About us
Welcome to BRIGHTHINK, a non-profit organisation based in Brighton that hosts engaging and stimulating events all year round. We invite academics, journalists, authors and experts from around the UK, and beyond, to present talks on a wide range of fascinating and intriguing topics that will hopefully entertain, as well as challenge you.
If you want to know more about Brighthink visit us at our Website and sign up to our mailing list. You can also access and listen to an audio archive of previous events.
Upcoming events
4
- £12.00
OUR INCOMPLETE UNIVERSE: The Search for the Theory of Everything
The Grand Central, Brighton, 29-30 Surrey Street, Brighton, GBADVANCE TICKETS are available at EVENTBRITE.
For centuries, physics has transformed our understanding of the Universe. Newton’s laws described a world of predictable motion and absolute space and time; Einstein’s theory of relativity radically reshaped that picture, revealing space-time as dynamic, curved, and responsive to matter and energy. Yet alongside these successes sits a profound problem: the rules that govern the very small — quantum mechanics — refuse to fit comfortably with either framework.
This mismatch lies at the heart of some of the deepest open questions in modern physics. Is space-time fundamental or emergent? Is the Universe finite or infinite, and do the same laws apply everywhere? How should we understand randomness, chaos, and the origin and fate of the cosmos? In the search for a “Theory of Everything” — a framework capable of uniting relativity and quantum physics — ideas such as string theory, multiverses, and even simulated realities have emerged, blurring the line between well-tested science and informed speculation.Bringing together leading researchers Dr Katy Clough (Queen Mary), recognized for her pioneering work using advanced computational methods to investigate fundamental physics, and Toby Wiseman (Imperial), professor of theoretical physics, this conversation will explore where our current theories succeed, where they break down, and what these tensions reveal about the nature of reality.
The chair for this event is to be confirmed.
This event will take place upstairs in The Nightingale Room at The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access available at this venue.
- DOORS OPEN : 19:00
- TALK STARTS : 19:30
- AUDIENCE Q&A : 20:30
9 attendees - £12.00
THE DICE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: Dungeons & Dragons and the RPG Revolution
Wagner Hall Regency Road, Regency Road, Brighton BN1 2RT, GBAdvance tickets available at Eventbrite
We are hoping to widen the scope of topics that we cover at Brighthink and this is the first of many new event ideas for 2026.
From basement tables and hand-drawn maps to blockbuster video games and global streaming phenomena, Dungeons & Dragons didn’t just invent a game — it sparked a cultural revolution.
Join us on an adventure into the history, legacy, and enduring appeal of tabletop role-playing games, as we trace how their core ideas of imagination, cooperation, and storytelling laid the foundations for the digital worlds we now play in. Whether you rolled your first d20 decades ago or came to RPGs through Warhammer, World of Warcraft, or live-streaming, this is a chance to explore how a niche hobby became a cornerstone of modern gaming.
Our panel brings together a merry fellowship of voices from across the role-playing universe: James Bennison (Role Playing James), Adam Tinworth, writer and digital culture expert, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, game studies scholar, and Christoph Sebastian-Deterding, game designer and researcher.They will venture into how player-shaped narrative became a game design philosophy, how RPG mechanics migrated from the table to the screen, and they’ll explore how the hobby has shifted, welcoming more women and diverse voices - embracing stories that reflect all kinds of players.
Seasoned adventurers and curious newcomers are welcome on this quest as we map the past, present, and possible futures of RPGs - and why dice still matter in an age of algorithms.
1 attendee - £12.00
THE 21st CENTURY BRAIN with Dr Hannah Critchlow
The Grand Central, Brighton, 29-30 Surrey Street, Brighton, GBADVANCE TICKETS available at EVENTBRITE
(RSVP is £12 on the door, on the night)How do we nurture our own — and our children’s — brains so we can thrive amid rapid technological and societal change?
How do we not just survive, but flourish, in the age of AI?
Neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow invites us on a fascinating journey through the latest discoveries in brain science as she explores the ideas behind her new book, The 21st Century Brain. Drawing on cutting-edge research, she reveals why the skills that matter most in the decades ahead are curiosity, compassion, communication, courage and creativity.
Rather than competing with machines, she argues, we must lean into what makes us distinct — our capacity to collaborate, to intuit, to empathise and to imagine. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, our greatest advantage lies not in thinking more like machines, but in becoming more fully human.AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Hannah Critchlow is a neuroscientist, science communicator and a Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. Her research explores neuropsychiatric disorders and the biological basis of behaviour. She has presented numerous science documentaries for the BBC , and is the author of popular science books including Joined-Up Thinking and The Science of Fate.This event will take place upstairs in The Nightingale Room at The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access available at this venue.
- DOORS OPEN : 19:00
- TALK STARTS : 19:30
- AUDIENCE Q&A : 20:30
- BOOK SIGNING: 21:00
8 attendees
Past events
113
