RSSeNEWS to be determined...

The mathematical sciences are a core feature of this year's British Science Festival from 14-19 September in Birmingham, including a presidential lecture by David Spiegelhalter on probability theory.

The presidential lecture is sponsored by the RSS and takes place on Friday 17 September. Entitled 'How risky is it, and how ignorant are we?', David Spiegelhalter will examine probability theory and how uncertainty can  be quantified, whether it's about football results, swine flu or climate change.

Other maths related sessions at the festival include:

• Pi Hunting: Tony Mann examines the amazing history of Pi, which has kept people obsessed for thousands of years. (Wednesday 15 September)
  
• 75 Years of Radar: Chris Budd, Colin Wright and Cathryn Mitchell describe the history, current use and future possibilities of radar. (Friday 17 September)
• Geometry of the Industrial Revolution: Chris Sangwin takes a closer look at the mathematics that was vital to the birth of the modern industrial world. (Friday 17 September)
• The Maths and Computing Magic Show: Peter McOwan presents an amazing interactive magic show with plenty of audience participation and reveals the maths and computing powering the tricks. (Saturday 18 September)
• The Serious Side of Scientific Trivia: Robert Matthews reveals how curiosity-driven science and maths have had a major impact on the world. The results of the Great British Knot Experiment will also be revealed. (Sunday 19 September)
• Maths on the Street: a team of maths buskers, led by Sara Santos (Royal Institution) and Matt Parker will take maths to the street to show the general public just how amazing maths can be! (Weekend 18-19 September)

The festival is hosted by Aston University and principal sponsors include Advantage West Midlands and Saudi Aramco. Other speakers include Tony Robinson (Blackadder's Baldrick) on archaeology; Ben Goldcare, journalist and warrior against bad science; and stand up comedian Shazia Mirza with new comedy based on her experiences of teaching science.