Annual Section Meetings

Posted on: June 28th, 2023 by mlpEditor

Members are invited to attend the Annual Section Meetings. They will be held consecutively, starting at 6.30 p.m.

A formal notice is being sent by email.

The Agenda for each meeting is as follows –

  1. Minutes of the last ASM
  2. Any necessary elections*
  3. Review of the activities of the Society since the last ASM
  4. Any other matters of interest to the membership
  5. Q&A session

* Please note that as per our Articles of Association only those with either a Full or Joint annual membership, or an ‘Honorary Life’ membership, can vote in elections.

After the meetings, please join us for a celebration of the great work Lit & Phil Section members and other event organisers have done this year in producing an interesting programme of events.

Drinks and light refreshments will be served.

 

A copy of the Annual Sections Report is available here.

Four Ways of Thinking: Statistical, Interactive, Chaotic and Complex

Posted on: June 28th, 2023 by mlpEditor

What is the best way to think about the world? How often do we consider how our own thinking might impact the way we approach our daily decisions? Could it help or hinder our relationships, our careers or even our health?

Acclaimed mathematician David Sumpter has spent decades studying what we could all learn from the mindsets of scientists. His book Four Ways of Thinking (published August 2023) is the result.

Thinking about thinking is something we rarely do, yet it is something science questions all the time. Rather than being about facts, scientific and mathematic disciplines are, in large part, about finding better ways of reasoning. Our primary mission is to shape our own minds in a way that gets us closer to the truth.

David will illustrate four ways of thinking (Statistical, Interactive, Chaotic and Complex) through the lives of four mathematical scientists — Ronald Fisher, Alfred Lotka, Margaret Hamilton and Andrej Kolmogorov. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a mathematician to enjoy this talk!

He will combine personal experience with practical advice, showing how these tried and tested methods can help us with every conundrum. From how to bicker less with our partners, to pitching to a tough crowd.

Creating the tiniest machines: harnessing molecular-level motion

Posted on: June 13th, 2023 by mlpEditor

What possibilities do molecular-level machines hold? Are we at the dawn of a new industrial revolution, where molecular machinery will become an integral part of our lives? The incredible work of scientists like Professor David Leigh and his team would certainly seem to suggest that.

The best way to appreciate the technological potential of controlled molecular-level motion is to recognise that nanomotors and molecular-level machines lie at the heart of every significant biological process. Over billions of years of evolution, nature has not repeatedly chosen this solution for performing complex tasks without good reason.

But in stark contrast to biology, none of mankind’s fantastic myriad of present-day technologies exploit controlled molecular-level motion in any way at all. Every catalyst, every material, every plastic, every pharmaceutical, and every chemical reagent: all function through their static or equilibrium dynamic properties.

When we learn how to build artificial structures that can control and exploit molecular level motion and interface their effects directly with other molecular-level substructures and the outside world, it will potentially impact on every aspect of functional molecule and materials design. And this will surely bring an improved understanding of physics and biology.

The possibilities these new ‘tiny machine’ technologies are creating are truly incredible.

You can find out more about Professor Leigh’s work on The Leigh Group website.

Rooftop social

Posted on: June 7th, 2023 by mlpEditor

Get ready for another year of exploring new ideas and join us for a relaxed social evening.

There will be a chance to find out more about what’s coming up in the Autumn, and what we have planned for the coming year.

Our committee members will be available for a chat if you want to find out more about what they do – and maybe get involved.

Most importantly, it will be a chance to meet other members and make new friends!

Good to know: Members are welcome to bring a guest, and they will be able to join the society on the night at a discounted rate.

A surrealist’s guide to reality

Posted on: May 25th, 2023 by mlpEditor

Surrealism: the 20th century art movement where dreams and waking reality combined into a new strange ‘super-reality’.

The most cerebral of the surrealists – the man who painted philosophy – was René Magritte, a magician who conjured up a weird and wonderful world of images.

Look at his paintings, seemingly so elegant and simple at first, and you are soon sucked into a vortex of deep symbols and wry jokes about the human condition.  Magritte’s pipe painting, which paradoxically states that it is not a pipe, is one of the most famous images of all time.  But if it is not a pipe, what is it?

The focus paper A surrealist’s guide to reality is your travel guide to the representational ‘hall of mirrors’ you have just entered by asking that question. Can we decode the beautiful strangeness of Magritte’s work?  We can try…but prepare to be discombobulated!  Some of the paper is an easy read and some a bit harder.  But don’t worry if all is not clear; this is tricky stuff … just the way René liked it!

 

Good to know: We take pride in putting the fun back into serious philosophy through our friendly and respectful discussions involving different levels of experience of philosophy.  The Lit & Phil Philosophy Forum is all about collectively exploring interesting and exciting ideas from different viewpoints … not winning arguments!

The focus paper, by Christopher Burke, is for reading before the event, to enrich and guide our discussions.

We are usually oversubscribed, so if you book but find out later that you cannot attend, please cancel your ticket to free up a place for someone else. Thank you.

Visit to International Anthony Burgess Foundation

Posted on: May 22nd, 2023 by mlpEditor

Anthony Burgess (1917-1993) was quite the polymath! He was a novelist, poet, playwright, linguist, translator and critic. And a talented and prolific composer who wrote over 250 musical works during a compositional career that spanned more than 60 years.

Join us for a tour of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester to find out more about his exceptional life and works.

The Foundation’s staff will introduce Burgess’ work and members will have the opportunity to see a selection of objects from the archive – which includes books, music and papers.

