More scientific frauds are discovered every year, clamourous findings are often not confirmed, and article retractions are increasing. Is science letting us down, in a time when it is most needed?

The business of doing research has changed dramatically in the last decades. Many fear that this change is for the worst. We will overview evidence of possible problems and discuss whether current concerns are justified.

Dr. Daniele Fanelli is a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh. His main research objective is making a science out of studying bad science. In his previous two lives he was an evolutionary biologist and then a science writer for New Scientist and other magazines.

Tuesday, 7th February 2012.  Doors 19:30, for 20:00 start

The Admiral Bar, 72a Waterloo Street

Free entry.  £3 donation suggested.

Ian Deary says:

‘Doing research on intelligence is fascinating, and also sometimes frustrating. Like being a meteorologist, when you tell someone you work on intelligence you find that they start telling you about your own topic. So, I think it is useful show people some real data that come from intelligence tests; opinions can then be founded on data, or at least one can query the data-gathering or its interpretations.

Without making assumptions about what intelligence tests measure or why people differ in their scores, I shall present some results and invite people’s reactions to them. I am still surprised by the fact that sitting down with one of these tests for three quarters of an hour or so and getting a score can have such far-reaching predictions, and cause so many arguments.

I haven’t decided on which ten things to present yet; there will be fewer if there is a lot of discussion, and more if people are quiet. Interruptions welcome.’

Ian Deary is Professor of Differential Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, and the Director of the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology.  He is a world-expert in intelligence, is on the editorial board of the journal Intelligence, and is the author of Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction.

Monday, 20th February 2012.  Doors 19:30, for 20:00 start

The Admiral Bar, 72a Waterloo Street

Free entry.  £3 donation suggested.