The First Lord Rosebery Lecture of this academic year took place on Tuesday 7 November. The College welcomed Professor Lewis Dartnell, who presented a captivating lecture, preceded by a workshop and dinner for selected students.
Professor Dartnell graduated from Oxford University with a First Class degree in Biological Sciences, and specialises in astrobiology, at the University of Westminster. Alongside his faculty role, he is a distinguished author, with bestselling books including Origin and The Knowledge.
The evening commenced with an interactive workshop, tailored towards prospective Oxbridge applicants. Replicating an academic interview, where candidates display their critical thinking skills, Dartnell posed the question ‘How is life defined and detected?’. As the workshop came to a close, Dartnell revealed that the method the young scientists had fabricated, involving metabolic processes and isotopes, was actually used in the 1970s.
Following the workshop, 13 pupils and six members of staff had the honour of dining with Professor Dartnell, promoting an exhilarating academic discussion.
The evening concluded with the highly anticipated lecture, ‘How the Earth Shaped Human History’, where a full Mermaid lecture theatre was entranced for the entire duration. Professor Dartnell demonstrated how History, Geography, and Politics entwined to form society today, by explaining seemingly random trends and patterns.
The evening certainly proved to be highly enjoyable and enriching for all, leaving the attendees with plenty of food for thought. We thank Professor Dartnell for his time, and Ms Hasan for kindly organising the evening.
