Talks and shows

Collision: Stories from the Science of CERN

Join Spencer Kelly, Steven Moffat, Margaret Drabble, Kristin Lohwasser and Connie Potter to explore the science stories of CERN.

Via DallE

Join renowned writers Steven Moffat and Margaret Drabble, alongside the physicist Kristin Lohwasser and Collision co-editor Connie Potter from CERN, as they embark on an intellectually exhilarating conversation led by the BBC’s Spencer Kelly that delves deep into the captivating world of particle physics.

This groundbreaking collaboration unites literary luminaries with physicists immersed in the awe-inspiring projects conducted at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Within the hallowed halls of this particle physics mecca, they unravel the mysteries of the universe, peel back the layers of reality, and voyage into the very essence of existence itself.

From the tantalising prospect of encountering antimatter aliens, who dance on the brink of our understanding of the cosmos, to the profound contemplation of the enigmatic enigma that is quantum mechanics, these erudite minds will traverse the vast expanse of scientific inquiry. They will explore these captivating scientific frontiers through the rigours of academic discourse and transcend into the realm of creative fiction and thought-provoking essays.

Their captivating discussion will reveal how their interactions with the brilliant scientists at CERN have ignited the fires of their imagination. These encounters have catalysed weaving intricate narratives and crafting profound essays bridging the gap between science and the human experience.

Prepare to embark on intellectual stimulation and artistic inspiration as they illuminate the boundless interplay between science and fiction, knowledge and creativity, and the profound interconnections that define our shared human experience.

Event type

This is a theatre only event where the speakers and audience are together in our Theatre.

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For any queries regarding this event please get in touch by phone 020 7409 2992 or email events@ri.ac.uk.

About the speakers

Spencer Kelly: Spencer Kelly is the BBC’s longest serving and most experienced technology presenter and journalist. He’s an internationally-known face of technology, and has hosted Click, the BBC’s worldwide Technology TV programme, since 2006. For more than 20 years he’s travelled the world, documenting how science and innovation is changing people’s lives. He also presents the BBC Radio 4 series Understand: Tech & AI.



Steven Moffat: Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as showrunner, writer and executive producer of the science fiction television series Doctor Who and the contemporary crime drama television series Sherlock, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.



Margaret Drabble: Margaret Drabble is the author of eighteen novels including A Summer Bird-Cage, The Millstone, The Peppered Moth, The Red Queen, The Sea Lady and the highly acclaimed The Pure Gold Baby. She has also written biographies, and screenplays and was the editor of the Oxford Companion to English Literature. She was also awarded the 2011 Golden PEN Award for a Lifetime's Distinguished Service to Literature.

Kristin Lohwasser: Kristin Lohwasser studied physics and journalism at the University of Dortmund before doing her PhD at the University of Oxford. As a researcher at the ATLAS experiment, she has lived and worked at CERN, Freiburg and Berlin before settling as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield. She has worked on measurements of the Higgs Boson and of W and Z bosons at the ATLAS detector as well as on Detector building and decommissioning. She has been involved in several outreach project, combining arts or literature and physics. 

Connie Potter: Connie Potter is a CERN staff member sharing her time between CERN communications and the ATLAS experiment. Wanting to share the excitement of physics that she experienced in ATLAS with the general public, she created CERN's ground-breaking Festival and Special Guest programmes, as well as ’non-traditional’ projects such as the Collision anthology, or fashion shoots on the CERN site. She produced the first Science Pavilion at Peter Gabriel's WOMAD festival in the UK in 2016 and now reaches over 20’000 people annually worldwide. 

Timing

Doors to the theatre will open at 6.45pm and the talk will begin at 7.00pm.

Accessibility

The event will take place on the first floor and there is step-free access from the street via lift.

The closest underground station is Green Park, which is step-free.

There is space at floor level in the theatre for wheelchair users.

Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at events@ri.ac.uk, and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing events@ri.ac.uk.

Our theatre is equipped with an Audio Induction Loop. 

Covid guidelines

Face masks are no longer mandatory and wearing one in our Theatre and at other Ri events is at your discretion, however please do not attend the Ri if you are displaying Covid symptoms or, if you have tested, the result remains positive. Thank you for respecting other people and their choices, and for helping us keep all of our visitors and staff safe and well.

Event terms and conditions