We’re a group of free-thinking people in Bedford who like to get together in a casual atmosphere and talk about interesting things.
We find a speaker – typically a scientist or prominent skeptic who will speak for around 40 minutes. The subjects of the talks vary, but they will typically be about a common belief that either cannot be justified by the available evidence, or that can actually be demonstrated to be false by the available evidence – or else something that is just plain interesting or contentious.
Examples of subjects we have already covered are: Electric cars, Hypnotism, Fracking, The Alpha Course, Prostitution, Policing, Spin in Lobbying, Futurology, Academy Schools, Income Inequality and a whole lot more to come.
The talk is followed by a chance to question the speaker yourself, or just relax and listen to what people have to say.
Meetings are usually on the third Thursday of the month. Arrive at 7:00pm for a 7:30 start. Why not come along and join in?
Please note that after our April 2024 meeting, we are moving to a bi-monthly timetable. For full details, scroll down to the ‘Events’ section.
Non-skeptics are not only welcome, they’re actively encouraged!
Location: The North End Social Club, 60 Roff Avenue, Bedford, MK41 7TW
Ring the bell and wait to be admitted – our private room is immediately on the left.
Note: Disabled access is from the rear, car park side, under the fire escape.
Bedford Skeptics meetings are organised by Bedfordshire Humanists
Events
Please note, Bedford Skeptics events are now Bi-Monthly.
(Jan. / Mar. / May / Jul. / Sept. / Nov.)
Thursday 15th May 2025 – 7:30pm
Conservation & Restoration In A Changing Climate
Professor Jim Harris
Climate change is moving the biophysical envelope all over the planet – and some species cannot keep up, being deeply embedded in those systems – we are moving swiftly from Red Queen to Court Jester environments, and we need to adapt management to suit.
Current approaches, such as management for one or a few species in a SSSI, or as part of a landscape character designation, may appear to produce resistant communities in a location for now, but in the longer term are more likely to induce fragility and potential collapse.
We should consider the role of diversity and complexity in all ecosystem components (abiotic and biotic) to sustain system function and provide emergent properties, particularly resilience. We may have to consider that for some systems we accept shifting community structures in terms of which species flourish where, producing novel assemblages with the same ecosystem interdependencies – “same play, different actors”.
We can ask: Is the system maturing, or capable of maturing, along a stable trajectory? Is the system resistant and resilient? Is the system providing ecosystem goods and services? Is it providing a safe space for species to thrive in response to climate change? Is it time to consider an ecosystems protection policy? Should we be engaged in a triage process due to limited resources? How does this fit with Biodiversity Net Gain Ambitions?
In this rapidly changing environment – both biophysical and political – we need to bring flexibility to bear, adopting a “Principles and Guidelines” approach, rather than an adherence to rigid Standards and species lists.
Jim Harris is Professor of Environmental Technology at Cranfield Environment Centre.
Thursday 17th July 2025 – 7:30pm
The Case for Dark Matter
Dr. Matthew Bothwell
Over the past 50 years, astronomers have become increasingly certain that most of the Universe is made up of a mysterious invisible substance that we do not properly understand.
This stuff — known as ‘dark matter’ — is thought to play an integral role in the evolution of the Universe, and is ultimately responsible for our existence here on Earth. But despite its importance, dark matter has never actually been detected!
In this special talk, Dr Matthew Bothwell lays out the observational evidence that has led scientists to believe something which — on the surface — seems so incredibly bizarre.
Matt is an astrophysicist, science communicator and author, and the current Public Astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge.
He received his PhD in astronomy from the University of Cambridge and worked as a galaxy evolution researcher for a decade, before turning his love of science communication into a full-time position.
He now delivers outreach to schools, runs stargazing evenings, gives public lectures, and writes about all things astronomical. His first children’s book, Astrophysics for Supervillains, has just been published by DK. He is also a Bye-Fellow at Girton College, University of Cambridge.
Thursday 18th September 2025 – 7:30pm
A Little History of Maths
Snezana Lawrence
Mathematics is fundamental to our daily lives. Science, computing, economics—all aspects of modern life rely on some kind of maths. But how did our ancestors think about numbers? How did they use mathematics to explain and understand the world around them? Where do numbers even come from?
In her new book, ‘A Little History of Mathematics’ (Yale University Press, 2025) , Snezana Lawrence traces the fascinating history of mathematics, from the Egyptians and Babylonians to Renaissance masters and enigma codebreakers.
Like literature, music, or philosophy, mathematics has a rich history of breakthroughs, creativity and experimentation. And its story is a global one. We see Chinese Mathematical Art from 200 BCE, the invention of algebra in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom, and sangaku geometrical theorems at Japanese shrines.
Lawrence goes beyond the familiar names of Newton and Pascal, exploring the prominent role women have played in the history of maths, including Emmy Noether and Maryam Mirzakhani.
Snezana Lawrence is a Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University, London, and was the chair of the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics International Study Group between 2020 and 2024. She is the author of Mathematical Meditations, The New Year’s Present from a Mathematician and editor of Mathematicians and Their Gods.
You can find her on social media as @snezanalawrence.bsky.social @snezanalawrence @mathshistory
Thursday 20th November 2025 – 7:30pm
What an I Can Do That AI Can’t
Professor Neil Lawrence
In this talk Prof Neil Lawrence will talk about the limitations of artificial intelligence, why he finds the notion of artificial general intelligence absurd, and how there’s a part of us that can never be replaced by the machine.
Neil Lawrence is the inaugural DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge. He has been working on machine learning models for over 20 years. He recently returned to academia after three years as Director of Machine Learning at Amazon. His main interest is the interaction of machine learning with the physical world. This interest was triggered by deploying machine learning in the African context, where ‘end-to-end’ solutions are normally required. This has inspired new research directions at the interface of machine learning and systems research, this work is funded by a Senior AI Fellowship from the Alan Turing Institute.
Neil is also visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield and the co-host of Talking Machines.