There is a long history of debate about biological sex differences and their part in determining gender roles. In this talk, Professor Gina Rippon debunks bad science and discusses the real breakthroughs in our understanding of the human brain.

Skeptics in the Pub, Oxford

Gina Rippon: Blame the brain - How neurononsense joined psychobabble to keep women in their place

Water may seem the most ordinary of substances, but you would be surprised at how profoundly strange it is. Alok Jha explains how it has shaped life on earth, and how this molecule connects you and everyone else to the birth (and death) of the universe.

Alok Jha: The extraordinary story of water, our most ordinary substance

Science and philosophy are both brilliant and they'd both be even more brilliant if they could talk like grown-ups. Philosopher, writer and stand-up comedian Charlie Duncan Saffrey attempts to get better dialogue going between the two disciplines.

Charlie Duncan Saffrey: Why scientists should listen to philosophers

The media love to sensationalise the dangers of illicit drug use, whilst downplaying the harms from legal drugs. Dr Suzi Gage discusses the scientific understanding of the harms, and also potential benefits of recreational drugs, both illegal and legal.

Suzi Gage: No Turn Unstoned - The harms and benefits of recreational drugs

How can we make companies, politicians, commentators and official bodies accountable for the claims they make? Chris Peters talks about the Ask for Evidence campaign and how you can get involved.

Chris Peters: Ask for Evidence - Sense About Science

Michael Marshall highlights how much money is spent on homeopathic remedies, how this gives undeserved credibility to homeopathy, how such remedies can lead to genuine harm and what you can do to help.

Michael Marshall: Homeopathy in the UK - The NHS and beyond

Dr Sylvia McLain talks about the history of science and its culture and the rise and fall of theories and laws and discusses what science means to us in the modern age.

Sylvia McLain: Science! What does is really mean to be scientific?

Physicist and science journalist Dr. David Robert Grimes discusses the problems in reporting science from misunderstandings to bad statistics to false balance, and how such problems can be remedied.

David Robert Grimes: Lies, damned lies and statistics - How we get science coverage wrong

Sarah Kendrew gives an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble, and the exciting science it will do after launch. She talks about where the mission is right now, from her personal involvement in one the instruments onboard.

Sarah Kendrew: The James Webb Space Telescope - From the first galaxies to the origins of life

Simon Clare, an unabashed atheist, signed up to his local Alpha Course in Brighton, wondering if his faithlessness would be challenged. Spoiler: He wasn't converted but he was surprised at what he learnt about faith.

Simon Clare: An atheist's guide to the Alpha Course

Michael Marshall shows what happens when you begin to crack the surface of the pseudosciences that surround us – revealing the surprising, sometimes-shocking and often-comic adventures that lie beneath.

Michael Marshall: Lifting The Lid - Ongoing adventures in the world of pseudoscience

Martin Robbins talks about his visits to homeopathic projects in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Martin Robbins: Bad Science in the Developing World - Trailing homeopaths in East Africa

Lloyd Chapman examines the successes of foreign aid and the dramatic impact they have for the overall success of aid.

Lloyd Chapman: Aid works (on average)

Studying comedy offers us fascinating insights and important possibilities. The talk will explore a path through evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, health care, pedagogy, cultural anthology and the performing arts.

Tim Miles: No laughing matter? Why comedy is important to higher education

The discovery of the Higgs boson was the culmination of the largest experiment ever run, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. But what is a Higgs boson? How was it found? And what will the LHC do next?

Jon Butterworth: Smashing Physics - News from the energy frontier

Thinking and drinking. That is the unlikely goal of our meeting. Each month we invite a speaker to talk about an area of belief and to invite critical debate. We encourage skeptical thought and we enjoy challenging discussions.

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Skeptics in the Pub, Oxford

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