The George Hay Lecture
The George Hay Lecture was instituted in 2000 by the Science Fiction Foundation in honour of one of our co-founders, the environmentalist and science communicator George Hay. The lecture is given each year at the annual UK Science Fiction Convention, Eastercon. It is delivered by a working scientist, or exponent of science, to an educated audience of fans, on the current work in their field.
The previous Hay Lecturers have been:
2024
Dr James Flanagan, Imperial College London - 'Battling Cancer in 2024 and Beyond'
2023
Dr Colin Carlson, Georgetown University - 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to Healthcare'
2022
Dr Rachael Livermore - 'Witnessing the Dawn of Galaxies'
2021
Dr Kirsty Squires, University of Staffordshire - 'Forensic Medieval Archaeology'
2020
NO EASTERCON
2019
Dr Hamied Haroon, University of Manchester - 'Medical Imaging: Exploring the Final Frontier'
2018
Dr Kevin Cowtan, University of York - 'Vulcans are from Vulcan, Humans are from Earth: Understanding Climate Science and Why Some People Reject It'
2017
Prof Debbie Chachra, Olin College of Engineering - '3D Printing, Biology, and Futures for Materials'
2016
Dr Colin Wright, Gresham College - 'The Mathematics of Juggling'
2015
Dr Anna Croft, University of Nottingham - 'To the Stars and Beyond: Making the Most of What We Have'
2014
Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal - 'The Post Human Future' [Loncon3 additional Hay Lecture]
2013
Dr Henry Gee, Senior Editor, Nature – ‘Behind the Scenes at an International Science Journal’
2012
Dr Lesley Hall, Wellcome Library, London – ‘Invisible Women? The Scientists People Don’t See’
2011
Dr Dave Clements, Imperial College, London – ‘Secrets of Shrouded Galaxies Newly Revealed’
2010
Oliver Morton, Energy and Environment Editor, The Economist – ‘Geoengineering' [available to view here.]
2009
Dr Adrian Bowyer, University of Bath – ‘3D Printers’
2008
Prof David Southwood, ESA – ‘Running a Space Agency in Fact and Fiction’
2007
Prof Guillaume Thierry, Bangor University – ‘Visual Illusions and Reality’
2006
Dr Alice Jenkins, University of Glasgow – ‘Science in C19th Literature’
2005
Prof Armand Leroi, Imperial College, London – ‘Human Mutation’
2004
Francis Spufford – ‘Behind the Backroom Boys’
2003
Prof Simon Conway Morris, University of Cambridge – ‘Evolution’
2002
Dr Alastair Reynolds – ‘Novel Astronomical Detectors’
2001
Dr Helen Priddle, Roslin Institute – ‘Cloning’
2000
Dr Amanda Baker, Cardiff University – ‘Cosmology’