The Story of Time with Professor Jim Al-Khalili

Questions about the nature of time are some of the most enduring. Yet despite our ever-deepening understanding of the physical universe, we have yet to reach a consensus: does time flow like a river, carrying us along, or does it flow past us? Can it be stretched and squeezed, or even reversed? And why does it point towards the future and not to the past?

At the Great Exhibition Road Festival, the broadcaster and professor of physics Jim Al-Khalili will look at how we can use our current understanding of the laws of physics to tell a new story about the nature and behaviour of time.

It's a story that will forever change the way you think about the passage of time and your place within it.

Jim Al-Khalili CBE FRS HonFIOP HonFREng is a distinguished professor of physics at the University of Surrey and a well-known author, broadcaster and science communicator. He received his PhD in theoretical nuclear physics in 1989 and has published widely on few-body quantum scattering methods to study nuclear structure, particularly as applied to the study of exotic nuclei. He has more recently focussed on the foundations of quantum mechanics, quantum thermodynamics and quantum effects in biology.

Visitor information

Talks and discussions are intended for an adult audience and are most suitable for ages 14+.

This event is part of the Art of Science talk series, shown at location number 22 on the Festival Map. The talk will have some advance tickets released to visitors closer to the Festival weekend as well as having drop in spaces on the day.

If you have an advance ticket, please arrive at the venue 10 minutes before the start time. Your ticket gives you priority access, however, as this is a free event we overbook to help ensure a full event and your space may be reallocated. Early arrival reduces this risk.

This event has step-free access.

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Image credit: Nick Smith