Skeptics in the Pub, Oxford

There is a long history of debate about biological sex differences and their part in determining gender roles. In this talk, Professor Gina Rippon debunks bad science and discusses the real breakthroughs in our understanding of the human brain.

Water may seem the most ordinary of substances, but you would be surprised at how profoundly strange it is. Alok Jha explains how it has shaped life on earth, and how this molecule connects you and everyone else to the birth (and death) of the universe.

Science and philosophy are both brilliant and they'd both be even more brilliant if they could talk like grown-ups. Philosopher, writer and stand-up comedian Charlie Duncan Saffrey attempts to get better dialogue going between the two disciplines.

The media love to sensationalise the dangers of illicit drug use, whilst downplaying the harms from legal drugs. Dr Suzi Gage discusses the scientific understanding of the harms, and also potential benefits of recreational drugs, both illegal and legal.

How can we make companies, politicians, commentators and official bodies accountable for the claims they make? Chris Peters talks about the Ask for Evidence campaign and how you can get involved.

Michael Marshall highlights how much money is spent on homeopathic remedies, how this gives undeserved credibility to homeopathy, how such remedies can lead to genuine harm and what you can do to help.

Dr Sylvia McLain talks about the history of science and its culture and the rise and fall of theories and laws and discusses what science means to us in the modern age.

Physicist and science journalist Dr. David Robert Grimes discusses the problems in reporting science from misunderstandings to bad statistics to false balance, and how such problems can be remedied.

Sarah Kendrew gives an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble, and the exciting science it will do after launch. She talks about where the mission is right now, from her personal involvement in one the instruments onboard.

Simon Clare, an unabashed atheist, signed up to his local Alpha Course in Brighton, wondering if his faithlessness would be challenged. Spoiler: He wasn't converted but he was surprised at what he learnt about faith.

Michael Marshall shows what happens when you begin to crack the surface of the pseudosciences that surround us – revealing the surprising, sometimes-shocking and often-comic adventures that lie beneath.

Martin Robbins talks about his visits to homeopathic projects in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Lloyd Chapman examines the successes of foreign aid and the dramatic impact they have for the overall success of aid.

Studying comedy offers us fascinating insights and important possibilities. The talk will explore a path through evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, health care, pedagogy, cultural anthology and the performing arts.

The discovery of the Higgs boson was the culmination of the largest experiment ever run, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. But what is a Higgs boson? How was it found? And what will the LHC do next?

Award-winning journalist John Sweeney tells the story of his investigation of the Church of Scientology

The president of the Indian Rationalist Association challenges the gurus and godmen who have such a pervasive influence in society.

The Little Atoms Road Trip: A Scientific Odyssey across America

What every parent needs to know about Steiner Schools: Anthroposophy and Spiritual Science

Our investment in science is woefully small compared to the scale of the problems it's trying to solve. Dr Andrew Steele explains why our miniscule spending on science doesn't make sense, and why it's vital that we make science funding a political issue.

What is nothing? Why should nothing matter? Ronald Green talks about nothing and how it has been explored in history, philosophy, religion, science, art, literature and music.

What is Optimism? And, is it really good for us? Elaine will discuss the nature of “rainy brains” and “sunny brains” asking where these fundamental differences in how we see the world actually come from.

Dr Evan Harris, the former Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon, talks about the Leveson Inquiry and Hacked Off, a “campaign for a free and accountable press.”