At the very first FutureFest Late, BBC broadcaster and physicist Jim Al-Khalili will be exploring the future through a scientific lens.

At a time of mounting anxiety about the powerful influence that technologists and scientists are exerting over our future, does fiction allow scientists to have a more truthful conversation with the public about charged ethical issues? Or does it just serve as a form of escapism to numb our fears about the future?​​

Join Jim Al-Khalili, as he discuss the science that will shape our world in the future - from dark matter to quantum biology.

Ahead of the publication of his new sci-fi novel Sunfall, Jim Al-Khalili will be discussing the appeal of science fiction to scientists, and whether it can help us predict or shape the future.

Jim Al-Khalili

Jim Al-Khalili is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Surrey, where he also holds a chair in the Public Engagement in Science. As well has being a respected academic in the field of theoretical physics and atomic modelling, Jim has presented the BAFTA-nominated Chemistry: A Volatile History for the BBC, and is passionate about making science more accessible and interesting to the public.

Jim is the author of several books including many aimed at increasing scientific understanding and answering common, if complex, questions. His titles including Aliens: Science Asks: Is There Anyone Out There?, Paradox: The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Physics, Quantum: A Guide For The Perplexed, and Black Holes, Wormholes and Time Machines. His acclaimed book᭄ Life on the Edge examines the new field of quantum biology and explores what life is, how it can be explained on a sub-atomic level, and whether life can only ever be created from life.