At a loose end on midweek evenings?

If you’re on the lookout for something to capture your imagination and sharpen your mind, University College Cork (UCC) is set to host a series of accessible lectures on science’s role in society over the coming months.

Free for the public to attend, the lectures will see leading UCC scientists deliver addresses on diverse topics, including Scientific Discoveries; Science and Religion; Science and the Humanities; When Science goes Wrong; Pseudo-Science and Anti Science; Artificial Intelligence; The Microbiome and Health; and Food and Nutrition in our Lives.

Coordinated by Professor Alan Kelly, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, the lecture series, now in its 17^th year, will be offered from January through to April.

Lectures will be delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Boole 2 theatre on UCC’s main campus at 6pm.

“The Covid-19 pandemic illustrated vividly to us all how some of the greatest threats to our way of life are scientific in nature, as are the solutions to these threats in the form of scientific understanding and development of vaccines,” Prof. Kelly said.

“Understanding of complex scientific topics became a key priority for many of us. Similarly, climate change is ever present in our consciousness, and understanding and combatting the threat is wholly dependent on science.

The next lecture, Food Processing: A Problem or a Solution?, takes place this Tuesday, January 24th, and will be delivered by Prof Kelly.

Here’s a full list of the lectures running from now until April. There is no fee and all are welcome.

To indicate your interest in attending, complete the form here.