Leading scientists takeover Leicester pubs for Pint of Science festival

Pub goers in Leicester will get much more than just a pint next week when some of Britain’s leading Scientists head to the city’s drinking venues to discuss their latest research.

The ‘Pint of Science’ festival runs from 9th-11th May. It’s an international event held in multiple cities around the world. Each night, there’ll be a unique line up of talks, demonstrations and live experiments held in a relaxed and informal environment.

More than 20 researchers from the University of Leicester will be showcasing some of the latest, exciting research happening at the University through talks, demonstrations and live experiments. They’ll be joined by researchers from DeMontfort University and the events will take place at Brewdog, O’Neill’s and Manhatten 34. Topics will include the Earth’s evolution, volcanoes in video games, mass extinction and the latest pioneering research into key health topics such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and vaccines. Tickets cost £5 and are available from the Pint of Science website.

City Co-ordinators, Dr Caren Frosch, Dr Vrushant Lakhlani and Kelly McCormack, said:

“We are so excited to welcome Pint of Science back to live events. We all worked on the 2021 event and had such fun producing the Leicester part of the festival online however we are so excited to get our speakers into a room with members of the public and talk about research over a pint (alcoholic or non!). To be part of the Pint of Science 10 year celebrations is wonderful!”

Alongside the main talks, this year audiences will go head-to-head in the largest ever multi-city pub quiz, in association with interactive quiz company, Kwizzbit. Teams in each venue will compete against others across the city and the rest of the UK as they tackle a series of science-themed questions to prove which city has the strongest trivia knowledge.

Pint of Science founders, Dr Praveen Paul and Dr Michael Motskin, were UK research scientists in 2013 when they decided they could bring back the personal touch to science. From three cities back then to nearly 500 cities this year, the festival continues to showcase the brilliant work happening on our doorsteps. Events provide a platform for researchers to share their stories, and audiences an opportunity to ask their questions about science to those directly behind it.

“This is our tenth Pint of Science festival and it’s great to be back with in-person events, collaborating with such dedicated volunteers across the country who have been working hard to bring you a variety of topics. The programme in each city is packed full of events, which will inspire, challenge and encourage us all to be curious. The only difficulty is choosing which of the brilliant events to go to!”

The University of Leicester is home to many world-leading scientific research teams. From fighting common diseases and preserving our natural world to launching technology into space, our scientists are dedicated to researching some of today’s most critical issues. As such, the Pint of Science festival offers people the chance to speak face-to-face with experts who are leading the exploration and understanding of critical issues facing humanity.