Agile Rabbit

From California to Australia, Wales to Bodmin Moor, news of wildfires has increasingly flickered across our screens. Not only do these fires dramatically change our landscapes, they also release huge amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. But what constitutes a wildfire? And how does it affect wildlife and humans? Dr Thomas Smith from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences visits Exeter to share his experience of chasing wildfires across four continents. Thomas is an environmental geographer who specialises in pyrogeography – the study of fire on earth. Together, we explore the science of wildfires, what they can tell us about the drivers, the impacts of environmental change, and the implications to our lives and broader society. THOMAS SMITH Associate Professor in Environmental Geography Department of Geography and Environment The London School of Economics and Political Sciences Dr Thomas Smith is a wildfire scientist who specialises in understanding wildfire behaviour and smoke emissions. He is an Associate Professor in Environmental Geography at the London School of Economics where he teaches courses on climate change and the relationship between science and society.

The chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Times and bestselling author of ‘I am Malala’ and ‘The Girl From Aleppo’ visits the South West. Christina Lamb’s work is defined by determination and curiosity to vividly convey life in areas of danger and conflict. How else would the rest of us know about the injustice, the violence, but also the hope that can be found in those dark places? What is the point of bearing witness to the atrocities of war? What difference can journalism make? As one of Britain’s leading foreign correspondents, Christina Lamb has never wavered from giving a voice to the unsung heroes of war, often women like the cyclists in Kabul, the Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, and the famous Malala. In this talk, Christina Lamb speaks about the defining moments of her career as an author and journalist: travelling with the Mujahidin, the resistance fighting Soviet occupation in Afghanistan during the Cold War, being in a 360 Taliban ambush, and surviving a bus bombing at an assassination attempt on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. After 38 years of reporting from the most dangerous places on earth, Christina shares why she still goes to war, asking what we can learn about humans, conflict, and resilience. CHRISTINA LAMB Author and Foreign Correspondent Christina Lamb is one of Britain’s leading foreign journalists as well as a bestselling author. Her despatches with the Afghan mujaheddin fighting the Soviet Union saw her named Young Journalist of the Year at the age of 22. She has since reported everywhere from Iraq to Ukraine, Israel to Zimbabwe and been awarded Foreign Correspondent of the Year seven times as well as Europe’s top war reporting prize, the Prix Bayeux, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Society of Editors and Women in Journalism as well as the Chesney Gold Medal for promoting the understanding of war, previously awarded to Henry Kissinger and Winston Churchill. She has always particularly focused on what war does to women, and her book Our Bodies, Their Battlefields about sexual violence in conflict was described by leading historian Antony Beevor as ‘the most powerful book’ he had ever read and recently recommended by Queen Camilla in a speech. She has written ten books including co-authoring the international bestseller I Am Malala. She is a Global envoy for UN Education Cannot Wait, Honorary Fellow of University College Oxford, on the board of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and an Associate of the Imperial War Museum and was awarded an OBE in 2013.

In this live event, Joshua Howgego takes us on a rollicking ride through the world of meteorite hunting. Josh’s interest was sparked six years ago when he heard scientists say meteorites are like time capsules that record the history of our solar system. But how do we look for them? Together, we follow the footsteps of scientists, explorers, and hobbyists to uncover more about the world’s rarest rocks and the secrets within them. Josh will helps us piece together an unexpected new history of the solar system. Find out more in Josh's new book: The Meteorite Hunters JOSHUA HOWGEGO Editor New Scientist Magazine Joshua Howgego is a science journalist based in London. Josh originally trained as a chemist and obtained his PhD at the University of Bristol. He also has a degree in science communication from Imperial College London. After having written for numerous titles, including Times Higher Education, SciDev.Net and Nature, he now works as a feature editor at New Scientist magazine, where he covers physical science.

Dyslexia isn’t a type of neurodivergence, is it? Neurodiversity means being an autistic adult, right? Does having Tics mean you always shout a lot? What is the purpose of getting diagnosed? Listen to Dr. Abby Russel and Charlie Kelman discuss nine things you never knew about neurodiversity (or maybe you did!). Abby is a scientist based at the University of Exeter Children and Young People’s Mental Health Research Collaboration. Together we look at specific facts about neurodivergence but also delve deeper into things that could help or hinder neurodivergent people. We learn more about our senses, hyper- and hypo-sensitivity, and whether neurodivergence is increasing in the UK – or are we simply becoming more aware of it?

Have you ever wondered what the weather is like on Mars? In this special live event, join a world-leading scientist who works on two Mars Rovers to find out. Dr. Claire Newman is a planetary atmospheric specialist who studies weather and climate on Mars. We take a closer look at what recent surface missions have taught us and why NASA scientists are so curious about the red planet. Claire shares weather reports from the Perseverance Rover which describe a tumultuous place of violent dust storms, desert landscapes, and wildly fluctuating temperatures. Together we explore the key differences and similarities between weather on Earth and Mars. CLAIRE NEWMAN Dr. Claire Newman is a planetary atmospheric scientist who works on weather and climate on Mars and Titan, specialising in the study of dust storms. She is a team member on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, InSight Mars lander, and Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, as well as the upcoming Dragonfly Titan rotorcraft.