BN Evening Lecture
Professor Richard Wiseman - Mind Magic: The psychology of the impossible
Date: Wednesday 07 May 2008
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BN evening lectures are co-hosted by the BNA |
Time: 6pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, Veterinary School, Southwell Street (venue details here)
Free wine reception
Free admission but you MUST PLEASE EMAIL B-N@BRISTOL.AC.UK to come.
For enquiries, contact Dr Anne Cooke.
For the past fifteen years, Professor Richard Wiseman has examined why people come to believe in impossible phenomena, and whether such beliefs are beneficial or harmful.
In this talk he explores the secret psychology employed by stage magicians, whether paranormal phenomena actually exist, and why some people consider themselves exceptionally lucky.
Come along to discover the science of sorcery, test your psychic ability, and explore the implications of this work for the public understanding of psychology.
Professor Richard Wiseman is based at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, and has gained an international reputation for research into quirky areas of psychology, including deception, humour, luck and the paranormal.
Professor Wiseman has written The Luck Factor a best selling book exploring the lives and minds of lucky people. His latest book, Quirkology, explores the curious science of everyday life, including the psychology of lying, love, and laughter.
A passionate advocate for science, Professor Wiseman is well known for his media appearances, high profile talks, live performances, and large scale studies. Over 1 million people have taken part in his mass participation experiments, and his YouTube channel 'Quirkology' has received over 5 million views. Professor Wiseman also regularly acts as a creative consultant for print, broadcast and new media.
I very much hope you can join us for both lecture and post-talk wine reception.
Free admission but you MUST PLEASE EMAIL B-N@BRISTOL.AC.UK to come.
BN evening lectures are co-hosted by the British Neuroscience Association, and take place three or four times a year. All lectures are followed by a chance for discussion, with wine and drinks provided.
BN evening lectures feature some of the top names in neuroscience today. Past speakers include
- 4th March 2004 - Professor V.S. Ramachandran, world-famous neurophysiologist, whose scientific curiosity in the patients he treats, combined with investigations designed to test his theories, has led to fresh insights into the human brain
- 15th March 2004 - Professor Richard Morris FRS, leading researcher on memory and learning, and what causes the loss of memory in dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
- 6th May 2004 - Professor Richard Frackowiak, the 2004/5 BNA president, whose research specialises in imaging the human brain
- 23rd September 2004 - Professor Ron de Kloet, holder of the prestigious Academy Professorship from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the first Lord Sainsbury lecturer for BN
- 3rd December 2004 - Professor Fran Ashcroft FRS, author of over 140 research papers on ion channels and an advocate for the public engagement of science, having written the popular science book 'Life at the Extremes' and chairing the Royal Society Summer Exhibition in 2001
- 25th March 2005 - Professor Colin Blakemore FRS, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council and highly respected for both his studies on brain development and his refusal to be intimidated by animal-rights activists even in the face of attacks on home and family
- 28th June 2005 - Professor Geoffrey Raisman FRS, holder of the British Neuroscience Association's Award for 'Outstanding contribution to British Neuroscience' in 2004, and recognised, amongst other scientific achievements, as the first to describe synaptic plasticity in the Central Nervous System, and a pioneer in developing Olfactory Ensheathing Cell technology for the repair of spinal cord injury.
- 21st November 2005 - Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, acclaimed researcher and popular science writer, whose theories on autism and how it relates to stereotypes of the male and female brain have provoked controversy and stimulated research in the field.
- 16th March 2006 - Professor Russell Foster, well-known in both academic and popular press for his research on the area of sleep/wake cycles and the impact of 'Our 24/7 World'.
- 30th May 2006 - Professor Richard Gregory FRS, emeritus professor with over 50 years of publishing scientific papers and classic texts delving into such challenging topics as the mind, consciousness and perception.
- 18th January 2007 - Professor Graham Collingridge FRS, newly appointed President of the British Neuroscience Association, speaking on his involvement in the public engagement of neuroscience via BNA, BA and EDAB: and his career studying how the brain makes and stores memories.
- 26th April 2007 - Dr Mark Lythgoe, Director of the new Biomedical Imaging Centre at UCL, Director of the Cheltenham Science Festival, and scientist-artist-communicator extraordinaire, held his audience enthralled as he spoke firstly on his latest MRI techniques, followed by whether we are born scientists or artists (or both?)
- 16th July 2007 - Professor Trevor Robbins FRS: included on a list of the 100 most cited neuroscientists, and having published nearly five hundred papers and co-edited three books in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, behavioural neuroscience and psychopharmacology, Professor Robbins is clearly a major figure in today's neuroscience research.
- 28th February 2008 - Professor Gary Lynch - international expert in the neurobiology of the GABA neurotransmitter receptors, Gary Lynch has attracted media attention through his development of drugs to combat dementia and, potentially, to enhance innate ability; so-called 'cognitive-enhancers'.
For more about past talks and events in BN, please click here.
Venue
The lecture will be held at the Kingsdown Conference Centre, School of Veterinary Sciences, Southwell Street. See the website for the Kingsdown Conference Centre for map and directions.
There is on-road parking on streets near the conference centre, although this is heavily used. The nearest public carpark is Trenchard Street carpark on Park Row (see map for carpark).
