What we’re about
INTRODUCTION BY THE GROUP ORGANISER, BOB
Cafe Science - Basingstoke is a not-for-profit group where anyone is welcome to explore the latest ideas in science, technology and climate change. As the organiser for the group, I now run the group diary from Norwich where I am based, so you will be very unlikely to see me at any in-person events.
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.
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 (4+)
See all- Gresham College: "How It Ends: What We Know about the Fate of the Universe"Conway Hall, London
This livestream is available online from Gresham College to Basingstoke Science subscribers.
ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.
More details and booking instructions on the Gresham web site:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/how-it-ends
SUMMARY
#### Part of:
The State of Our Universe
How will it all end? Predicting the far future of our Universe depends on understanding its present. This lecture starts with what seems to be a paradox in modern cosmology: that we have a model that does a fantastic job of explaining what we see, but which says 95% of the Universe is in forms (dark matter and dark energy) that we don’t understand. From there, we get a quick tour of the next 100 billion years – and speculate how the Universe’s end may hold the secrets of its beginnings.TIMING
The livestream will go live at 6.55pm, and the introduction 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.
- Winchester Skeptics: "What Makes Science Trustworthy?"Winchester Club, Winchester
The Winchester Skeptics in the Pub (SitP) invites Basingstoke Science Cafe members to their regular monthly talks at the Winchester Club in Winchester. The Hampshire Skeptics Society is a non-profit organisation for the promotion of science, reason and critical thinking.
Winchester SitP meetings are open to all regardless of beliefs and each month’s talk will be followed up with a challenging Q&A session.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT WINCHESTER SKEPTICS CAN BE FOUND ON THEIR WEB SITE.
https://www.hampshireskeptics.org/
The doors open at 7.00pm, and the talk will begin at 7.30pm.
Talks are usually (December is always an exception) on the 4th Wednesday of every month, at 7:00 for 7:30, at The Winchester Club in Winchester. Please take a look at the FAQs for more info.
Admission is £5 which also gives you an entry in the book raffle. We take cash and major cards (cards preferred).
SUMMARY
Science has transformed the quality of human life. But Philosophers have sometimes struggled to define what makes science, science.
In this talk Simon will consider this problem from an ethical perspective to show that rather than a topic of study, science is more an attitude to the world around us.
He will discuss how this attitude is promoted within current scientific processes to emphasise that although we can never be 100% sure about anything, there are things we can do to uncover reliable information and hopefully make better decisions.STANDARD STUFF
The event is in two parts – the talk and then a Q&A after the interval. We encourage you to support the venue by indulging in the available drinks before and during the event.You are also welcome to join us for a drink in the bar after the event.
SKEPTICS IN THE PUB ONLINE
SitP Online: Every 4th Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm UK time on Twitch. - Romsey Cafe Sci: "Rare earths - Facts and myths"Royal British Legion, Romsey
This in-person talk is available to Basingstoke Science subscribers.
ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.
Bookings will open 4 September
Please click HERE to reserve your place.Romsey Café Sci is taking its summer break and we would like to thank all our fantastic supporters for their enthusiasm and interest over the past year. We look forward to seeing you in the Autumn
Our next Café will be on Thursday September 25th 2025.
DETAILS
Subject: "Rare earths - Facts and myths "
Speaker: Phil Weaver
Venue: Royal British Legion, Love Lane, Romsey.
Doors open 19.00, talk starts 19.30
We ask for a donation of £5 per head (cash at the door please) to cover room hire and refreshments. - Royal Institution "The scientific mind of Leonardo Da Vinci"The Royal Institution, London
This livestream from the Royal Institution of Great Britain invites you to join the world's foremost expert on Da Vinci, Martin Kemp, who explores what made the great thinker unique.
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/scientific-mind-leonardo-da-vinci
SUMMARY
Da Vinci expert Martin Kemp explores why Leonardo da Vinci's revolutionary thinking remains startlingly relevant today. Discover how Leonardo saw humanity as integral to nature's design, viewing the human body as a "lesser world" mirroring the cosmos. Through his observations spanning anatomy, geology, optics, and engineering, we'll explore how he pioneered biomimicry, developed an "optics of uncertainty" that prefigures modern physics, and created the iconic Vitruvian Man. Unlike today's compartmentalised knowledge, Leonardo approached learning as a unified whole – knowledge as a branching tree where each discovery illuminated the entire forest. His "lateral seeing" and integration of art with science offer profound lessons for our complex 21st-century world, showing how refusing to separate disciplines might unlock our interconnected challenges.This talk is part of the finale of the Polymath Festival, curated by the DaVinci Network.
TIMING
The livestream will open at 6.55pm and the Discourse will start promptly at 7.00pm.If you register but miss the livestream, the video will normally 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.
