There’s an opportunity, wherever you are, to join us on six days of the festival for a lively hour online. It’s through the kind help of the Open University who are hosting a range of their speakers. It will be at 5.30 pm each day, with topics ranging from regional accents to renewables, and from facial recognition technology to the science of sleep and dreams. With each day’s event there is a link which takes you to more information and the booking for a free ticket which provides a direct link to the event.

Climate and Energy Science

Climate and energy scientist Professor Stephen Peake will guide us through an enlightening experience as we don a pair of ‘energy goggles’, hitch a ride on a sunbeam, and take a once-in-a-lifetime tour of our Earth system.

Stephen is Professor of Climate Change and Energy at the Open University.

Languages and Education

What happens when children are given the freedom to learn, express themselves and participate in the classroom in their native tongue? Dr Sylvia Warnecke demonstrate how the use of Scots in the classroom can build confidence, strengthen identity and transform learners experience of education.

Sylvia is Associate Head of School in Languages and Applied Linguistics.

Forensic Psychology

Professor Lara Frumkin explores how bias about accents can shape perceptions and decision-making within the judicial system, particularly in the courtroom, and influence judgements of credibility, competence and identity.

Lara is part of the Open University’s Forensic Psychology Department.

Forensic Psychology

What happens when our memories of a face lead us to identify the wrong person? Professor Catriona Havard shows how factors such as race, age and biased lineup procedures can influence what we remember – and how seemingly confident eyewitness accounts can contribute to miscarriages of justice.

Catriona is a Professor of Psychology and an applied Cognitive Psychologist

Classical Studies

Where do dreams come from – and what do they mean? Dr Steph Holton looks at interpretations, from ancient times to today, from divine revelations and prophecies to medical diagnoses.

Steph is a Senior Lecturer in Classical Studies at the Open University. Her research focuses on ancient thought.

Philosophy

What if the problem of free will is far simpler than philosophers have imagined? What indeed if it is not a mysterious metaphysical property – but a skill we acquire, starting in childhood? Professor Sophie Grace Chappell draws on examples from play, sport, music, animal behaviour, and everyday life to bring a fresh perspective.

Sophie is a Professor of Philosophy at the Open University.