2026

Sep 9th

Dr. Ian Howard - How Generative AI for Text Works.

Ian will give an accessible introduction to generative AI, explaining how systems such as ChatGPT are trained using gradient descent and generate text by predicting what comes next. He will also explain why the architecture of a neural network matters, what current AI can and cannot do, and how language-based AI systems are being used as intelligent interfaces and components for robots and autonomous vehicles. 

These systems are also already appearing in everyday consumer products.

Oct 14th

No title or synopsis as yet but a veterinary person from South Moor Farm Vets will talk to us about her work, scientific and technological.

Nov 11th

Dr. Frances Hopkins from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory will talk on

Plankton, Climate and Gaia.: How Marine Life Helps Regulate Our Planet.

Earth’s climate is shaped not just by winds and oceans, but by life itself. In this talk, Dr Frances Hopkins introduces the remarkable world of microscopic marine plankton—tiny organisms that produce half the oxygen we breathe, absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and even help clouds to form.
Drawing on Gaia theory, which explores how life and the environment interact to keep Earth habitable, Frances will show how the ocean’s “invisible forest” plays a central role in regulating our climate. She’ll explain how her research at PML uncovers the chemical conversations between the sea and the sky, and how these delicate feedbacks are being affected by climate change.
A fascinating, hopeful journey into the hidden systems that help keep our planet in balance.

Dec 9th

To Be Announced