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All talks are available via Zoom, Webex etc., or in person. I may require reimbursement of my expenses if significant distances and/or overnight accommodation are involved, plus a small fee may be charged.

Title	Description	Download Presentation
Artificial Intelligence	Artificial Intelligence – Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) – this presentation discusses the technologies that are behind these initiatives, what progress has been made to date, and what are the potential risks and benefits to the human race?
Cosmology an Introduction Parts 1 & 2	Cosmology is the study of the large scale properties of the universe as a whole. That is the origin of the universe, the development or evolution of the universe to date, into the future and the ultimate fate of the universe. These presentations are an introduction to Cosmology, and an opportunity to ask someone those questions you have always been wondering about. Part one covers the fundamental concepts and part two goes into more depth, plus how we have come to know what we know.
Universe or Multiverse?	We appear to exist in universe set up for life, with constants of nature that are perfect for life. Is this simply because there are in fact countless millions, perhaps an infinite number, of other universes – each with different physical laws and different constants of nature. Just as the lottery has many tickets and somebody has got to have the right ticket, so there may be many universes, each with different values for the laws and constants of nature. This talk presents an overview of the most prominent multiverse (parallel universes) hypotheses.
Exoplanets	Planets around stars other than our Sun, or Exoplanets, plus the existence of other solar systems, with planets and their moons, or exomoons, were just speculations a few decades ago. Detecting planets orbiting other star systems was thought nearly impossible, and early attempts ended in failure. Now with very powerful space and ground-based telescopes, plus modern highly sensitive equipment, detection is not just possible, but is increasing at a prodigious rate. This presentation covers the various methods of detection, the key discoveries to date, and a look into the future of exoplanet searches.
Human Colonisation of Space	Once only the stuff of science-fiction, recent advances in technology – and our concerns about the long-term habitability of Planet Earth – have made the colonisation of space not just realistic, but maybe even essential. In this talk I look at the challenges humanity faces in travelling, exploring, and living beyond the confines of our home planet. Plus, the options for establishing colonies beyond the Earth, and the possibility and challenges of creating sustainable Earth-independent societies.
SETI, the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence	Is anybody out there? And if they are, then where are they, and how many civilisations are likely? Are we alone; one of the most fundamental questions we can ask? This presentation covers the SETI search and the attempts to estimate the number of intelligent, technologically advanced alien civilisations in our Milky Way galaxy. We will look at the Drake Equation and its various parameters, and the range of estimates it predicts.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)	On Christmas Day 20022, around noon UK time JWST, aka the Just Wonderful Space Telescope, was successfully launched into space on an ESA Arianne 5 rocket. This talk is about the science and technology behind JWST, an amazing advance on the incredibly successful Hubble Space Telescope (HST) which taught us so very much about the cosmos. I also cover what the JWST has achieved already, and what it will study in the future, plus the promise it holds for discoveries we could not even imagine – just like HST brought us.
CERN and the LHC	In September 2019 I attended a CERN open weekend and had amazing opportunity to see the most complex science experiment every constructed by humans – the Large Hadron Collider. In this presentation I describe my experiences and what I learned about CERN, the LHC and the world leading science and engineering that goes on there.
Sir Roger Penrose	A supremely talented mathematician who turned his formidable skills towards theoretical physics and cosmology (the origin and nature of the universe, its development, and its ultimate fate) and numerous other areas. In his long, and very productive, life he has achieved so much it is a wonder that he is not a household name. This presentation will describe the modest genius Roger Penrose and his key achievements and explore why it is that he is not more widely appreciated.
Sir Isaac Newton	The man who, arguably had one of the greatest scientific and mathematical minds the world has ever seen, was a complex and troubled character. He achieved so much in so many different fields of endeavour he was the epitome of a Polymath. Many people wrote biographies about Newton after his death – many glossed over the truth. Now that we have all the facts and evidence his true story is now well documented. This talk focuses on the real facts of his life and on his very many contributions to science, physics, mathematics, optics and astronomy, and many other fields.
String Theory	In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics (atoms and sub-atomic particles such as electrons) are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. It describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string looks just like an ordinary particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. String theory has been applied to a variety of problems in black hole physics, early universe cosmology, nuclear physics, including gravity. String theory potentially provides a unified description of gravity and particle physics, so it is a candidate for a theory of everything, a self-contained mathematical model that describes all fundamental forces and forms of matter.
Fusion Energy part 1 – An Overview of Current Research & Progress	Touted as the ultimate energy source and the energy source of the future, Fusion Energy – the energy that powers the Sun – has been promised for over seventy years. The standard joke is that Fusion Energy is thirty years away, and always will be. But in this presentation, I will cover the current state of fusion energy research and why there is now real optimism that power on the grid from fusion is not so far away. Research effort and spending from governments, international collaborations, and from numerous privately funded companies is higher than ever.
