We welcomed Professor Lewis Dartnell from the University of Westminster to speak during STEAM Week as part of our academic enrichment programme.
Professor Dartnell’s research is in the field of astrobiology and the search for microbial life on Mars. He also works as a scientific consultant for the media, appearing in television documentaries and on radio shows. He has won several awards for his science writing and outreach work and has published five books including The Knowledge (The Sunday Times New Thinking Book of the Year and international bestseller). His most recent book, Being Human – How Our Biology Shaped World History was released last year.
Professor Dartnell delivered an interactive presentation to all Year 9 students on ‘Hacking The Brain – What optical illusions teach us about the workings of the mind’. He also gave a presentation to the Lower Sixth on astrobiology and the science involved in the search for life beyond Earth, and a problem-based workshop for IB students: ‘How to find a planet that we cannot see’.
The day finished with an evening lecture for the wider community: ‘The Knowledge: How to rebuild our world from scratch’.
It was a pleasure to hear Professor Dartnell speaking at Sevenoaks again, and a wide range of students, teachers and adults benefited from his expertise and passion throughout the day.
