Events for teachers, schoolkids, families, general public

This is an occasional post highlighting some talks and events that touch on computer science or computing-adjacent tech and which are not aimed solely at an academic audience. This isn’t a complete list (an impossible task!) but is drawn from a range of venues and organisations, some already computer-focused, some that have a wider focus but who sometimes host computing events. If you have a suitable event, particularly ones for which the public / schools can get tickets for, please let me (Jo) know, thanks.

Lecture - red chairs awaiting bottoms — Armchairs image by arodsje from Pixabay

June

Building Better AI in the Open

29 June
5.30 – 8.30pm, Science Gallery London (London Bridge or livestream)
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-better-ai-in-the-open-tickets-648765644507
“How can we as Londoners help create better pathways for meaningful public participation in AI? What methods of engagement can benefit rather than burden members of the public? How can we better connect transparency with accountability?

Ahead of London Data Week, join us at Science Gallery London for a conversation about building better AI in the open.

Speakers include Margaret Mitchell (Chief Ethics Scientist at HuggingFace); Lara Groves (Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute); artist and machine learning design researcher Caroline Sinders; and curator Irini Papadimitriou (Creative Director, FutureEverything). Together, we will look at the barriers to open and participatory approaches to AI, and explore opportunities to work together to address shared questions.”

July

Synthesized

1 – 2 July
Centre for Computing History, Cambridge (in person)
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/pages/30677/What-s-On/
“A two day festival celebrating the computer and synthesiser – and how the two technologies grew up together.”

London Data Week

3 – 9 July
https://www.londondataweek.org/ – various events, various locations in London

The Turing’s Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas in London (Camden)

6 July
7 – 9.30pm, Camden Club (in person)
https://www.turing.ac.uk/events/turings-cabaret-dangerous-ideas-london

“As part of London Data Week, we’re bringing CoDI to The Camden Club for a night of edgy, exciting AI and data science-based entertainment with a comedy twist.”

Wake up Sheeple: Unraveling the Sock Matrix – Anna George
Attention truth seekers! Leave the herd and explore the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. Prepare for revelations about the infamous flat Earth, climate change, and sock thieves. Get ready for science, laughter, and the secret whereabouts of your lost socks.

The algorithm will sentence you now! – Cari Hyde-Vaamonde
Is replacing judges with AI a horrifying prospect? Could algorithms have more impartiality than judges? Cari Hyde-Vaamonde explores whether technology could help make better decisions and laws for our justice system.

Feeling the AI fear? – Michael Katell
ChatGPT is coming for our jobs! AI faked Drake! Well, there’s good news: The bad news is not what you think it is. The fear is by design. It’s the point!

AI: Clever, Clumsy or Clueless?

9 July
Royal Society, London, 1.30-2.30pm (in person)
https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2023/07/ai-clever-clumsy/ – this is part of the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition (3-9 July).

BBC Global News podcast recording: AI Special

11 July
Science Gallery London (London Bridge) 6.30-8.30pm, free (in person, booking essential)
https://london.sciencegallery.com/sgl-events/building-better-ai-in-the-open-dtjl5

“Join us at Science Gallery London for a lively Q&A session, which will be recorded for the BBC Global News Podcast. This special edition will focus on the role of AI in health, science, education and work.

Hear from experts working with AI across different sectors in a discussion hosted by Tech Editor Zoe Kleinman and Global News Podcast presenter Nick Miles.

Get the low down on how this fast-developing technology is affecting our lives now and in the future, and tune in to what those from around the world are wondering about AI. You’ll also have the chance to ask your own questions to the panel.”

See also their gallery exhibition “AI: Who’s Looking After Me?” which has free entry and is open between Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11am to 6pm.

AI Debate for Students

18 July
BCS (online), 2 – 3pm, free to take part in or stream to your classroom.

The Big AI Debate for Students

Intro to the BBC Micro:bit (Holiday workshop)

26 July
11am to 1.15pm, ages 7-8, Royal Institution (London, in person)
2.15pm – 4.30pm, ages 9-11, Royal Institution (London, in person)
“This workshop will introduce students to the BBC Mirco:bit and how it can be used it to create music. They will be introduced to how, with the addition of input and output devices, the micro:bit can be programmed as a simple instrument, using both the Block Editor and the Python programming language. No prior experience of music programming is required.”

Making music and sound with BBC Micro:bit

27 July
11am-3pm, ages 12-14, Royal Institution (London, in person)

Coming up in August

Paul Curzon at the Royal Institution, entertaining some children with the magic of computer science — Paul Curzon, from Teaching London Computing and CS4FN, running a workshop at the Royal Institution. Photo credit: Ed Moore

The Royal Institution host an extensive series of workshops in different STEM subjects for different age groups and Paul Curzon will be running a few of them. Currently listed and bookable workshops are –

Holiday workshops: Artificial intelligence, but where is the intelligence?

We all know the movie plots where evil robots and computers take over the world, but what is the reality? This workshop explores artificial intelligence, the field of science that tries to build ‘thinking machines’.

How are they built? Are they really intelligent? And what is intelligence anyway? We will also ask some interesting questions about a well-known ‘thinking machine’, you! Along the way we will play some games including building a working brain out of rope, tubes, and you, and playing snap with it.

Monday 14 August 2023, £35/28
• 11-1.15pm for 7-8 year olds
• 2.15-4.30pm for 9-11 year olds

Holiday workshops: The magic of computer science

In this workshop, Paul Curzon will demonstrate real magic tricks, showing the group how they are done so they can do the tricks themselves.

When you learn to be a magician, it turns out you are also learning the skills needed to be a great computer scientist: computational thinking.

Students will then use the magic to learn the linked basics of computer science. They’ll see what computational thinking is all about and how both magicians and computer scientists rely on it.

Friday 18 August 2023, £35/28
• 1-1.15pm, for 7-8 year olds
• 2.15-4.30pm for 9-11 year olds