16th July: Proof? (The Uncertain Science of Certainty)
- Ages 17+
Bestselling author of 'The Rules of Contagion' explores how scientific opinion is formed — and how best to convince others of the facts?
Date and time
Location
The Old King's Head
King's Head Yard Off Borough High Street London SE1 1NA United KingdomRefund Policy
Agenda
6:30 PM
Doors open to the public
7:00 PM
Event begins
8:00 PM
Break
8:30 PM
Q&A
9:00 PM
Event ends
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Optional socialising
About this event
- Event lasts 2 hours
- Ages 17+
- No venue parking
How are scientific opinions formed? How do we converge on the truth? And once we get there, how should we try to convince others?
On Wednesday 16th July, Professor Adam Kucharski – epidemiologist, statistician, and bestselling author of The Rules of Contagion – discusses the crucial ideas behind his new book, Proof: The Uncertain Science of Certainty and explores why it's sometimes more important to be approximately right now, rather than waiting to be perfectly right later.
Throughout history, scientific progress relies on establishing fact from fiction. From the medieval Islamic world to the COVID pandemic, the reasoning went: achieve logical perfection and be rewarded with ultimate, universal truth.
But demonstrating that a medical treatment works, persuading a jury of someone’s guilt, or deciding whether to trust a self-driving car requires us to weigh up incomplete evidence.
So, is there more to proof than axioms, theories and scientific laws? Now, more than ever, we need to understand what "Gold Standard Science" really means – and what it doesn't.
Come to PubSci on Wednesday 16th July to hear from Prof Kucharski first hand how scientific advice was developed during the COVID pandemic, often relying on incomplete evidence, as epidemiologists and statisticians raced against the clock to save as many people as possible while balancing political, social, and societal demands.
Adam's latest book, Proof, ranges across science, politics, philosophy and economics to explore how truth emerges – and why it sometimes falters. Don't miss this unique opportunity to hear bestselling author and award-winning science communicator, Prof Adam Kucharski at PubSci.
Copies of Proof will be on sale at the event.
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PubSci talks run for around 45 minutes and are followed by a Q&A session. The Old King's Head has a happy hour before 7 and the kitchen serves traditional pub grub. The nearest tube is London Bridge (Borough High Street exit). See FAQs for more.
See below for ticketing options, to read about this month's speaker, and to learn more about PubSci.
Tickets
Booking is on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis.
There are two ticket options:
- Book without donating (max 4 tickets) if you prefer to put cash in the pot on the night
- Book for one + Support PubSci (max 1 ticket) if you'd rather make a contribution when booking – this option also reserves you one spot at the event.
Multiple tickets
If you need multiple tickets, you could get one Support PubSci ticket for whatever amount you're comfortable with for your group, then add the rest of your tickets for free. You can do this in one transaction, but how you book is up to you. Bring cash on the night to put in the pot if you prefer to support PubSci that way.
How much are tickets...?
There's no set 'price' – we trust you to contribute what you think is fair for an evening of great science. The precise amount is up to you but the price of a pub drink is probably a good measure.
PubSci receives no other income. More information at the bottom of this page.
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About the speaker
Adam Kucharski is Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, focusing on making better use of data and analytics for epidemic preparedness and response. This includes large-scale studies of social behaviour and immunity.
A mathematician by training, his work on global outbreaks has included Ebola, Zika and COVID-19, and he has produced real-time analysis for governments and health agencies around the world. He is a TED senior fellow and winner of the 2016 Rosalind Franklin Award Lecture and the 2012 Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize.
Adam has published over 180 scientific papers, including a 2016 paper for Nature on the epidemiology of fake news which has been cited almost 300 times in scientific literature. His popular science writing has appeared in Wired, Financial Times, New Scientist, Scientific American, The Times and The Observer.
Adam's previous book, Rules of Contagion, was a Times, Guardian and FT Science Book of the Year, and his 2016 Royal Institution talk on The Science of Luck has been viewed nearly 4 million times.
PubSci is delighted to welcome Adam as the latest speaker in our 2025 talks programme.
About PubSci
PubSci presents accessible science talks in the comfort of a pub meeting room so you can enjoy top quality science talks with a drink in your hand.
It is an independent initiative run by volunteers, is not-for-profit, and receives no funding other than attendee contributions.
We believe science is for everyone and we want everybody to be able to afford our events so we run PubSci on a Pay-What-You-Can basis. To contribute via Eventbrite choose "Book for one + support PubSci". To contribute on the night, please bring cash.
By making a donation, you make it possible for PubSci to put on events like this. If you're not sure what's a reasonable amount, we suggest the same as you'd pay for a drink at the pub. If you want to support somebody attending who can't afford it, consider the price of two drinks.
Please see the below for all your FAQs
Note: We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, but it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the upstairs room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.
Check out our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our Google Calendar. PubSci events will then automatically appear in your own iCal compatible calendar.
You can learn more about PubSci via our LinkTree and download our events programme here
Frequently asked questions
PubSci is entirely funded by the audience. We have no other source of income. There is no sponsor, no grant-funding, and no institutional backing. This makes us completely independent. It also makes our relationship with the audience very important.
There is no admission charge but PubSci isn't so-much "free" as "pay-what-you-can". We trust you to make whatever contribution you think is fair for an evening of science and socialising in a central London pub. You can make your contribution when booking or bring cash on the night.
We're not going to tell you what you should put in the pot but if you're buying drinks at the pub, you might want to donate the cost of one-drink per person. That seems a pretty good definition of pay-what-you can!
Sadly, our current venue is not wheelchair accessible. The room we use is upstairs in a historic Pub and there is no level access. We have tried to find an accessible venue but nothing was available at a price that would allow us to continue PubSci's pay-what-you can policy for events.
Absolutely, yes! The kitchen opens especially for PubSci and serves a range of classic pub grub (make sure to check the Specials board). Order food at the bar and it will be brought up to the meeting room. Please listen out for your food arriving. There is a happy hour on drinks from 5 to 7pm.
PubSci is definitely social – it’s a friendly crowd and there’s time to chat after the Q&A if you want to – but it’s not designed as a “mixer” event. We come for the science and stay for the chat.
PubSci is aimed at a general audience with an interest in science-realted topics, but no specialist knowledge is required. People from all walks of life, including scientists and non-scientists can enjoy our talks. If something didn't make sense, you can always ask for clarification in the Q&A.
There is seating for 44 and lots of standing room. Around half these seats are at tables. The best way to secure a seat and/or table is to arrive when the doors open at 6.30. Please contact us in advance if you have mobility issues or are unable to stand for long.
PubSci is an inclusive event, open to all and free from judgement. We aim to be a safe and respectful space regardless of gender, sexuality, race, disability, education or neurotypicality. However, the room we use is not wheelchair accessible due to access via stairs. We are looking for a solution.
PubSci is a friendly event that offers accessible talks in the comfort of a pub meeting room where you can enjoy top quality science with a drink in your hand for whatever you can afford. We're independent, run by volunteers, not-for-profit, and receive no funding other than attendee contributions.
PubSci began long before the phrase "Sip and —" caught on. Our first tagline was "Peer Reviewed Drinking" but we later switched to "Sipping • Supping • Science" to better reflect what we do. PubSci isn't a hands-on "Sip and —" event. Check out the lovely people at LitLab for that.
Doors open at 6.30 – grab a couple of drinks and order food before the talk starts at 7. Our talks run for around 45 minutes, followed by a bar/toilet break. Some people have to head home at this point but most stay for the Q&A session which ends by 9 at the latest. You can slip out at any time.