Science and Nature courses online & in London
Spanning weekdays, evenings, and weekends, City Lit's Science and Nature programme offers a wide range of courses and lectures across the fields of astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry, botany and horticulture, and ecology, conservation, and climate change.
Our science and nature courses will help you understand how our planet, its ecosystems, and humanity, has evolved up to the present day and the challenges we now face, whether looking at the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, or our own societies. Our courses, including lectures, day courses, and longer-term study over several weeks, aim to inform you of the issues that interest you.
Our courses are taught by experts in their fields.
All our courses are intellectually rigorous and stimulating. Our tutors come from a range of backgrounds, our tutors include academic experts, experienced educators, archaeologists, conservationists, horticultural experts, and renowned guides.
- Trees in summerCourse start date: Sat 3 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Letta JonesThree tree identification walks in Regent’s Park looking at common trees while focussing on bark, twigs, leaves, outline, seeds and fruits aiming to give you the confidence to get to know trees better.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £58.00 - The geology beneath British landscapesCourse start date: Sun 4 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Charles ClarkeBritain encompasses a fascinating variety of beautiful landscapes, from the lakes and hills of the north-west to the flatlands of East Anglia. This course gives you a practical introduction to the unique geology beneath these areas, covering main rock types and geological periods.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £38.00 - History of scienceCourse start date: Mon 5 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gary RetallickIn this course we consider the history of science, from its origins in ancient Greece and before, its development through the alchemy of the middle ages and into the modern period, with the present diversification into biology, chemistry and physics. We will alsoconsider the increasing impact of science on society and possible future directions.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £55.00 - Generative AI: TalkCourse start date: Fri 9 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
A 45 minute talk, followed by questions, on the increasing use of generative AI in day-to-day life. What does that mean for an individual and how can a non-technical person use these new platforms to save time and effort? We'll take a quick look at what Generative AI is, its pros and cons, and how to use some of the freely available platforms for work and play.
Kate Scott is a Digital Marketing and User Experience consultant who's worked for companies such as IBM and Virgin Media O2, and taught at the University of Hong Kong. .Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00 - Astronomy for summer eveningsCourse start date: Sun 11 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Roger O'BrienHave you heard of the Summer Triangle? Now is the time to see it - and so much else in the summer evening skies! This one-day course will help you prepare to make the most of the astronomical splendours available to those who know where and when to look at the sky.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - The physics of time
Course start date: Sat 17 Jun 2023Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Gary RetallickExplore the various different conceptions of time within modern physics - from the absolute time of Newtonian mechanics to the relativistic time of Einsteinian gravity. The possibility that time is quantized, made up of discrete moments, is seen to emerge in some of the most cutting edge theories of physics, such as loop quantum gravity and string theory. Consider the emergence of time in the big bang, the direction of time, and the possibility of time travel.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Astrophysics: an introductionCourse start date: Sun 25 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Radmila TopalovicA short introduction to the science of astrophysics which explores the physics of stars, galaxies, planets and black holes, as well as theoretical topics such as solar system formation. The course is taught by Radmila Topalovic, who holds a degree in Physics with Astrophysics and a PhD in Astrochemistry.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Generative AI: a short introductionCourse start date: Sat 29 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This is a short introduction to Generative AI for non-technical beginners who want to find out what all the fuss is about over ChatGPT, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00 - Walking London's rivers
Course start date: Wed 7 Jun 2023Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Brenna BoyleIn this relaxed walking programme, we explore the wildlife, ecology and history of London’s rivers. First session at City Lit, followed by three off-site walks of approximately two hours each.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £45.00 - Introduction to AI: tasterCourse start date: Fri 9 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Liv Helen VageArtificial intelligence is gradually becoming bigger and bigger part of our lives- through everything from self driving cars to ChatGPT. In this taster we will explore the facts and myths about IA- how well does it actually work, and do we need to regulate it better? Be ready for a lively discussion on a topic that affects us all.Full fee £0.00 Senior fee £0.00 Concession £0.00 - Walking London's woodlandCourse start date: Mon 3 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Brenna BoyleExplore London’s diverse woodlands and discover the wildlife within. This relaxed natural history and walking course has an introduction at City Lit, followed by three off-site woodland walks.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £71.00 Concession £45.00
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