Science Week 2026
Our 2026 Science Week programme included talks on the microscopic interactions in deep time geology and the world of bacteria; a conversation with Matthew Longo, Birbeck鈥檚 Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, about his new book The Invisible Hand, and the practical uses of space-filling curves in mathematical objects.
Each evening also saw the awarding of three Science PhD prizes to exceptional early career researchers from each School, alongside poster exhibitions and lab tours.
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15 June 2026
The School of Natural Sciences presents Dr Keyron Hickman-Lewis and Dr Brian Ho:
Note: this recording starts with a PhD student presentation which lasts about 12 minutes.
Dr Keyron Hickman-Lewis discusses how we reconstruct interactions between microbial life and the environment in deep time, focusing on examples of microbial fossils from more than 3 billion years ago, from the geological records of South Africa and Western Australia.
Dr Brian Ho will explore 鈥渨arfare in the bacterial world鈥. While learning to survive in some of Earth鈥檚 harshest environments, bacteria have also established themselves in the animal gut: a place where they are shielded from harmful radiation, surrounded by plentiful nutrients and in a stable temperature.
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16 June 2026
The School of Psychological Sciences presents Professor Matthew Longo:
Note: this recording starts with a PhD student presentation which lasts about 12 minutes.
In The Invisible Hand Professor Longo discusses the neural and cognitive mechanisms that transform a seemingly ordinary physical appendage into an extraordinary tool shaping human culture and technology.
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18 June 2026
The School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences presents Dr David Weston:
Space-filling curves are surprising mathematical objects that challenge our common-sense notion of what a curve is. The best-known examples can be built from visually simple repeating patterns. Dr Weston explains how these curves are constructed and show why they are useful in many practical areas of computing.