Three members of the Department of Computer Science will be giving talks at Pint of Science, a festival that “aims to deliver interesting and relevant talks on the latest science research in an accessible format to the public – mainly across bars and pubs.”

From today to Wednesday, there will be differently themed talks (two per evening, £4/ticket) in three pubs across the city. There is also a special Knowledge Cabaret session in The Edge on Wednesday.

 

3D photography: from the Victorians to Virtual Reality

Dr Christian Richardt (Lecturer)

Monday, 15 May 2017, 19:30–21:30, The Huntsman

3D photography might at first seem like a rather modern achievement. However the basic technology was actually developed in the early Victorian era, and it enjoyed great popularity between the 1860s and the 1920s. Nowadays, 3D photography is seeing a resurgence of interest that is fuelled by recent advances in virtual reality. Join Christian on this journey through time and find out how Victorian technology inspires today’s 3D videos.

 

Are we slow, or are we human?

Dr Leon Watts (Senior Lecturer)

Tuesday, 16 May 2017, 19:30–21:30, The Huntsman

Mechanisation is probably as old as humanity – from stones and sticks to the spinning wheel, through steam to diesel and nuclear power, through electricity to ephemeral information and the world wide web. Our efficient tools, for speeding up our work. But what about our robots? What should we expect of them? Keep your dance card open and join Leon as he blurs the line between humanity and technology.

 

Is your “pint” half empty or half full?

Tayfun Esenkaya (PhD Researcher)

Wednesday, 17 May 2017, 19:30–21:30, Bath Function Rooms

It’s almost the end of a warm day in May and you’ll already have drunk half a pint, enjoying beautiful conversations about science. And now, we will explore how seeing, hearing, tasting and smelling affect our decisions and beliefs, creating multi-sensory worlds and experiences. We will race prunes and lemons (hopefully agree on a winner too!), talk about invisible spheres and cubes, and learn how to “see” with our ears and tongues.