Category: Events

  • Greengrocers in Dimension 24

    Greengrocers in Dimension 24

    The May talk will be given by Prof Gregory Sankaran who will be talking about an interesting pure mathematics problem. What is the most efficient way to pack small spherical objects into a large space? This problem makes sense for spheres of any dimension. It was solved in dimension 2 by bees and in dimension…

  • The future is…? A look at AI in 2023

    The future is…? A look at AI in 2023

    The April talk has unfortunately been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances; David Read’s talk will be rescheduled. As such, we have an emergency stand in speaker: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way and can now be found all around us. This talk will look at where the current crop of AI systems came…

  • The 74th British Mathematical Colloquium

    The 74th British Mathematical Colloquium

    The 74th British Mathematical Colloquium will be held at the University of Bath from Monday April 3rd to Thursday 6th 2023. This includes a public lecture entitled The n most important Symbols in Mathematics, details available here. You can join the mailing list for announcements here: https://lists.bath.ac.uk/sympa/subscribe/bmcThere is a mailbox for general queries: BMC@bath.ac.uk Twitter: @BathBMC2023 

  • Colour Perception

    Colour Perception

    The March talk will be given by Dr Christopher Witzel who will be talking about his research into colour perception.  Is our perception and understanding of the world determined through genetically fixed and preprogramed mechanisms? Or, are they shaped through learning and experience with the physical and social environment? The answers to these questions are…

  • Chemistry: Solving the World’s Problems

    Chemistry: Solving the World’s Problems

    Humankind faces many challenges including the climate crisis, plastic pollution and healthcare among others. Chemistry lies at the heart of many potential solutions, but only in partnership with a wide range of other disciplines. Chemists need to collaborate with others, including biologists, engineers, politicians and economists, to implement these solutions at scale and in short…

  • The First Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe

    The First Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe

    Although supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are found at the centers ofmost massive galaxies today, over 200 quasars (actively accretingSMBHs) have now been discovered at redshifts z > 6, less than abillion years after the big bang.  Their discovery beginning in 2003posed serious challenges to paradigms of cosmic structure formationbecause it was not understood how such…

  • Where wild flowers lead, wildlife follows

    Where wild flowers lead, wildlife follows

    The March talk will be given by Sue Southway from Plantlife who will be talking about her work as an ecologist. Plantlife is a Salisbury-based British conservation charity that works nationally and internationally to save threatened wild flowers, plants and fungi. Sue will look at their work and in particular take a closer look at…

  • Vaccine Basics: from Development to Denial

    Vaccine Basics: from Development to Denial

    In a last minute change to the calendar, the advertised February talk has had to be postponed and Michael Hudson will now be giving the February talk on the topic of vaccines. 

  • Can you believe your eyes?

    Can you believe your eyes?

    The December talk will be given by Dr Lauren Barr who will be talking about the peculiarities of light: The nature of light and its interaction with matter dictates how we see the world, but is all as it seems?