Our speakers are national and international experts who enjoy sharing their knowledge with an inquisitive audience eager to hear what lies behind the headlines. A friendly atmosphere pervades all our meetings, and a complimentary drink after each lecture assists further discussion.
The Society was founded in 1802 “to aid the study, diffusion, and advancement of the arts and sciences with their applications”. Over two centuries later, we added “the better understanding of public affairs”. Our regular meetings consider many topics and contribute to public life in the West of Scotland and beyond.
Our meetings attract an audience of between 300 and 400 people who come not only to listen to presentations from distinguished speakers but also to engage them in lively discussion. The speakers seem to enjoy the evening as much as the audience and many comment on the high standard of debate.
The lectures are open to members and non-members alike and attract expert and inexpert individuals of all ages from every background. Why not come and try it out?
All meetings take place on Wednesdays at 7.30pm. The venue, which will be within the University of Glasgow campus, will be announced closer to the date of the talk. The lecture ends, after Q&A, at 9pm.
Programme 2023
4th October: Professor Steve Brusatte - The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs... and The Rise of the Mammals
18th October: Professor Tim Birkhead - The Great Auk: greed, death and regret
1st November: Professor Neil Adger - Changing Places: Migration and Climate Change
15th November: Dr Gavin Francis - Free For All: Why the NHS is Worth saving
29th November: Sir John Kay - From the pin factory to the iPhone – the complete history of capitalism – The Adam Smith Lecture
13th December: Professor Miles Padgett - Does God play dice? – Kelvin Lecture
25th January: Stephen Venables - Everest East Side Story
7th February: Professor Hester Parr - Why we should think about the relationship between climate change and mental health in Scotland
21st February: David Edgar - All the world’s a play...
6th March: Professor Sarah Cunningham-Burley - Towards a public bioethics
20th March: Professor Sian Harding - The exquisite machine: the new science of the heart
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Glasgow, click here to find out more!
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