🧠 The 'Whys' and 'Hows' of Our Society

An evening of fascinating short talks exploring some of the most intriguing questions in science, history, and philosophy. Three speakers take the stage to shed light on topics that challenge our assumptions and expand our understanding of the world around us.

🐱 Why Cats Say "Meow"

Have you ever wondered why people across the globe perceive feline vocalizations as the word meow? This talk dives into exactly that question — tracing how researchers built a computer model of a real cat's vocal tract to investigate it. The speaker also explores why humans find it so natural to perceive these sounds as speech-like, and whether cats may have evolved vocalizations specifically designed to capture our attention.

📊 Measurement and Control: Tracing the Intertwined Histories of Psychology and Eugenics

This talk examines how the measurement of psychological traits was weaponized to justify a movement that sought to steer human evolution — ultimately resulting in the forced sterilization of people deemed "unfit." The speaker profiles key figures who straddled both psychology and eugenics, including Charles Galton, Karl Pearson, and Charles Spearman — men who also happened to invent many of the statistical techniques still widely used today. What values were baked into these methods? And in what ways might their assumptions still linger in modern psychology?

🔬 Why Scientists Disagree — and What To Do About It

The Covid-19 pandemic gave many of us our first real exposure to serious scientific disagreement. Should we have followed Swedish epidemiologists on masks, or trusted the advice of their international counterparts? This talk offers a philosophy of science perspective on why disagreement is not only normal but actively encouraged within scientific institutions — and why that's actually a good thing. It also offers practical ideas for communicating scientific uncertainty to non-experts, including the general public and policymakers.

🎟️ More info & tickets: Facebook Event