Aberdeen Art Gallery is set to welcome two of the country’s foremost science communicators – Dr Darren Naish and Professor John Spicer – as part of the talks programme which accompanies the special exhibition, Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction?
On Saturday 30 August at 2pm, Dr Darren Naish will explore the fascinating relationship between mythical sea monsters and real marine reptiles and mammals in a talk entitled Sea Monsters Past and Present. The event is supported by the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums.
Monsters of the Deep is based on an idea originated by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, for which Dr Naish was guest curator. A leading expert on the history of life on Earth, he has advised on many film TV and museum projects, including projects with the BBC Natural History Unit. He is the chief scientific consultant for the Apple TV+ series Prehistoric Planet.
Darren Naish received his PhD in palaeontology from the University of Portsmouth in 2006 and specialises in dinosaurs, ancient sea reptiles and the flying pterosaurs. He has published numerous books, mostly recently Ancient Sea Reptiles (Natural History Museum, London/Smithsonian Books) and Mesozoic Art (with Steve White, published by Bloomsbury). He is the author of a popular blog, Tetrapod Zoology (tetzoo.com ), where he writes about all manner of zoological topics. Darren is running DinoCon at the University of Exeter, the UK’s largest Palaeontology-themed convention celebrating all things prehistoric (www.dinocon.co.uk).
Professor John Spicer is a fun-loving, wild swimming, expedition-leading, collaborative marine zoologist with expertise in ecophysiology at the University of Plymouth’s Marine Institute. He will be sharing his passion for education with pupils at Lochside Academy, and giving two ‘pay what you can’ talks at the Art Gallery. His lunchtime talk on Wednesday 3 September is intriguingly entitled “We saw giants!” How to study them in the Antarctic Ocean – and why it matters.
On Thursday 4 September at 2pm, Professor Spicer will invite audience members to consider, What has the ocean every done for me? in what promises to be an engaging and interactive discussion about the incredible benefits our ocean and its inhabitants give us, from life-giving resources and hidden medicines to awe-inspiring stories.
His research interests focus on the innermost workings of marine organisms in a quest to understand how they work and evolve in the wild, and how they adapt to climate change. Renowned for his expertise in ocean acidification and hypoxia, he has contributed a substantial wealth of knowledge to the field over three decades, resulting in over 180 research papers, multiple academic books, writing for popular culture, and advising national and international policymakers. His publications include Biodiversity: A Beginner’s Guide (Oneworld books) and Biodiversity: World Issues Today (Rosen Publicity Group).
Event details
Sea Monsters Past and Present
Darren Naish
Saturday 30 August
14:00-15:00, Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill AB10 1FQ
£10/£7 concessions
Book now at www.aagm.co.uk
Lunchtime Talk: “We saw giants!” How to study them in the Antarctic Ocean – and why it matters
Professor John Spicer
Wednesday 3 September
12.30 (45 mins), Art Gallery
Pay what you can
What has the ocean ever done for me? Professor John Spicer
Thursday 4 September
14:00-15:30, Art Gallery
Pay what you can – advance booking required at aagm.co.uk
Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction? continues at Aberdeen Art Gallery until 26 October. A programme of talks, workshops and a special D&D event accompanies the exhibition – for full programme details go to Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction? | Aberdeen City Council