Learn about the inner workings of your brain at Glasgow Science Centre (GSC) this March with Science Lates: Inside Your Mind. Cultural events co-ordinator at Glasgow Science Centre, Chris Banks, tells us why you shouldn’t miss it.
The brain is the only organ that named itself. A fascinating and brain numbing fact that always leaves me with a bit of a headache. Not only did it name itself and all of the other organs in our body, it also is responsible for our thoughts, our emotions, and our ideas.
Recently I have been quite interested in memetics, a term first coined in 1976 by biologist, Richard Dawkins. It is the study of information and culture, and it deals with the manner in which ideas spread. It is also, where we get the word ‘meme’. A meme is a “unit of culture” (an idea, a belief or a pattern of behaviour) which is created in the minds of one or more individuals, which can reproduce itself by jumping from the mind of one person to another.
Memes
Nowadays memes are often described as sharable funny pictures on the internet – often of cats. But it can also be used to describe that catchy jingle you can’t get out of your head or the latest catchphrase you’ve heard from the newest episode of RuPauls Drag Race.
I find the process of how ideas take root and grow amazing.
Here at Glasgow Science Centre we often marvel at the complexity of the human brain. How it can affect our perception, our moods and our behaviours. So to explore the 100 billion nerves cells (or thereabouts) we invite you to come along to Science Lates – Inside Your Mind, on the 20 of March.
Inside Your Mind
From 6pm – 10.30pm, dive into an immersive fulldome digital planetarium show, where neuroscientist, Judith Pratt will take you on ‘A Tour of the Brain’. Join our inspirational speakers in the theatre and learn about why we find swearing offensive – you can even compete in expletive-filled experiments to be crowned Glasgow’s Top Swearer. Disrupt the thought process of hackers out to harvest your personal information, and see if you and a team can work together to defuse a bomb before time runs out.
BodyWorks on floor 3 will have presenter-led live (sheep) brain dissections, plus you can discover the different regions of the brain and what they control and get hands on and make your own fashionable brain hat to take home, grey (matter) is the new black after all. Then become your own meme and create a sharable photo for your socials at our green screen booth.
Science Lates are unique Friday nights out, where you can chill out with some fantastic cocktails, or enjoy sweet treats from the ‘Edible Alchemist’, while having a dance at our silent disco. Surrounded by hundreds of interactive exhibits and industry experts – discover what makes you, you.
