looking for some mind expansion?

image by randy son of robert

who doesn't need a good reason for learning new things and educating yourself? thanks to AQR for providing this fab list of free and cheap mind unfurling events to attend across london in september, october and november. i've highlighted some i thought sounded particularly interesting - anyone else thinking of attending some?

September

Wed 1st, 6.30pm, Museum of London. ‘Jerry White: the story of a great city.’ Join Jerry White, Profession in London History at Birkbeck University, as he discusses his remarkable new book. Award winning historian, Jerry White looks at the fascinating and turbulent history of London illustrated with objects from the Museum of London’s collections. £5/ticket.

Mon 6th, 7.30pm. ‘Crossing the Line:’ Storytelling at the Canal Café Theatre, Little Venice, London W2 6ND. More info: 0207 289 6054.

Tues 7th, 6.45-8.30pm (doors open 6pm), Intelligence Squared, ‘Sex, Bugs and Video Tapes: The private lives of public figures deserve more protection from the press.’ Speakers include Max Mosley and Tom Bower. £25. Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrance, London SW1X 9DG.

Thurs 9th, School of Life (London): ‘How to have better conversations.’ We’ll be exploring its history, drawing lessons from top talkers like Doctor Johnson and Woody Allen. We’ll investigate the psychology and philosophy of conversation – as well as the assumptions we make about other people that stifle mutual understanding. And of course we’ll put the ideas we explore into practice. £30.

Mon 13th, 6.30-8pm, ‘Employment, labour markets, and development.’ As nations struggle with what they fear will be a ‘jobless recovery’ from the global recession, the report studies how employment can be raised in developing countries and how the participation of the majority of the population in economic growth can be warranted. The report recommends a fundamental change in the assignment of economic policies to allow for growth, inclusion, high employment and monetary stability at the same time. London School of Economics, free, entry: first come first served. More info: events@lse.ac.uk or 020 7955 6043.

Mon 13th, 6.30pm-7.45pm, free, pre-booking advisable. The Royal Society (London) presents: ‘Our buildings, our neighbourhoods, our cities? How can specialists and communities world together to create sustainable cities for the future? Booking open from 9 Aug.

Sat/Sun 18th and 19th, Open House Weekend at venues across London. A simple but powerful concept: hundreds of great buildings of all types and periods open up their doors to all, completely for free. See http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk for more details

Wed 22nd, 6.30-8pm, LSE Arts public lecture. Simon Schama’s latest book is a selection of writings about subjects such as Shakespeare, contemporary art, Hurricane Katrina and cheese soufflés. “Passionate, provocative and entertaining, Simon Schama is never predictable - and always stimulating.” London School of Economics, free, entry: first come first served. Only one ticket per person can be requested, from 10am on Wed 15th Sept. More info: events@lse.ac.uk or 020 7955 6043.

Tues 28th, 6.30-8pm, ‘Staying Power: Six Enduring Principles for Managing Strategy & Innovation in an Uncertain World.’ The focus is on how managers can tackle the simultaneous challenge or innovation and commoditisation in markets often subject to unpredictable change and disruption. London School of Economics, free, entry: first come first served. More info: events@lse.ac.uk or 020 7955 6043.

Tues 28th, 8pm, free, from Big Ideas: ‘What is time for us?’ Archaeologist Andrew Gardner asks how we engage with time, both at an ordinary level and when dealing with the long periods on historic, prehistoric, geological and cosmological scales. The lecture should not only offer an opportunity to broach a deep philosophical question but also interesting insights into how contemporary archaeologists think about their discipline. At The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1DG. http://www.bigi.org.uk

Wed 29th, 6.30pm, £15, including a ticket to Kew Gardens. British Library, ‘Conserving biodiversity. Whose money? Whose rules? A high profile panel debates the costs and advantage of retaining biodiversity in South Africa. Chaired by the BBC’s Andrew Marr,

October

Fri 1st, 6.30-8.30pm, Museum of London, ‘London Futures: Business, Industry and Climate Change.’ David Hone from shell and Bruce Halai- Carter of The Green Desk are among the guests discussing how businesses can help combat climate change. Book in advance, £5/ticket.

Tues 5th, 6.30-8pm, Museum of London. ‘London Futures: Sir Crispin Tickell in conversation with Dr James Lovelock.’ Join two of the most respected environmentalists of our age as they discuss climate change. Book in advance, £5/ticket.

Tues 12th, 1.15-1.55pm, free, no ticket required, UCL Lunch Hour Lecture, ‘Incest and folk-dancing: why sex survives.’ This lecture will talk about sex, and how inbreeding is an escape from true sexual reproduction, about how some creatures abandon sex altogether – and about how mating within the family is still surprisingly common in some populations. At the Darwin Lecture Theatre, accessed via Malet Place, London WC1E 6BT. More info: Dan Martin 020 7679 7675 or dan.martin@ucl.ac.uk

Tues 19th, 6.30-8pm, free, no ticket required, London School of Economics: ‘Department of Law lecture: the independence of law? ‘The Rule of Law’ is a phrase much used by little examined. In this lecture, Lord Bingham considers how it forms the foundation of a fair and just society, a guarantee of responsible government and the best means yet devised for securing peace and cooperation. Email events@lse.ac.uk or call 020 7955 6043

Thurs 21st, 7-8pm, University of Cambridge. ‘Can we feed 9 billion?’ Food: surely one of the greatest challenges facing humankind this century. Already we have reached a world population of almost 7 billion. With the population expanding by about 80 000 people per day, we will reach a population of 9 billion by the end of this century. But how can we feed them? Leading science author, writer and broadcaster Dr John Emsley, formerly of University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, will explore the possible solutions, debunking several myths and scare stories that have recently dominated the headlines. Free, no tickets, arrive early. More details: john.otoole9@btopenworld.com

Thurs 21st, 5.30-6.30pm, free, no pre booking required, University of Newcastle, ‘The Blitz: attrition, endurance and experimentation.’ At The Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building. No other details currently available online.

Sun 24th, School of Life (London). ‘Jane McGonigal on Productivity. Collectively, the human population spends 3 billion hours a week playing computer and videogames. Is this a colossal waste of human resources – or, in those 3 billion hours a week, are we actually being extraordinarily productive? Jane will urge us all to become more productive of what really matters in life – happiness, resilience, and meaning – by spending more of our time playing bigger and better games.’ £12.50.

November

Thurs 4th, 1.15-1.55pm, free, no ticket required, UCL Lunch Hour Lecture, ‘Doomed to fail? The challenges of coalition government for Westminster and Whitehall. Disraeli said England does not love coalitions.’ The 2010 election lead to the formation of the first coalition at Westminster for over 60 years. Prof Robert Hazell will talk about how the new coalition government operates, and its plans for much wider political and constitutional reform. At the Darwin Lecture Theatre, accessed via Malet Place, London WC1E 6BT. More info: Dan Martin 020 7679 7675 or dan.martin@ucl.ac.uk

Mon 8th, 7.30pm. ‘Mistaken Identity:’ Storytelling at the Canal Café Theatre, Little Venice, London W2 6ND. More info: 020 7289 6054.

Tues 30th, 8-11pm, free, Big Ideas presents: ‘What is the role of religion in US political life? How does religion interact with politics in the US? Do we have a duty to understand it, given its enormous importance? And what (if anything) can our efforts to engage with these questions tell us about the British or European situations, which are clearly quite different? At The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1DG, http://www.bigi.org.uk