At New Scientist Live you can experience the latest technology first-hand.
Tim Body
New Scientist Live, the world’s biggest festival of ideas and discovery, will be held at the ExCeL in London from Saturday 12th to Sunday 13th October, with a Schools Day also taking place on Monday 14th October. It’s a fantastic line-up with over 60 speakers, five stages and a wide range of exhibitors and experiences. Whatever your interest – artificial intelligence, bizarre animals, cutting-edge astrophysics or the best foods for brain health – there’s something to entertain and educate you on, with eight members of New Scientist Live to help you discover the best ideas and discoveries for your brain. New Scientist The entire editorial team is looking forward to it.
Chelsea White and Leah Crain tinker with the universe onstage
Leah Crane
Senior Reporter
This is my fifth New Scientist Live and each one has been great fun. What I’m most looking forward to is on Sunday Chelsea White and I will be doing a live episode of the podcast. New ScientistDead Planets Society. It’s a slightly quirky podcast that takes outlandish hypotheses about how we tinker with the universe and puts them under the scrutiny of real science with the help of special guests who are real scientists. This year we’ll be playing an interactive game where we destroy the universe, which should be a ton of fun. Apart from that, I’m looking forward to meeting robots and hearing lots of stories outside of my usual field of expertise, from dinosaur behavior to the evolution of free will.
Chris Thorogood unravels the mysterious mystery Rafflesia and the ongoing efforts to save them.
Chris Thorogood
Rowan Hooper
Podcast Editor
Two-fifths of the world’s plants are threatened with extinction, but most people are unaware of the problem due to so-called “plant blindness.” Chris Thorogood, Deputy Director of Oxford Botanic Garden, is on a mission to raise plant awareness and restore our eyesight. On New Scientist Live, I’m excited to hear him talk about his epic expedition to Indonesia to investigate one of the world’s rarest plants. RafflesiaAlso known as the foul-smelling corpse lily, this plant produces the world’s largest flower (up to one metre in diameter) that gives off the smell of rotting flesh. It has no roots or leaves and lives as a parasite on a host plant, flowering when it needs to reproduce. Rafflesia is a conman and a thief and I would love to hear more about it.
Tim Body
Image Editor
I’m a cat person, but I’m really excited about Rachel Casey’s talk on the important role dogs play in our lives. I’ll be supplementing that with David Robson’s talk on the laws of social connection and all things human. David continues to do great work with his sensitive and moving writing. New Scientist About the psychological barriers that affect relationships and our daily lives.
I can’t wait either New Scientist Staffers Bethan Ackerley and Alison Flood will be joining former editor Emily Wilson on a panel to discuss “The Greatest Science Fiction Novel of All Time” on the always-engaging Engage Stage. We expect some belly laughs and some pretty intense action. Apart from the talks and panels, I’m intrigued (and a little scared) by the Incredible Oceans experience, which will allow me to get up close and personal with giants of the ocean.
Kimberly Wilson gives details on what foods to eat to boost brain health
Kimberly Wilson
Carissa Wong
Health Reporter
I’m looking forward to hearing Kimberly Wilson’s talk on what to eat to boost brain health and Venki Ramakrishnan’s insights on why we die. After that, it will be a tough choice between David Spiegelhalter’s talk on how uncertainty affects our lives and Adam Rutherford’s talk on human origins and how science can be a weapon against racism. I’m also looking forward to hosting the Mind and Body stage on Sunday, where Camilla Nord will discuss the science of mental health and Robin Dunbar and his colleagues will discuss the psychology of group dynamics. Human behavior is always interesting.
Obomate Briggs
Trainee Video Producer
I’m looking forward to the talks at Future Stage this year, particularly Christopher French’s exploration of abnormal psychology. It’s an area I’ve never heard of, but as an avid watcher of paranormal shows and films, I’m fascinated by the idea that science can explain seemingly supernatural occurrences. Christopher promises to shed light on how psychological factors influence our perception of unusual experiences, and it will be interesting to see him analyse examples of spooky occurrences.
On the same stage will be a talk by Ahn Kok-seon, who will compare and contrast the media portrayal of forensic science with the reality. Silent WitnessI’m excited to find out if I’ll be disappointed or pleased with my choice.
Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan will speak about understanding why we age and die at this year’s New Scientist Live.
Jeff Morgan 10/Alamy
Alexandra Thompson
News Editor Assistant
This will be my third time attending New Scientist Live and I am excited to host the Mind and Body stage on a school day. I will be there as a guest over the weekend and will definitely hear Nobel Prize winner Venki Ramakrishnan explain why humans die and what we can do about it. And it will be interesting to hear Kevin Mitchell’s take on the never-ending debate of whether humans really have free will… but would I really choose to attend his talk? I will also hear Vincent Deary explain the need for rest and relaxation while I race around the show stage and other experiences, preferably on a rollercoaster simulator… no need to say it twice.
Alice Roberts will be appearing again at New Scientist Live this year, giving a talk called ‘The Underground: Life, Death and Illness from the Middle Ages onwards’.
Johnny Donovan
Eleanor Parsons
Senior Associate Editor
I look forward to New Scientist Live every year, not only because I get to meet some great readers, but also because I get to hear some fascinating talks. This year I’ll be heading straight to the Our Planet stage on Sunday afternoon to hear David Horn talk about dinosaur behavior. I read his delightful interview at New Scientist And I can’t wait to find out more about how these prehistoric animals lived.
I plan to stick around after David’s talk to secure a seat for the always popular talk by Alice Roberts. Alice is a fantastic and fascinating speaker and this year she will be talking about life, death and illness in the medieval period – a topic that has long interested me.
Neil Lawrence discusses the big differences between human and machine intelligence at New Scientist Live 2024
Onur Pinar
Matthew Sparks
Technology reporter
I’m looking forward to hearing from Neil Lawrence, who will talk about the differences between human and machine intelligence and how we can safely use AI in our daily lives.
I speak to many cutting-edge researchers about AI and hear a huge variety of opinions about where the current research boom is taking us and what the risks and benefits are. I don’t always agree with the opinions, but every time I listen to the experts, I come away with a deeper understanding.
New Scientist Neil has published extensively about the harms of AI and the problems that need to be solved in this field, but he seems to have a more optimistic stance than other experts. He believes our fears of being replaced by AI are misplaced, and he promises to talk more about it, which I hope will be compelling and reassuring to hear.
