Public talk by Simon Singh

BIG BANG – the history of the universe in 60 minutes

Simon Singh, author of Fermat's Last Theorem and The Code Book, talks about his latest book, Big Bang, a history of cosmology. As well as explaining what the Big Bang theory actually is, Simon will recount how the theory emerged and tell the story of the brilliant and eccentric scientists who fought against the establishment idea of an eternal and unchanging cosmos. He will also look at the astronomical evidence in favour of a Big Bang moment of creation and discuss why today's cosmologists remain confident that the Big Bang theory is an accurate description of the origin and evolution of the universe. The lecture is likely to include Led Zeppelin, the teletubbies and an electrified gherkin.

Simon Singh

Simon Singh is a science writer and broadcaster. He completed a PhD in particle physics before joining the BBC. He has presented Mind Games on BBC4, the Science of Secrecy on Channel 4, and Five Numbers on Radio 4. His first book, Fermat's Last Theorem, became a No.1 bestseller; this was followed by The Code Book, a history of codes and code breaking, which was also a bestseller. His most recent book is Big Bang, a history of cosmology.

(This talk was held on Tuesday 24 May 2005.)