BRIGHTHINK

What's the connection between Shakespeare and maths? A lot, as it turns out!
Shakespeare grew up in a time of remarkable mathematical innovation. From astronomy to probability, music to multiplication, new mathematical ideas were taking off - and much of this was reflected in his work.

Join Rob Eastaway for a fascinating evening as he explores the surprising and entertaining ways that maths and numbers crop up in Shakespeare's plays. Find out how Tudors multiplied, why Shakespeare never ended a line with the word orange, and why dice-playing was a serious hazard for the unwary. With historical asides about games, astronomy, music and magic, you will never think about maths or Shakespeare the same way again.
Rob Eastaway is an author and presenter. He's written numerous books including the bestselling 'Why Do Buses Come In Threes?' and 'Maths On The Back Of An Envelope'. He regularly appears on BBC Radio 4's award winning programme More or Less.

Rob will be signing copies of his new book 'Much Ado About Numbers' , which will be available to purchase on the night. Praise for Rob Eastaway's latest book :

"A spectacular journey... Highly recommended!"
Dr Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute

"A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics."
Prof Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime

"A playful and engaging book ... bound to excite the appetite of all Shakespeare junkies."
Patrick Spottiswoode, Founder, Shakespeare's Globe Education

• DOORS OPEN: 6:30pm (£5 on the door)
• TALK STARTS: 7:00pm
• AUDIENCE Q & A: 8:00pm
• BOOK SIGNING: 8:30pm (Books will be available for purchase)

Brighthink is a non-profit organisation, none of our invited speakers charge for their time, and proceeds from ticket sales go towards the running costs that allow us to put on these events for the public.

Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ is considered by many to be one of the most important scientific texts ever written, but how many amongst us have actually sat down and read it?
First published in 1859, almost 30 years after Darwin’s world expedition on the HMS Beagle, many theories are touted as to why he waited so long, but what was the real reason: Heresy? His religious wife? Or the fear of being wrong?
There are also many myths about the man himself; That Charles coined the phrase ‘Survival of the Fittest’. That he stole the concept of natural selection from his contemporary Alfred Russel Wallace and that he converted to Christianity on his deathbed.
None of those are true and even the famous image of the ascent of man ‘The March of Progress’ (used here) is a much simplified, and misleading depiction of Darwin’s theory. So if you think you know Darwin’s 'On the Origin of Species' and you believe it’s all just about evolution, you’re in for a surprise.
Professor Joe Cain will show us how we have missed some of the things Darwin cared most about. He’ll take us on a journey of discovery through some of those buried themes and the hopes Darwin had for his work. We’ll learn about what he tried hard to avoid and what he changed in response to complaints.
Joe is Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology at University College London. He researches Darwin, history of dinosaurs, and legacies of eugenics. He was trained in the United States at University of Maryland and University of Minnesota. He worked for several years in publishing, and served as a Visiting Professorship at University of Oklahoma. Joe’s recent writing includes work on the Horniman Museum, Jokes in science, and the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. He also hosts the podcast, WeAreSTS.
On the night there will be free copies of the great text itself for some lucky audience members to win - You have to be in it to win it!
What a way to spend a Bank Holiday Monday!

Our presentations take place upstairs in the Nightingale Room at the Grand Central Pub, opposite Brighton Station.

• DOORS OPEN: 6:30pm (£5 on the door)
• TALK STARTS: 7:00pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:00pm

Brighthink is a non-profit organisation, none of our invited speakers charge for their time and all proceeds go towards running costs that allow us to put on these events for the public.

Astronomers are like time travellers, scanning the night sky for the outermost galaxies that first came into being when our universe was a mere fraction of its present age.
The first billion years after the Big Bang represent the final frontier in assembling a complete picture of cosmic history. During this period early galaxies formed and the universe first became bathed in light.

How and when did all this occur? Recent progress with the James Webb Space Telescope suggests we may soon witness this dramatic period when the universe emerged from darkness. The motivation is fundamental: the origin of starlight began the chemical evolution which ultimately led to our own existence in this remarkable universe.

Richard Ellis is Professor of Astrophysics at University College London. A Welshman by birth he has held professorial positions at Durham, Cambridge and Oxford universities and spent 16 years at the California Institute of Technology where he was Director of the Palomar Observatory.
Richard is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Australian Academy of Sciences, and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Medal of the Royal Society for his research achievements in cosmology and galaxy evolution.
One of the most highly-cited astronomers, he has recently published a semi-autobiographical account of the progress over his career in studying distant galaxies in 'When Galaxies Were Born: The Quest for Cosmic Dawn' which Richard will be signing and copies will be available to purchase on the night at a very special discounted price.

• DOORS OPEN: 6:30pm (£5 on the door)
• TALK STARTS: 7:00pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:00pm
• BOOK SIGNING: 8:30pm

Brighthink is a non-profit organisation, non of our invited speakers charge for their time, and proceeds from ticket sales go towards the running costs that allow us to put on these events for the public.