CURIOUS Live is back for its first event of 2024. We'll be putting intriguing questions to the experts on some curious topics during IFLScience’s second-ever virtual event, delving into nuclear war, the connection between mental and physical health, insect detectives, and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. We’re speaking to experts in each of these fields to find out what science, history, technology, curious case studies, and experiments have taught us about everything from the devastation of atomic bombs to the ongoing search for extraterrestrials.

What to expect at CURIOUS Live 2024

Atomic Bombs

First up, IFLScience writer and producer Rachael Funnell sits down with Annie Jacobsen, reporter and Pulitzer-shortlisted author of Nuclear War: A Scenario. Jacobsen obtained exclusive interviews with military experts to ascertain just what happens minute-by-minute, second-by-second, following a hypothetical nuclear blast on Washington, and we wanted to know what such a scenario might look like, as well as what it would mean for the planet. 

Immunopsychiatry

Next, IFLScience content creator Eleanor Higgs teams up with Dr Monty Lyman, medical doctor and author of The Immune Mind, to unravel the emerging field of immunopsychiatry. Ever wondered why you get sick when you’re stressed? Or why being ill can make you feel depressed? It turns out the divide between our mental and physical health has been historically overstated. In fact, there are mechanisms that connect the two, and things like our gut microbiomes may even explain why some people get more of a buzz from exercise than others.

Insect Detectives

Returning for our third talk, Rachael takes us into the world of forensic entomology alongside Dr Erica McAlister and Adrian Washbourne, authors of Metamorphosis: How Insects Are Changing Our World. Explore how insect detectives play a crucial role in forensic science, from estimating time of death to uncovering hidden clues.

Alien Life

Lastly, IFLScience’s space correspondent Dr Alfredo Carpineti leads an exploration of humans’ search for alien life in our final talk with astronomer Professor Lisa Kaltenegger, who recently penned Alien Earths. From labs filled with thousands of different worlds in miniature to questioning what really defines “life”, the search is a complex one. Some have even suggested that rather than finding “little green men”, we’d more likely stumble across some purple ones…

Sign up to watch and you’ll receive a CURIOUS Live booklet ahead of the event with more background information on these curious topics, experienced experts, and even a quiz you can try out for yourself, test on your class, or take for a whirl in a pub quiz. 

So, join us on May 31, and you just might learn something you’ll never forget.