
The 2020 Cambridge Science Festival takes place from 9 – 22 March 2020. The Festival, now in its 26th year, examines our past and suggests a vision for the future. Some of the world’s greatest scientists, alongside the stars of the future, examine how science is changing our world. Read on for a selection of Language Sciences related talks at this year's festival.
To book, visit www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk. Bookings open 10 February at 11am.
Monday 9 March
AI and society: the thinking machines
7:30PM - 8:30PM: MON 9 MAR
Drones, driverless cars, films portraying robots that look and think like humans… Today, intelligent machines are present in almost all walks of life. So it is not surprising that people are wondering about our future and asking questions like: will artificial intelligence be superior to the human brain? Dr Mateja Jamnik, Computer Laboratory, answers this question from a scientific perspective and talks about building AI systems that capture some of our informal and intuitive human thinking.
Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, 8 Mill Lane, CB2 1RX
Wednesday 11 March
AI mythbusting: separating science fact from fiction
6PM – 7PM: WED 11 MAR
Hype around Artificial Intelligence, big data, and machine learning has reached a fever pitch. Yet for all of their promise, there remains a lot of confusion about what these things mean and what they can actually do. Join Dr Jennifer Cobbe, Department of Computer Science and Technology, and Dr Christopher Markou, Faculty of Law, as they debunk some of the biggest myths around AI today
Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, 8 Mill Lane, CB2 1RX
CBU vision night: looking at the brain
6PM - 8:30PM: WED 11 MAR
An evening at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (MRC CBU) exploring research in psychology and neuroscience through practical hands-on activities and experiments followed by some short talks.
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, CB2 7EF
Saturday 14 March
How is tech changing how we work, think and feel?
7:30PM - 9PM: SAT 14 MAR
Tyler Shores, Faculty of Education, Anu Hautalampi, Head of Social Media, and colleagues discuss the impact of online technology in our everyday habits and behaviours. They take a look at current and near-present mainstream technology to better understand how we think about data and communication.
Jesus College, Frankopan Hall , Jesus Lane, CB5 8BQ
Looking, learning and language
10AM - 2PM: SAT 14 MAR
Make things happen with your eye movements and brainwaves! Join us at the Centre for Neuroscience in Education and find out how we use this technology to study how babies learn language.
Department of Psychology, Teaching Laboratory, Downing Street, CB2 3EB
Mobile teaching kitchens: a community-led food revolution in India
11AM - 1PM: SAT 14 MAR
India faces many challenges in improving food security. Obvious issues like drought are intertwined with a complex socio-economic landscape. Community-led education is one way to overcome these challenges. Visit the TIGR2ESS Mobile Teaching Kitchen and taste one possible vision of India’s food future.
Barnwell Baptist Church, Howard Road, CB5 8QS
Monday 16 March
The adolescent brain
7:30PM - 8:30PM: MON 16 MAR
Adolescence is often characterised by behaviours that seem irrational, such as excessive risk-taking and impulsivity. Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Department of Psychology, suggests these behaviours can be interpreted as adaptive and rational given that a key developmental goal is to mature into an independent adult, while navigating a social world that is unstable and changing.
Babbage Lecture Theatre, (Through the Pembroke Archway), New Museums Site Downing Street, CB2 3RS
Saturday 21 March
Linquiztics
3PM - 6PM: SAT 21 MAR
Join Dr Melanie Bell, Dr Michelle Sheehan and colleagues for some linguistically themed fun and games for all the family. Play your favourite gameshows - Blockbusters, Family Fortunes and Who Wants to be a Milllionaire - and learn a little about human language in the process!
Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, CB1 1PT