E
xeter research and innovation will be celebrated in a series of lectures starting next Tuesday.
Beginning with a talk by Dr Darren Schreiber on his upcoming book Your Brain is Built for Politics, the series will cover topics as diverse as biophotonics, bad decision-making and child soldiers, before concluding on Tuesday 8 March with a talk on medieval dragons.
All of this year’s lecturers were nominated by students who were inspired by their research. From the nominees, a panel of subject chairs chose the final line-up.
Dr Natalie Lawrence is a lecturer in translational medicine who was chosen to take part in Research Uncovered. She told Exeposé: “University of Exeter students are a very bright and very discerning bunch so it was very flattering and rewarding to be asked to deliver one of this year’s Research Uncovered lectures.”
“Anyone who’s ever tried to cut down on junk food or alcohol intake knows how hard this can be; in my lecture I’ll explain why this is and describe the promising online and smartphone ‘brain training’ apps we’ve developed to tackle these impulses. People will even be able to sign up and have a go for themselves!”
Professor Daniel Ogden, who is also taking part, said of his research topic: “We know that dragons have been at the heart of people’s imaginary world in Europe and the Near East for at least 4,000 years – and possibly for at least 6,000 in China: no wonder they still have the power to speak very directly to us.
“The story I’ll be telling in my lecture is precisely that: how the very particular image of the dragon we share today in the West developed out of the Ancient World’s variety, which was fundamentally just a big snake, albeit already a fiery one.”
All lectures will be held at 6:30pm at XFI Lecture theatre.
The full line-up:
- Your Brain is Built for Politics
- Why do Intelligent and Experienced Groups Make Poor Decisions?
- Apps for Addiction?
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Children at War: Child Soldiers
and International Humanitarianism in Africa - The Birth of the Medieval Dragon
