Public events at the Congress
The 24th International Congress of History of Science, Technology and Medicine is the largest-ever event of its kind: a week-long meeting of over 1600 researchers working to uncover how the sciences, engineering, mathematics, medicine and healthcare have shaped our world – and how the world has shaped them.
Talking and listening to public audiences has become increasingly important to specialist researchers in recent years. Throughout the week of the Congress, there will be public events ranging from HSTM-themed entertainment to debates and discussions on issues that have shaped the scientific past and present. All are welcome to attend: some events are ticketed, as described below. We hope to see you soon!
Monday 22 July
The Turing Machine Opera, with Decode/Recode
The UK première of the multimedia opera exploring the life and work of the iconic computer theorist Alan Turing, devised by Ooppera Skaala of Helsinki. The intimate and intense opera for two singers and one dancer weaves together soaring, emotionally charged vocal lines with atmospheric ambient soundscapes and sampled electronic rhythms, set off by stunning 3D graphics.
Before the performance, guests will be given an opportunity to take part in Decode/Recode, a collective media performance featuring interactive artworks, sound, lights, performers and VJs.
Capitol Theatre, Oxford Road, 18:15–20:00.
Tickets £15 (£10 for registered Congress delegates), and must be reserved in advance. Please contact boxoffice@ichstm2013.com with your name, contact details, and number of tickets required.
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Tuesday 23 July
Strange ice
Though you will find it in every refrigerator in the world, water ice is a material so strange that it breaks almost every rule in our textbooks. Chemist Andrea Sella delves into the intriguing world of ice, inspecting its properties and how it compares to other ices. Along the way we’ll see how we came realize how little we really know about its structure, and wonder whether it may warn of a future much less certain than we imagine…
Lecture Theatre G51, Chemistry Building, Brunswick Street, University of Manchester, 16:00–17:30.
FREE EVENT, sponsored by the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry. No need to book: just turn up!
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The Turing Machine Opera, with Decode/Recode
See Monday.
Capitol Theatre, Oxford Road, 18:15–20:00.
Tickets £15 (£10 for registered Congress delegates), and must be reserved in advance. Please contact boxoffice@ichstm2013.com with your name, contact details, and number of tickets required.
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Victorian science spectacular
Roll up, roll up! What futuristic marvels amused the Victorians and Edwardians? A band of time-travelling professors present the cutting edge of science and technology from over a century ago.
Be amazed and diverted by our phonograph, magic lantern, ‘animated photographs’, and chemical and electrical experiments from the 1800s. How have attitudes to innovation and the future changed since then? And how far has the Victorian blend of education with entertainment stayed with us? Suitable for ages 12+.
Portico Library, Mosley Street, 19:30–21:00.
Tickets £5 / children, students and retired FREE, available on the door or in advance via eventbrite.
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Wednesday 24 July
Chemists, brewers and beer doctors
A public talk for the public house. Historian of brewing science James Sumner shows off chemical techniques of ‘beer-doctoring’ from the turn of the nineteenth century, and reveals why scientific innovation wasn’t always too popular where the pints of the populace were involved. Plus, a mercifully un-demonstrated explanation of why leading chemical authorities recommended dosing beer with rotten fish.
Jabez Clegg, 20.00–20.45. FREE EVENT. No need to book: just turn up!
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Bright Club
Bright Club is the comedy gig where university lecturers and researchers try their hand at stand-up for the first time. Whereas most academics will see their work published in leading journals, others will always remember the brilliant stories they could tell in front of their peers. The Manchester Congress provides the first opportunity for the first ever history of science, technology and medicine Bright Club: come along and find out more.
Jabez Clegg, Portsmouth Street (off Oxford Road), 21:00–22:30. Tickets £3 (£2 for registered Congress delegates), available on the door.
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Thursday 25 July
Dave Haslam, Haçienda DJ
The Haçienda night club was central to the acid house and rave scenes of the late 1980s and 1990s which radically transformed popular perceptions of the city, as stock visions of grimy Cottonopolis gave way to the vibrant, confident and chemically altered ‘Madchester’. Dave Haslam made over 450 appearances at the Haçienda, from 1986 to the venue’s final night in 1997, and has performed in Detroit, Berlin, Zurich, Ibiza, New York, Lima, and Geneva. Tonight, he presents a tour of the world of the Haçienda through its landmark tunes.
Jabez Clegg, Portsmouth Street (off Oxford Road), 21:00–23:00. Tickets £10 (£5 for registered Congress delegates), available on the door.
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Friday 26 July
Dingle Prize lecture: David Wright, Downs: the history of a disability
Professor David Wright won the 2013 Dingle Prize, awarded by the British Society for the History of Science for the best book in the field aimed at a non-specialist audience. At this event, he will talk about his research on the history of Down’s syndrome, and the writing and reception of the winning book, followed by a question-and-answer session.
18:00–19:30, venue to be confirmed (nb NOT the Sackville Street Building as previously indicated).
FREE EVENT, sponsored by the British Society for the History of Science Outreach and Education Committee. No need to book: just turn up!
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The tables turned: Victorian séance event
It is 1860, and a meeting of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society has been convened to hear evidence by two eminent scientists, a poet and a journalist on their experiences of attending a séance. The audience is asked to consider evidence on the truth of such phenomena as table turning, the question of whether scientists should be called upon to judge such events and the reasons why little consensus emerged about the truth of spiritualism in the nineteenth century.
Come along to see a staging of the event, join in the role-play exercise and participate in discussion about exploring potentially difficult epistemological issues with non-specialist audiences.
Portico Library, Mosley Street, 19:30–21:00.
Tickets £5 / children, students and retired FREE, available on the door or in advance via eventbrite.
More information about this event