Pint of Science returns to Coventry bringing scientists out of the lab and into your local

The public science festival, Pint of Science, is returning to Coventry this year with experts from the Universities of Warwick and Coventry talking about their research work in a selection of pubs and venues around the city.

This year academics will be appearing at Backhaus and Co at Fargo Village, The Yard and Shopfront Theatre in the city centre and The Old Clarence in Earlsdon, between 20 and 22 May. There will also be a programme of talks at the White Horse, Leamington Spa.

Among the topics the presenters will be covering are Martians, DNA, electricity and magnetism, dyslexia, pollution, soil, cells, plastic and paramedics. They will also be tackling important issues like sexual health, the importance of sleep, and asking who’d win in a fight – the sun or a trillion lions?

Included in the exciting and thought provoking talks in Coventry this year are:

Chemical lego – better pregnancy and disease testing: Current diagnostic tests for pregnancy and disease have some major flaws when using them in the developing world. In this talk Alex Baker from Warwick’s Chemistry department will ask if we can fix these problems by viewing the world less biologically and more like Lego. If we did, could we use chemical Lego to make a robust diagnostic for less than $1 and help the 1.3 billion people at risk of Cholera?

The gift of a dyslexic mind: Adults with dyslexia have become some of the world's greatest entrepreneurs, scientists and artists, but there's still a shortfall when it comes to researching dyslexia. Dr Rosa Kwok from Coventry University explains some of her research into children with dyslexia and shows how her results will encourage dyslexic children to find their own unique talent, as well as demonstrate why both educators and employers have such an important role to play in unlocking the potential of the 6.6 million people in the UK who have dyslexia.

The Fate of Suns and Planets: In around five billion years, our Sun will run out of fuel and die. Unlike the death of a large star, there won't be a violent supernova explosion. So what does happen to suns like ours, and the planets around them? Matthew Hoskin from the University of Warwick’s physics department will explain the evolution of sun-like stars off the 'Main Sequence', through a red giant phase, and into a cooling white dwarf star.

Take a look at the full listings.

Tickets are available from the Pint of Science website, and tickets for each evening cost £4.