BBC World Service LSE Literary Festival event
Date: Thursday 26 February 2015
Time: 7-8.30pm
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Professor Armand Leroi, Matt Parker, Will Self, Leslie Vinjamuri
Chair: Bridget Kendall
BBC World Service's flagship ideas programme The Forum (@BBCTheForum) returns to the LSE Literary Festival with an evening that attempts to shake the foundations of your thinking about science, the arts and society. Or at least make a few cracks in it.
Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker takes us on a journey through narcissistic numbers, optimal dating algorithms and at least two different kinds of infinity. Writer Will Self explains why creating a novel needs a critical mass of ideas which blows up in an explosion that's both destructive and enlightening. Biologist Armand Leroi argues that we have to thank an ancient Greek philosopher for kick-starting biology. Maths, science and creativity have a hard time flourishing without both peace and justice but if you think the two always go together, international politics expert Leslie Vinjamuri will debunk that notion.
Armand Leroi is an author, broadcaster, and Professor of Evolutionary Developmental Biology at Imperial College London.
Matt Parker (@standupmaths) is possibly the only person to hold the prestigious title of London Mathematical Society Popular Lecturer while simultaneously having a sold-out comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Will Self (@wself) is the author of ten novels, five collections of shorter fiction, three novellas, as well as a prolific journalist and a frequent broadcaster.
Leslie Vinjamuri (@londonvinjamuri) is Co-Director of the Centre for the International Politics of Conflict, Rights and Justice at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Bridget Kendall MBE is the BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent and the first woman to win the James Cameron Award for Distinguished Journalism.
This event forms part of the LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival 2015, taking place from Monday 23 - Saturday 28 February 2015, with the theme 'Foundations'.
Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #LSElitfest
Broadcast
This recording is scheduled to be broadcast in the UK on Tuesday 10 March 2015 at 9am (GMT) on the BBC World Service.
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CPD
This event has been certified for CPD purposes by the CPD Certification Service. Self-Assessment Record forms will be made available for delegates wishing to record further learning and knowledge enhancement for Continuing Personal and Professional Development (CPD) purposes. For delegates who wish to obtain a CPD Certificate of Attendance, it is the responsibility of delegates to register their details with a LSE steward at the end of the event and as of 1 September 2014 a certificate will be sent within 28 days of the date of the event attended by the CPD Certification Service. If a delegate fails to register their details at the event, it will not prove possible to issue a certificate. (For queries relating to CPD Certificates of attendance after a request please phone 0208 840 4383 or email info@cpduk.co.uk).
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