Technology in the Brain - from animals to humans

Have you ever wondered how octopus think and sense their environment? In this talk, we will give a brief overview of why cephalopods are considered sentient animals.

Neuroprosthetic engineering allows us to unlock the human body and communicate directly with the brain. Whilst some applications, such as hearing aids, are becoming commonplace, there is still a wide range of possibilities ready to be explored. Whilst neuroprosthetic engineering can bring many advantages, we must also consider the ethical ramifications of these devices. Who would you allow to access your brain and what happens if hackers take over? Join us for a discussion of how the research landscape of upper-limb prosthetics is changing and what the future holds for neural technology.

Spinosaurs are weird dinosaurs. They are theropods, the cool carnivores like T. rex and Velociraptor, but the don’t have large, boxy skulls full of teeth like steak knives. These 9m animals have long, narrow skulls and pointy teeth like crocodiles. They eat fish, and so, unlike all other dinosaurs they have close ties to water. I will show you recent finds, new species, and answer some of the questions about what makes these amazing dinosaurs so unusual.