Astronomers have successfully observed a great deal of the Universe’s history, from recording the afterglow of the Big Bang to imaging thousands of galaxies. But when it comes to understanding how the Universe began and grew up we are literally in the dark ages. In effect, we are missing the first one billion years from the timeline of the Universe.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

Mental health awareness is a very big concern in 2021, particularly with the impact of the pandemic and lockdown. But while being aware that mental health can and does go wrong is important, very little attention is paid to how and why this happens. In his new book, Psycho Logical, neuroscientist, author, and former Psychiatry lecturer Dr Dean Burnett explores all that and more.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

Although music surrounds us for a large proportion of our time it doesn’t seem to serve an obvious purpose. This talk will primarily explore the role of music in social bonding, and whether music is best understood as the alternative to language.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

Do only irrational people fear things like WiFi, artificial sweeteners, and fluoridated water? There have been legitimately dangerous products sold as safe in the past. We'll look at products throughout history that killed, and the marketing campaigns that went along with them.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

In what sense does ‘prison work’? Does the claim stand scrutiny? Phil Scraton will address the harms of imprisonment, critique the reformist ‘rehabilitation’ agenda and explore the potential for prison abolition.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

According to TV shows like "Ancient Aliens", the monumental buildings of the past were created not by our ancestors but by aliens or extradimensional beings. At first glance this appears harmless, but those claims are deeply rooted in creationist and racist ideas.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

How can we mitigate the risks of AI while preserving scientific inquiry and openness? Who is responsible for anticipating the impacts of AI research, and how can they do so effectively? What changes, if any, need to be made to the peer review process?

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

For most of human history, we have led not just an earthly existence but a cosmic one. Celestial cycles drove every aspect of our daily lives. Discover why stargazing can be really, really good for us. It is time for us to rediscover the full potential of the universe we inhabit, its wonder, its effect on our health, and its potential for inspiration and revelation.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

When the COVID-19 crisis reached America, the US had more resources and expertise at its disposal to confront the threat than any nation on the planet, and yet the American response was homicidally inefficient. Why? Noah Lugeons goes beyond bad leadership to discuss the root of the problem: Religion.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.

What is planetary protection? Do we really need a kind of bacterial Prime Directive? Jennifer Wadsworth will (hopefully) convince you of its importance for our continued exploration of the solar system and how it can even be applied to help solve some of our problems here on Earth.

This event will be online, on the Skeptics in the Pub Twitch channel.