What does “Eureka!” feel like? Discoveries in science and the arts

Science is classically depicted in books and films as being all about Eureka! moments – but what’s it like when one actually happens? And do Eureka! moments only occur in science or are artistic discoveries made in the same way? Can a perfect string of notes, set of brush strokes or turn of phrase be conceived in the same way as an extraordinary leap forward in scientific thinking? This cafe will explore the differences and links between a scientist’s and a poet’s perspective on true moments of genius.

Join Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, who had her own Eureka! moment discovering pulsars in the 1960s and poet Jamie McKendrick, whose poem on astronomy ‘Out There’ was chosen to be displayed on the underground as part of the Royal Society 350th Anniversary celebrations, to discuss the nature of how we make discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.

Host: Dr Lucie Green, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL

Free – no booking required.

This is one of a series of Cafe Scientifique events held as part of See Further: The Festival of Science + Arts. Cafe Scientifique is a place where, over cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore science and technology. To join in, just turn up, get a drink and a table, and get involved in the discussion.

Supported by the Kohn Foundation