External Event - 27th Oct 2017
7.20pm – 8.45pm, Friday 27 October
Humans are intensely social. We learn from each other and work together. But what are the advantages of working together, and are two heads always better than one when making decisions? Join Chris and Uta Frith for a historic two-person Discourse as they explore the science of collaboration.
Chris Frith is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy at UCL and has published widely on social cognition, schizophrenia and other neuroscience topics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the British Academy, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Uta Frith is an Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development at University College London. She is best known for her research on autism spectrum disorders. Her aim is to discover the underlying cognitive causes of developmental disorders and to link them to behavioural symptoms as well as to brain systems. She recently became president of the British Science Association.
Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by J.J. Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the cutting-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.
Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!) We also ask guests to dress smartly to add to the sense of occasion.
Standard ticket £20, Concession £15, free for Members and Patrons
For more information and to book tickets click here
