About us
INTRODUCTION BY THE GROUP CO-ORGANISER, BOB
Café Science – Basingstoke is an independent, not‑for‑profit forum for curious minds. We bring together scientists, technologists, and interested members of the public to discuss the latest developments in science, technology, and climate change — in a relaxed, inclusive environment.
We welcome anyone with an interest in exploring big ideas — whether you're deeply knowledgeable or just curious. We hope you enjoy the talks and livestream events we publicise, and help us grow this community of science conversation.
ABOUT LOCAL IN-PERSON TALKS
We encourage our subscribers to attend in-person talks hosted by local science discussion groups that are within easy reach of Basingstoke. The groups we mostly publicise include Science in Reading, Henley Science Cafe, Romsey Science Cafe, Salisbury Science Cafe and Winchester Skeptics in the Pub.
The in-person events include a speaker plus a break with a follow-on Q&A discussion of the presentation topic. The speakers will often be researchers and experts in their field invited from local companies and academic centres and are specialists in the subjects under discussion.
IN-PERSON ADMISSION / DONATION FEES
You should be aware that groups running in-person talks will often request an admission fee or donation of up to £5 towards speakers and group expenses.
ONLINE LIVESTREAM TALKS
For those unable to attend the in-person talks, we also provide details of lectures and discussions delivered as on-line livestream talks that you can watch with your family, friends and neighbours. Why not make the most of this great social opportunity by inviting others to join you in a cafe or at home and then have your own discussion afterwards about the topic you watched. The livestream talks and discussions include those from The Royal Institution, The Royal Society, Gresham College and occasional University public lectures.
BOOKING LIVESTREAM EVENTS
Access and booking arrangements for online live stream talks are always handled by the talk organisers outside of this meetup site. Please ensure you take the time to read the booking instructions carefully.
GROUP ORGANISERS
Meetup requires an official group administrator, so Andrew C manages the Meetup account and related logistics. Bob Clifford continues to head up the event planning, coordination, and group leadership. Bob now works from Norwich and oversees the event calendar remotely, so while he may not attend many local meetups in person, he remains the primary contact via Meetup for all group queries and planning matters.
NOTIFICATIONS
Join this meetup group to receive email notifications via Meetup of any in-person and live stream science and technology talks, debates and lectures that we hear about.
Upcoming events
10
Reading Biscuit Factory Cinema: London's Last Wilderness
Reading Biscuit Factory, 1 Queens Walk, Reading RG1 7QE, UK, Reading, GBBasingstoke Science Cafe enthusiasts are invited to the in-person film presentation at the Reading Biscuit Factory Cinema. This film is supported by Transition Town Reading and is titled “London's Last Wilderness”.
Hope to see you there, and please send this link to whoever else you think might also be interested:
https://whatsonreading.com/venues/reading-biscuit-factory/whats-on/londons-last-wildernessSUMMARY
Film Screening of "London's Last Wilderness" at Reading Biscuit Factory Cinema, Friday October 2nd (2026) 7.30 pm.
The film will address themes of rivers, flooding, how we treat the land, and our broader connection to nature."London's Last Wilderness is visually stunning from beginning to end. Following the hidden wildlife and disappearing natural spaces, tucked inside one of the world's busiest cities, the documentary uncovers a side of London most people never even realise exists. The film balances beauty, urgency, and hope in a way that feels immersive and genuinely emotional."
Supported by Transition Town Reading:
INTRODUCTION AND Q&A:
Professor Chris Rhodes will give an introduction to the film screening on Friday October 2nd, at 7.30 pm.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with its director, Pablo Behrens.
Reading Cafe Scientifique: The Common Cold: 30,000 Years of the Sniffles
ZeroDegrees, 9 Bridge StreetReading, RG1 2LR, Reading, GBBasingstoke Science Cafe members are invited to the in-person Science in Reading event The Common Cold: 30,000 Years of the Sniffles (David Miles – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
SiR monthly meetups are held upstairs at Zero Degrees (9 Bridge St, Reading RG1 2LR) from 7pm.
We are looking for speakers for 2026 & beyond. If you would like to get involved and support your local Science community please get in touch – email: scienceinreading [at] gmail.com or twitter: Science in Reading (@Science_Reading) Speaking slot availability can be found via the website.
A friendly Science focused group entertaining the local community with the fascinating world of science – events from hands on workshops to engaging talks. Everyone welcome!
Our monthly meetups are held upstairs at Zero Degrees (9 Bridge St, Reading RG1 2LR) from 7pm.So please do come along, grab a beer/food at the downstairs bar (the mango beer and wood fired pizza are epic) and enjoy a relaxed evening of talks + networking + beers.
Everyone welcome!7:00pm Arrivals
7:30pm Welcome and Introductions
7:35pm The Common Cold: 30,000 Years of the Sniffles (David Miles – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
8:20pm Comfort Break
8:30pm Q&A
9:00pm Networking
9:30pm EndThe Common Cold: 30,000 Years of the Sniffles (David Miles – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
Everybody knows what a cold feels like: miserable. The first cold virus was detected in a milk tooth shed over 30,000 years ago and ever since, the common cold has been a bane.
Yet while sore throats and blocked noses are annoyingly familiar, the processes that lead to them are not widely known and often misunderstood. Processes like the misdirected immune response that makes us ill with a cold instead of protecting us from illness. Like the way heating a building enhances cold virus transmission. Like the way that most cold viruses can only exist at all thanks to the society we’ve built over the last few millennia.
And, most importantly, what we can do about them.
