Events

Darwin Day Lecture Being You: the new science of consciousness with Professor Anil Seth 'Human consciousness is just about the last surviving mystery', so said philosopher Daniel Dennett. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? And why do we experience life in the first person? Charles Darwin reasoned that there is a unity of all living things. That unity, he reckoned, applies not just to bodies but also to minds. Scientists continue to debate the question of exactly how the brain (a biological organ) gives rise to a mind (with its intangible mental processes). Anil Seth will open up some of these ideas in his exploration of being you. He will challenge your understanding of perception and reality, and turn what you thought you knew about yourself, on its head. World-renowned neuroscientist Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and self. Full details: https://www.meetup.com/bristol-humanists/events/297640024/ Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/604068

Clare Reddaway launches her gorgeous and gentle novel, Dancing in the Shallows at the Clifton Library. 6.30 for a 7pm start. All details in the link below. We are so looking forward to hearing from Clare about the book and will have a bookstall at the event. 'She's had this feeling before. This feeling of marking time. Of pressing her nose against a window and watching as everyone else lives their best lives.'Isla Wintergreen has not seen her grandfather since she was seven, but when she unexpectedly inherits his cottage on the Isle of Skye, she cannot resist the opportunity to escape her purposeless life. As she slowly becomes a part of the island community, she learns more about the family she never really knew - from her estranged father, to her reclusive grandfather, and her intelligent but oppressed great-grandmother. Meanwhile, her mother Cathy reflects on her own past. Mother and daughter both hope to find new freedom - but can family patterns ever really be broken?Told through the lives of four generations of Isla's family, all linked by their connection to water, 'Dancing in the Shallows' masterfully explores family relationships and generational inheritance.

We will be the booksellers at the launch of Crypt at St George's, Bristol. You can buy tickets from their website: https://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/whats-on/alice-roberts-crypt/ Tickets are selling quickly! After a sell-out tour in 2022, Professor Alice Roberts returns to launch her new book, Crypt. This final instalment of her highly-acclaimed trilogy explores the experience of life, death and disease in the Middle Ages and beyond. Alice looks at the archaeological evidence for terrible brutality directed at an ethnic minority in medieval England, she explores the impact of incurable epidemics sweeping through Europe and looks at how modern science is unlocking secrets from the watery grave of the Mary Rose shipwreck. She also reveals how archaeogenetic research is uncovering cryptic clues and shedding new light on diseases such as leprosy, syphilis and the plague. Professor Alice Roberts’ charismatic and engaging style has captivated audiences from all backgrounds for over two decades. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to join her for a fascinating evening, learn more about her latest book and even bag yourself a signed copy!