Time: 6:00pmVenue: Robing Room, House of Lords, Westminster
This event by the country's leading futurologist will be of interest to anyone concerned with the human impact upon the globe in the 21st century.Martin Rees is Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics and Master of Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. He holds the honorary title of Astronomer Royal and also Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and at Leicester University. After studying at the University of Cambridge, he held post-doctoral positions in the UK and the USA, before becoming a professor at Sussex University. In 1973, he became a fellow of King's College and Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at Cambridge (continuing in the latter post until 1991) and served for ten years as director of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy. His interests also include futurology.He is currently on the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of Science and Industry the Institute for Public Policy Research, and the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, and has served on many bodies connected with education, space research, arms control and international collaboration in science. Professor Rees also regularly contributes to the Guardian comment section on topics as broad as climate change, the creation of the universe and the British space programme.In 2005, he was awarded a life peerage and created Baron Rees of Ludlow, and although he describes himself as Old Labour he sits as a crossbencher.He is the author or co-author of more than 500 research papers, mainly on astrophysics and cosmology, as well as seven books (five for general readership), and numerous magazine and newspaper articles on scientific and general subjects. His most recent book,/ Our Final Century?/ (2003), argues that - what with a potentially devastating mix of nuclear weapons, global warming, genetic experiments, nihilistic terrorism, crashing asteroids and spooky experiments on the nature of matter itself - civilisation could destroy itself in the next few generations.All are welcome but seats are limited. Please email Gina Page at PAGEG@parliament.uk to reserve a seat, or alternatively contact meg@qmul.ac.uk for more information.