QED. Manchester. Question. Explore. Discover.

QED comes to Manchester in February. We spoke to Dr. Janis Bennion, a neuroscientist from the University of Manchester to find out exactly what QED is.

If this all sounds very cerebral, don't worry. It certainly will be but it sounds like it will a lot of fun too. Dr. Janis Bennion explains.

What is the QED conference and how did it come to be?

QED, or Question. Explore. Discover. is a two-day science and skepticism event, being held in Manchester in February next year. It'll be a huge amount of fun; we've put a lot into bringing interesting, inspiring, and entertaining speakers from all sorts of backgrounds to Manchester to talk about their passions. From Jon Ronson (pictured) discussing new material from his upcoming book, to BBC favourie Jim Alkhalili and even Eugenie Scott, over from the USA to talk about her battle against creationism in the science classroom. At the same time, we still want to keep it accessible and fun for everyone, so there'll be lots of mingling, and a breakout room for panel sessions and workshops. For those unfamiliar with the term, skepticism is a questioning attitude, and 'skeptics' need claims to be well supported by evidence. If you're interested in critical thinking, and love the role science plays in understanding the world around us, helping to explain the 'unexplainable', this is for you!

QED came about from a discussion between two non-profit organisations; our 'Greater Manchester Skeptics' and 'The Merseyside Skeptics'. We'd enjoyed having support from each other or the monthly events we put on, and we agreed that something like this was certainly lacking from the North West. Despite it being a rather daunting task for small fry like us, we decided that we could make it happen as a collaborative effort.

There's a whole weekend full of great speakers and sessions. Are there any particular guests or events about which you are particularly excited?

It's hard to know where to begin with this, but since I got interested in skepticism after listening to 'The Skeptics Guide to the Universe' podcast, I have to admit that I'm thrilled that SGU host Steve Novella (pictured) will be speaking at QED... Actually I can't quite believe it! On the other hand, as a scientist interested in science communication, you can't help but be floored by the magnificent Eugenie Scott. If you're not sure- just go and find her on youtube- you'll be in awe too! Okay, I'm going to have to be careful here because I could easily go through the whole list and tell you why I think they're amazing...but then, that's kind of the point!

Manchester has got so many close links with science and progressive thinking. Is that why you chose to hold the QED conference here?

When we got together to talk about QED for the first time, we discussed possible locations for the event. The North West in general is a fantastic place for science these days, with fantastic Universities all over the place, and great 'buzzing' cities. Ultimately, we chose Manchester for the event because it had pretty much everything we were looking for- great venues, for the event itself and the fringe events we were planning, fantastic transport links- both for our speakers and for those wishing to attend the event from outside the area. There's also great bars and restaurants for those wanting to venture into the city.

Getting back to the science part of your question; Manchester is certainly a great place for a science and rational thinking event. We have great universities, but also- and often more relevant to people in the city day-to-day- we have great opportunities for people to get together and discuss issues, and learn new things in groups scattered across the city. We're organising some outreach activities around QED as fringe events with groups like these, and also with the Manchester Museum. It's really wonderful how approachable all these groups have been. I'm certainly learning a lot about Manchester as we progress with QED, and I really like what I see.

Thanks to Dr. Janis Bennion. For more information, visit www.qedcon.org

Last Minute Christmas ideas for Mancunians

It's getting late now so here's some last minute christmas ideas:

You could, of course, buy everyone socks or an Xbox but you could support the local economy and give some truly brilliant gifts at the same time. We think that's a good way to go so we're putting together a list of gift ideas with a difference which support Manchester businesses and celebrate everything that's good about this fine city of ours.

One for nature lovers (tickets to a World Premiere)

The ideal last minute Christmas presents is tickets. You can buy as many as you like for as many people as you like and not have to worry about postage or fighting through the crowds. What better then than tickets to a World Premiere of a stunning new concert?

Manchester-based World Class Service Ltd have teamed up with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the world's best Natural History film makers to make this stunning new live concert experience. The World Premier is in Liverpool on January 8th. There's a matinee at 2.30pm (as well as one at 7.30pm) so it's easy to get to and from Liverpool and makes for an excellent family outing or even a Hot (cold) date.

Experience the mighty RLPO playing the likes of Sibelius, Beethoven and Bach set to the most stunning footage of the Polar regions.



For tickets, visit www.polarconcert.com

Something for your Science-obsessed friends

The QED conference is a brand new 2 day celebration of all that's true and interesting in Manchester in February. Speakers include Jon Ronson of "The Men Who Stare at Goats" and Simon Singh who decided to try to bring about Libel Reform in the UK.

Tickets are £99 for the whole weekend of talks and activities. Not your average Christmas present but that's not what this list is about. Imagine the joy on the face of your sceptical friend on Christmas morning...and the pub conversations you'll be having for weeks after the event...

Not to mention the fact that any profits go to Sense About Science and The National Autistic Society

Something for the film buff

Manchester's Cornerhouse is something for us Mancunians to be proud of and the recent announcement of the alliance with The Library Theatre brings together two greats of the Manchester arts scene. For the film lover on your present list, there can be little better than membership of the Cornerhouse. For £25, you get exclusive offers and discounts and the chance to experience simply brilliant opportunities like having a Q&A with Chris Morris


A handmade gift, made right here in Manchester

Manchester Craft Centre is home to all sorts of independant, creative people. It's in the Northern Quarter and is the place to be if you want an individual, beautiful, hand-made gift. Jewellery, art, scultptures etc. Take a break from the high street shops and find something out of the ordinary for someone you love's stocking.

We'll keep looking for more and updating the list so keep checking back.

Over a thousand people use the Manchester10 iphone app

The free Manchester10 iPhone app is no stranger to regular visitors to this blog and it is growing in popularity and usage across the city. Over a thousand people now use the app regularly to give them quick look at what's happening in Manchester.

On any given night or day, Manchester is packed to the brim with a wide variety of special events, restaurants, concerts, places to have a drink etc. etc. etc. To produce a website to cover it all is tantamount to trying to create a Death Star. Great fun, obviously, but ultimately all too cumbersome. That's why we produce the Top Ten Things to do in Manchester and make it available for free on this blog and to iPhone users.

The iPhone version is updated throughout the week and the blog version is updated on a Monday. Nobody pays to be on the list. The only way events, places and things are listed is by being outstanding.

Thanks to everyone who uses and enjoys the list. It's a labour of love for us. This is our city and we're simply pinpointing 10 great things to do in it each week.