00 cost: £ 3.00 Venue: MB155, Aston University Summary: Bacteria do it, amoebas do it, ants and bees do it, humans do it; they all achieve wonders through team-work. How can many small insignificant things add together to create huge brilliant things? We tell strange tales of the beginnings of life on Earth, cooperation between bacteria, altruism among amoebas, problem solving by ants, and what this tells us about ourselves.
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGULATING THE MARKET ECONOMY 19/09/2010   10:00-12:00 cost: £ 3.00 Venue: MB518, Aston University Summary: The recent financial crisis has demonstrated the problem of regulating a market economy. We will discuss the micro-economic effects of captured regulators. We will also consider the macro-economic effects. If industries shape their regulation in their own image, does that impact growth, inflation and national debt? And if the macro and micro effects are significant and adverse, what should we do?
23 events

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