Drugs on the Brain & Other Marvels

Can drugs make us better people? What are the harms and potential benefits of recreational drugs? What is the relationship between the mind & brain? Just some of the fascinating questions explored by leading scientists in an evening of talks and demonstrations.

Join us to celebrate our first anniversary of connecting expert speakers with audiences in the famous Faraday Lecture theatre at the Royal Institution in London on Feb 19th 2016 @ 7:00pm

Speakers:

Suzi Gage
No Turn Unstoned? The harms and potential benefits of recreational drugs

The media love to sensationalise the dangers of illicit drug use, whilst downplaying or even ignoring the harms from legal drugs. Suzi takes us on a trip through the current scientific understanding of the harms, and also potential benefits of recreational drugs, both illegal and legal.


Molly Crockett
Could scientists create a morality pill?

Can pills change our morals? Neuroscientists are now discovering how hormones and brain chemicals shape social behaviour, opening potential avenues for pharmacological manipulation of moral values. In this talk, I will describe research showing how brain chemistry can affect moral judgment and behaviour, and evaluate the feasibility of enhancing moral values with drugs.


Sir Colin Blakemore
Common Sense: the intelligence of perception

Can we ever understand the human mind by simply looking at the physical brain? Colin Blakemore is one of the UK's leading scientists who has spent his career tackling this fundamental problem of body and mind.

Plus
The Three Minute Challenge
An 80,000 word thesis would take 9 hours to present. Their time limit .....3 minutes.

Can they use their amazing brain power and skill to beat the clock?

Andrew Steele (FameLab Finalist 2012) - Stereo Vision
Dominika Bijou (3MT® Semi-Finalist 2014) - "To Pee or Not to Pee"
Zaid Janjua (Vitae 3MT® UK Winner 2015) - "On Thin Ice"

Hosted by Bruce Hood, Mark Miodownik and Helen Czerski for an evening packed with knowledge and wonder.

The evening is sponsored by the University of Bristol, the University of Nottingham and Macmillan Publishers.