Lord Robert Winston will be giving a free public lecture at the Wellington Opera house on 2nd August. As a teaser, here is a video of him talking on the theme of his recent book: Bad Ideas: Will our best technology finish us off?

Lord Winston's visit to New Zealand is part of celebrations marking 100 Years of Outstanding Science in New Zealand, combining the 90th anniversary of the Cawthron Institute in Nelson and the 10th anniversary Liggins Institute of The University of Auckland. A medical doctor, IVF pioneer, scientist, television presenter, former MP and life peer, Professor Winston is also the author of a string of popular science books. In the lecture at the Opera house he will focus on the double-edged nature of innovation:

“Ever since mankind invented the hand axe, humans have produced technologies which have become increasingly powerful,” he says. “So many scientific discoveries increase our domination over the world yet we are also unable to control our environment. Each scientific advance offers extraordinary and exciting possibilities but there is nearly always an unpredictable dark side to mankind’s inventiveness."

For more information see the announcement from the Liggins institute.