Wrexham Darganfod/Discovery Science Festival

Vic will be talking at the Wrexham Darganfod/Discovery Science Festival this Satuday (27th October): https://darganfod-discover.com/2018/09/20/big-ideas/

From the website …

27.10.2018

17:30 – 21:30

Tŷ Pawb, LL13 8BB

12+

£10

Tickets//Tocynnau >>> http://darganfod-discover.eventbrite.com/

Insights from the frontiers of science, featuring:

• ‘Our Future with ‘Artificial’ ‘Intelligence’?‘ – Vic Grout (Professor of Computing Futures, Wrexham Glyndwr Uni)
• ‘Science versus Ghosts’ – Rachel Mason (Associate Director, Science Made Simple)
• ‘Just Another Ape? Why a good understanding of human evolutionary history helps us understand behaviour and choices.‘ – Adam Caris (Evolutionary Psychologist)
• ‘Discovery without Boundaries: Experiments in Art and Science’ – Bryony Benge-Abbott (Public Engagement Manager, Exhibitions, Francis Crick Institute)

And live accompaniment from the NEW Sinfonia Quartet with music inspired by the heavens.

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Cipolygon i derfynau eithaf gwyddoniaeth, yn cynnwys:

• ‘Our Future with ‘Artificial’ ‘Intelligence’?‘ – Vic Grout (Athro Dyfodol Cyfrifiadura, Prifysgol Glyndwr, Wrecsam)
• ‘Science versus Ghosts’ – Rachel Mason (Cyfarwyddwr ‘Science Made Simple’)
• ‘Just Another Ape? Why a good understanding of human evolutionary history helps us understand behaviour and choices.‘ – Adam Caris (Seicolegydd Esblygiadol, Sw Caer)
• ‘Discovery without Boundaries: Experiments in Art and Science’ – Bryony Benge-Abbott (Rheolwr Ymgysylltu â’r Cyhoedd, Arddangosfeydd, sefydliad Francis Crick)

Oll i gyd-fynd gyda cherddoriaeth glasurol gan The NEW Sinfonia Quartet yn perfformio cerddoriaeth fyw wedi ei hysbrydoli gan y nefoedd.

About // Amdanom

Vic Grout

Vic Grout has degrees in mathematics and engineering, and has worked as a computer scientist and Internet specialist. He currently researches, “worries about”, the effects of emerging technology in the wider social, political, ethical, environmental, economic, legal and demographic framework. After 400 research papers and four books, his debut sci-fi novel, ‘Conscious’, was published last year.

 

On Vic’s talk: ‘Artificial’ ‘Intelligence’? So firstly, do we really understand what either word means? Then what does our future look like with AI working around us, for us, and perhaps even instead of us? What will the hardware and software really be able to do? Is there anything it can’t? For good or bad, what do we have to look forward to as machines get ‘better than us’? And exactly whose good or bad will that be? Prepare for a ‘warts ‘n’ all’ look into our technological future!

Rachel Mason

More information coming soon! // Mwy o wybodaeth yn dod yn fuan!

Bryony Benge-Abbott

Bryony Benge-Abbott comes from an art and heritage background, having undertaken an undergraduate degree in fine art at Bath Spa University and an MA in museology at the University of East Anglia, before working as curator and project manager at organisations such as The Women’s Library, Brent Museum, Wellcome and the V&A Museum of Childhood. Since joining the Francis Crick Institute to set up its exhibition programme in 2016, Bryony has delivered four art/science collaborations, alongside of which her own artistic practice has become increasingly influenced by the relationship between the two disciplines. She curated the current exhibition Deconstructing patterns: art and science in conversation.

On Bryony’s talk: Discovery without boundaries: Experiments in art and science
What is the value of bringing science and art together, to the artist, scientist and wider public? Can these collaborations ever meaningfully inform the practice of both disciplines? What barriers still need to be broken down?
Recent art/science experiments at the Crick, a new biomedical research institute with a distinct focus on interdisciplinarity, provide the opportunity to reflect on some of these big questions circulating the sci-art world. As curator of ‘Deconstructing Patterns: Art and Science in Conversation’, Bryony shares her experiences of some of the challenges and opportunities to be found in providing space for artists and scientists to co-create.

Adam Caris

Adam is a lone wolf, who after drifting aimlessly around the world for many years has now happily washed ashore in the Wrexham area. His last decade has been mostly spent studying the science of climate change, human origins and whether or not our love of fire and honey is responsible for the entire human race being what it is today. Recently Adam has been busy connecting people with our native wildlife, eating lots of honey, and trying to perfect the art of bug hotel building.

On Adam’s talk: Humans often think of ourselves as very different to other animals with ‘unique’ abilities such as language and tool use. However, as any visitor to a zoo that houses Chimpanzees, Gorillas or Orang-utans will tell you, we have an awful lot of things in common with other animals and especially our closest ‘cousins’. In fact it appears that the more we know about our evolutionary history (both before and after our most recent ‘split’ about six million years ago) the more we can understand the behaviours and choices we display every day in our own lives. This includes our body language, our dietary choices and even the kinds of environments that we feel comfortable and relaxed or nervous and unhappy in. In this talk, specially designed for non-academics, evolutionary psychology is used to help explain things like society’s current obesity crisis and wave of mental health issues as well as our love of honey and why we like walking in a park.

NEW Sinfonia

Established in 2011 by Robert and Jonathan Guy, the NEW Sinfonia is a professional freelance orchestra based in North Wales that is creating performance opportunities for outstanding professional young musicians. The team of players comes from across North Wales and beyond and can boast that as well as having studied in some of the world’s leading music conservatoires; they have also performed in some of the best known international orchestras and festivals.