Fusion Energy Part 2 – A Review of Progress by Privately Funded Companies	Fusion Energy – the energy that powers the Sun – has been promised on Earth for over seventy years. In this presentation, I will cover the current state of fusion energy research and the rapidly advancing progress towards energy production from the numerous privately funded companies. I will contrast these efforts and progress with that from the many National and International collaborations such as EAST, KSTAR, MAST, JET, ITER etc.
The Cosmic Calendar	The major events from the entire history of the Universe, the Earth, and life on Earth, from the Big Bang to the present day, all described and set out on the calendar for a single year. It puts the origin of the universe, stars, galaxies, primitive life, complex life, and human existence into a context that will surprise you!
Reality, Its Scale and Nature	A discussion on our understanding of the smallest, the largest, plus the oldest things known to man – from sub atomic particles to the scale of the universe itself. Explanations on how we humans are able to understand so much about the astounding, tiny and immense Universe we inhabit.
Energy and Climate, Past Present and Future	In our never-ending quest for more energy and fuels, to power our industries, vehicles, homes, lifestyles, and burgeoning economies, we humans have harnessed resources that took hundreds of millions of years to form. We have rapidly gathered them and burnt most of them over a period of around two hundred and sixty years; around one million times faster than the fossil fuels were laid down. Releasing all that carbon so very quickly, has changed our environment and our climate. We have now recognised that we have to make changes, and very substantial ones at that. This talk looks at our how our energy and fuel needs have changed over time, and their effects on our climate. It also looks at our options for future energy, and what, if anything, we can do to stop the changes, or if we have done too little too late?
Genetically Modified Crops	The history and the science behind the technology explained, plus what are the risks and potential benefits of Genetically Modified Organisms, with the emphasis on crop plants. To decide if we should make use of new technologies or scientific methods, it is necessary to have access to reliable information so that all interested parties can make judgements about whether the procedures work, whether they are safe and what advantages or disadvantages they offer.
Colour and Human Vision Understanding Our Vision and Perception of Colour	Of human vision, light, colour, paints, pigments, and the human perception of them. How our eyes and brain perceive and interpret the colourful visual world around us, and just how easily we can be fooled and misled! You won’t believe your eyes!
The Human Microbiome Part 1	The Human Microbiome is the ecological community of microorganisms that literally share our body space. An adult human is said to host over ten times as many (very tiny) bacterial cells as human cells, representing between a few hundred grams and fourteen hundred grams. These are sometimes referred to as the forgotten organ and which are vital for our survival and wellbeing. We need a broad spectrum of Probiotic Bacteria in and on our bodies to promote good health. We also have a wide selection of important viruses in our Guts. In one gram of faeces there are 100M bacteria, 100M viruses, skin cells, yeasts, and other fungi – so it is not just the bacteria. The relationship between the makeup of a person’s microbiota and their immune systems function, nutritional health, body form, and obesity, plus disease incidence such as MS, Crones disease, IBS, and Parkinson’s disease are all now under detailed study by Scientists, globally.
The Human Microbiome Pt2	The Human Microbiome Pt2 – building on part one this and time focussing primarily on the gut microbes and the link between our immune system, our brain, and our gut. There is a two way relationship between our brain and our gut; our brain influences what happens in our gut and the microbes that live there, and those microbes influence many aspects of our behaviour, mood, and neurological health. The Vagus nerve, the complex highway that connect brain to gut is a two way link that will be explained and explored in this talk.
Bletchley Park and the UK World War II Codebreakers	If you have heard of Bletchley Park and the incredible work done there during World War II, then you will probably be familiar with the work to break the Enigma codes. But the story is much more involved than that feat of amazing intellectual effort. Using a combination of military intelligence, some truly gifted people, advanced mathematics, various machines such as ‘The Bombe’, plus the worlds’ first electronic computer, called Colossus, to break the Enigma, Lorenz and other cipher encoded messages. The work was highly secret but was based on collaborative work with the allied forces and some initial work by a handful of brilliant Polish Mathematicians. The work done, by these largely unsung heroes, shortened World War II by at least two years, saving many tens of thousands of lives. This is their story.
A Review of Science & Technology over the past forty years – with a few smiles along the way!	A look back over the past forty years at some of the truly amazing discoveries, inventions, and significant achievements made by the human race. Also, a view on some developments nearer to date, and right up to date, with a few speculations on the future. All done with an eye on some of the humour that has come about during this amazing period of discovery and scientific advancement.
What constitutes modern science, how does it function, and how did it get there?	Modern Science, with the advent of the scientific method, has only been around for hundreds of years, and its true origins are still the subject of debate. But it is evident that progress in science has been very rapid over the past four hundred years, with most of that in the last one hundred, and the pace of development is quickening rapidly. The way we divide, sub-divide and classify the branches of science has changed too and will continue to change. This talk looks at the history of science and how it has developed into what we see today in its current form and why it has been so successful.

(Paul) Leigh Edwards, a Brief Biography
I’ve an Honours Degree in Chemistry awarded, many years ago, by the Royal Institute of Chemistry. I have spent over twenty four years as an Analytical Chemist, Laboratory Computer Scientist, and middle manager, in Pharmaceuticals. I then founded and ran my own Software Company for twelve years or so; during that time, I wrote a textbook on computer programming and co-authored a second one. Throughout my early life, career, and ever since, I’ve maintained an avid interest in a wide range of sciences, including physics, genetics, food and health, computers, cosmology, and many other subjects. I have recently written and published my first science fiction Novel.

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