Science Saturdays 2021

For 2021 our free science talks were live-streamed to a global audience via Birkbeck's YouTube channel on Saturdays in May. We've gathered the videos here, along with blogs from the talks and topic resources, so you can catch up with any you missed and learn about research taking place at Birkbeck.

Our speakers were from our three science departments (Biological Sciences, Earth and Planetary Sciences and Psychological Sciences) and they spoke not only about their research, but also about their career paths. The talks reflected the cross-disciplinary nature of scientific research and highlighted the part played by creativity.

The National Saturday Club helped to make our inspiring talks available to students aged 13-16 across the UK – find out more about Saturday Club membership and their programme. Science Saturdays was a joint Me, Human and Birkbeck event.

Content from the talks

Blogs

May 15 Nature and Nurture: Dr Katherine Thompson's talk: Coughing up a lung, pollutants in our air - blogged by Tina Wright.
May 15 Nature and Nurture: Dr Emma Meaburn's talk: Differences in DNA: what makes you, you - blogged by Maria Pitharouli.

Topic resources guide

If you want to find out more about the topics covered in these talks, contact the Library who can provide online resources for each session:

May 1 - Life on Earth and Beyond: online resources guide
May 8 - The Microcosm: online resources guide
May 15 - Nature and Nurture: online resources guide
May 22 - Mind the Mind: online resources guide
May 29 - Becoming Human: online resources guide

Videos

Life on Earth and Beyond

[Video] Dr Phil Hopley: It's getting hot in here! Human evolution and climate change and Professor Ian Crawford: The search for intelligent life in the universe.

The Microcosm

[Video] Dr Giulia Zanetti: Get on board! Public transport inside our cells and Professor Adrian Shepherd: A war in vein? Antibodies versus viruses.

Nature and Nurture

[Video] Dr Emma Meaburn: Differences in DNA: what makes you, you and and Dr Katherine Thompson: Coughing up a lung: pollutants in our air.

Mind the Mind

[Video] Dr Simon Green: All in the mind: the biology and culture of psychiatric disorders and Dr Ute Liersch: Withstand the storm: making resilience work for you!

Becoming Human

[Video] Dr Gilly Forrester: Left brain, right brain: evolution of our divided brain and Dr Natasha Kirkham: Baby meets world: growing up in the middle of everything.