The visit will last approximately 2 hours. Tea/coffee will be provided.

Good to know: Places are very limited so book soon to avoid disappointment.

 

About the International Anthony Burgess Foundation

The Foundation encourages and supports public and scholarly interest in all aspects of the life and work of Anthony Burgess. Based in Manchester city centre, on Cambridge Street, they have an extensive library, archive and study centre containing Burgess’s books, music and papers. There is also a performance venue where new work by writers, artists and musicians is presented.

Established in 2003 by Liana Burgess (1929-2007), the Anthony Burgess Foundation is an independent educational charity which welcomes all individuals and institutions interested in Burgess’s work.

 

Guided tour of RHS Garden Bridgewater

Posted on: May 15th, 2023 by mlpEditor

Nature has sprung back into life and Manchester is blooming! We’re celebrating by offering members and their guests a private tour of RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford.

RHS Bridgewater officially opened in May 2021, after 6 years of planning. The site was originally developed in 1840 when Worsley New Hall was created, along with magnificent formal gardens, and is 154 acres in size.

Once visited by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, the Hall survived a fire and two World Wars before it was demolished in the 1940s, with the gardens succumbing to Nature. Today the RHS master plan for Bridgewater is to embrace the site’s heritage while also giving it a future.

The tour – which will inspire gardeners and non-gardeners alike – lasts 1 hour, after which you can visit one of their three cafes, which serve a huge variety of tasty food (cost not included).

The ticket price of £13.50 includes admission to the site (usually £12.35) and the tour.

There is a separate ticket type for existing RHS members (who do not need to pay admission).

Booking is open to Lit and Phil members and their guests and this event should make for a wonderful afternoon in the great outdoors.

Good to know: You will need to make your own way there. Visit their website for more information on visiting the site.

No Pay? No Way! – at the Royal Exchange Theatre

Posted on: May 10th, 2023 by mlpEditor

Come along to the Manchester Lit & Phil’s Theatre Group visit to the UK Premier of Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s play ‘No Pay? No Way!’ at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

The play was a smash hit at Sydney Opera House in February 2020. The Royal Exchange production is described as “a ferocious and feisty political comedy” and “an urgent exploration of our global and economic reality.”

‘No Pay? No Way!’ has received numerous rave reviews, including:

“Funny? There has to be a stronger word? Funny? If I wasn’t sitting down, I’d have fallen over. I mean, at one point I was crying.” Sydney Morning Herald

★★★★★ “A complete joy to watch… Liberation takes many forms in this stellar offering which contorts riotously for two hours to hit the frontal lobe along with the funny bone.” ArtsHub

Members and friends are invited to book their seats directly with the theatre for the matinee performance (2.30pm) on the 20th May. Visit the theatre’s website to book your ticket(s).

As part of this event there will also be an informal post-theatre meal. If members and friends would like to reserve a place for the meal, please contact the organiser, including a note if you have particular access requirements (as this may influence the choice of venue).

Good to know: Members and guests who register for the event will receive briefing notes before the visit. There will also be an on-line discussion on May 22nd at 6.30pm, led by Professor Tony Jackson. See details below.

What is science?

Posted on: April 26th, 2023 by mlpEditor

Everyone knows what science is … or, at least, they think they do.  Try to define it and things get a bit less clear.

The word comes from the Latin ‘scientia’, which just means ‘knowledge’. So, is science knowledge about how nature really is? How can that be true when scientific theories themselves change over time, when the reality they address surely doesn’t?  Is science just a way of thinking about the world to build a body of theories – hypotheses based on observations?  Or is it a process, a way of acquiring facts?  And what makes a scientific fact true?

Considering the importance of science in our lives, we should arguably have a clearer picture about what it is.  So, the Lit & Phil Philosophy Forum is seeking clarification from three major philosophers of science of the 20th century: Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn and Imre Lakatos.

The seminar will be presented by Richard Remelie

 

Good to know: We take pride in putting the fun back into serious philosophy through our friendly and respectful discussions involving different levels of experience of philosophy.  The Lit & Phil Philosophy Forum is all about collectively exploring interesting and exciting ideas from different viewpoints … not winning arguments!

Richard Remelie’s focus paper What is Science?  should be read before the Forum to enrich and guide our discussions.

We are usually oversubscribed, so if you book but find out later that you cannot attend, please cancel your ticket to free up a place for someone else. Thank you.

 

A curious person’s guide to Digital Art

Posted on: April 19th, 2023 by mlpEditor

‘Digital art’ practice includes a wide variety of mediums. From computer, generative, robotic, kinetic and net art, through to post-internet, virtual reality, and augmented reality art.

For those who are unfamiliar with the terms and technologies, it can be a confusing world to enter. But this art sphere – which conceptually has its roots in the avant-garde art movements of the first half of the 20th century – is a fascinating space to explore.

Dr Claire Reddleman’s talk will address digital art as a relatively new era of art’s development, while also looking at its roots in more traditional kinds of art making.

She will consider the current abundance of digital art to explore in three ways. Firstly, looking briefly at digital ways of preserving and displaying non-digital art works.

Claire will then consider art and artists who continue some traditional artistic concerns (such as depicting landscape, contemplating the self-portrait) but using digital methods.

And finally, she will look at some examples of artists who work in completely digital ways and whose work is only encountered online.

No prior knowledge about art practice or digital technology will be needed – just bring your sense of curiosity!

 

* We have changed venues. This event is now taking place at Friends’ Meeting House*

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