SPEAKER
David Miles is an infectious disease immunologist who spent ten years researching immunity to infections and the vaccinations that protect against them in various parts of Africa. He now lives in London and teaches on the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s online postgraduate course. His first popular science book, How Vaccines Work, was published in March 2023 and his second, Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold, will be published in March 2026.If you would like to get involved and support your local Science community please get in touch – email: scienceinreading [at] gmail.com or twitter: Science in Reading (@Science_Reading)
Speaking slot availability can be found via the website.We normally meet 1st Tuesday of the month. Format is gathering from 7.00pm with talks commencing at 7.30pm. Talks timings are completely flexible but generally 40-60mins + Q&A with a ~20mins break to encourage social networking.
Contact’s: email: scienceinreading [at] gmail.com or twitter: Science in Reading (@Science_Reading)
3 attendees
Royal Institution "Extraordinary chemical experiments that shaped today’s world"
The Royal Institution, The Royal Institution 21 Albemarle Street London W1S 4BS,, United Kingdom, GBThis is a theatre and livestream talk from the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Chemist Andrew Szydlo returns with a spectacular, demo-filled celebration of some of the most important chemistry pioneers.
ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.
More details and booking instructions on the RI web site:
https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/extraordinary-chemical-experiments-which-shaped-todays-worldSUMMARY
Ri favourite Andrew Szydlo brings another spectacular show, celebrating the scientists who laid the foundations of modern chemistry.Witness stunning experiments from the work of several European chemists; experiments which played key roles in the development of different branches of chemistry over the last three centuries. Covering a wide range of topics, including analysis, diffusion, dyestuffs, explosives, electrochemistry, gases, perfumes, plants, polymers and solutions, you'll discover the names and stories of extraordinary characters, both known and unknown.
From Auer to Faraday, via Bergmann, Bunsen, Davy, Hofmann, Liebig, Lavoisier, Priestley, Ruprecht, Olszewski, Scheele, Sørensen, Tsvet and many more, be prepared for dramatic colour changes, fire, smoke, bangs, smells and surprises!
This event celebrates the launch of the book "111 European Chemists", of which Andrew is co-author. Copies will be available for purchase after the talk.
This is a theatre and livestream event for an adult audience, where the speakers and audience in our Theatre are joined by our audience online.
The livestream will go live around 6.55pm, and the talk will begin at 7.00pm. If you register but miss the livestream, the video will be available to you via the same link for two weeks after the event date.
For more information on livestreams, see the information below, or visit our FAQs page. Please use the event link you have been provided with.
By booking to attend events at the Royal Institution, you confirm that you have read and accept the Ri's event terms and conditions. You also agree to abide by our code of conduct, and help to create a great experience for yourself and your fellow participants.
2 attendees
Royal Society: Pathogens and the power of evolution
The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, London, GBBasingstoke Science Cafe subscribers are invited to enjoy this in-person and livestream science talk from the Royal Society in London.
Meet world-leading researchers from universities and science institutions across the UK at the Royal Society’s public events of cutting-edge science. Tonight's lecture is "Francis Crick Prize Lecture: Pathogens and the power of evolution". The Francis Crick Medal and Lecture 2026 is awarded to Professor Kayla King for contributions to the fields of evolutionary biology and genetics of infectious disease.
This livestream event is free to join and requires prior registration with the Royal Society at the web address below.
https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2026/10/francis-crick-prize-lecture/
SUMMARY
Why are some infections more harmful than others? Pathogens can have huge potential to evolve higher (or lower) virulence over short periods of time. In this lecture, Professor Kayla King will explore the rapid evolution of pathogens across the tree of life. Drawing on evolutionary theory, genome sequencing, and selection experiments in which bacterial and viral pathogens are passaged in the lab, she will reveal what drives these evolutionary changes in virulence, as well as the consequences for pathogen genomes and host health. Professor King will present examples of pathogens evolving within weeks in response to host immunity and warming temperatures.The lecture will ultimately discuss the implications of her group’s research for predicting pathogen virulence and patterns of genomic evolution in a changing world. Amidst an increased risk of zoonoses jumping to protected species and humans, a better understanding of pathogen virulence evolution has never been more important.
SPEAKER
Professor Kayla King is an evolutionary biologist whose work focuses on the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of animal-pathogen interactions across the tree of life. Her research aims to unravel how traits, such as virulence and transmissibility, evolve in endemic and emerging pathogens, with implications for biodiversity conservation and getting ahead in the race against zoonoses. She is a Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair in the Departments of Zoology and Microbiology & Immunology at the University of British Columbia, as well as a Professorial Fellow in Biology, University of Oxford.Professor King has received many honours, including the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Arthur B. McDonald Prize (2024), Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Mid-Career Excellence Award (2023), Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal (2022), Linnean Society Bicentenary Medal (2020), Philip Leverhulme Prize for Biology (2018), and American Society of Naturalists Early Career Investigator Prize (2013).
## Attending the event
- The event is free to join, please register via register via Eventbrite
- Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually
### Attending online
- The lecture can be attended in person at the Royal Society
- Please note that as this is a free event, we anticipate that not everyone who reserves tickets will use them and we therefore make more tickets available than there are seats. You are highly unlikely to be refused entry but please be aware that admission is on a first-come, first-served basis and not guaranteed. Please arrive early to secure a seat
- This event is free to join. Pre-bookable
- please register via Eventbrite for a ticket
- Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually
- Doors will open at 6pm
Find travel and accessibility information on our website. Please email us with any access requirements or questions.
- You can take part in the live Q&A via Slido
- This event will be recorded (including the live Q&A) and the recording will be available on YouTube soon after the event
For all enquiries, please contact awards@royalsociety.org.
2 attendees
Past events
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