Reading Cafe Scientifique: Starfish before they were star-shaped

Links to the local STEAM Groups + Social Media Link Tree

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.

7:00pm Arrivals
7:30pm Welcome and Introductions
7:35pm Starfish before they were star-shaped (Lucy Jackson - University of Reading)
8:20pm Comfort Break
8:30pm Q&A
9:00pm Networking
9:30pm End

Starfish before they were star-shaped (Lucy Jackson - University of Reading)

Starfish and sea urchins are star-shaped marine invertebrates called echinoderms. How they evolved this unique symmetry is a mystery. We can find fossil ancestors of modern starfish and close relatives in rocks as far back as 520 million-years ago, some of which were not star-shaped at all and instead had bizarre, asymmetrical body plans that would not look out of place in an alien world. This talk will introduce you to some of the strangest of these fossils, discussing how they lived and how current palaeontological research is using them to piece together the early evolution of echinoderms.

Lucy is a second-year PhD student at the University of Reading and Natural History Museum, London, and is an Associate Researcher at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Her background is in Geology and she received an MEarthSci in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford in 2024. Lucy's research investigates the early evolution of starfish and their relatives. She uses CT-scanning to study 500-million-year-old fossils from museums around the world and applies computational methods to understand how fossil species were related to each other. Alongside her research, she is involved with a wide range of teaching and public events relating to palaeobiology across her affiliated institutions.

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 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)