Speaker: Quentin Cooper
time: 1600 to 1800
date: 19 January
place: Instituto Servantes, 1 Saborna Street, Sofia, Bulgaria

Science broadcaster and writer Quentin Cooper invites you to look beyond
the white lab coats,
racks of test tubes
and media stereotypes at what scientists are really like.

For all the global changes and advances in science and technology over the last half century, why have TV and cinema continued to reinforce the old image of scientists as being male, white and somewhere between mildly eccentric and downright evil?

And since these perceptions continue to warp attitudes to science and research, how can they be altered?

While Quentin presents live in Sofia, his talk will be broadcast through videoconference in Romania.

This event is dedicated to the EU membership of the two neighbouring countries.

The event will be in English but interpreting will be provided.  
No tickets or entry fee required
Please calls us or write to Rayna Ilieva to reserve a place.

As well as The Material World, Radio 4’s main (they prefer "flagship") science programme, he also presents their recurring technology in action documentary series Connect and is one of the roster of presenters of Pick of the Week.  He presents the weekly science news programme New Scientist Reports on the Discovery Channel, and turns up on a range of TV and radio networks to talk about science and technology or review films.  He writes each week for the Radio Times, has been the resident technology expert for Radio 2’s Jimmy Young programme and may still be now Jeremy Vine has taken over although no-one has quite decided, and most Sunday mornings appears with Michael Parkinson on his Radio 2 show discussing films, TV and radio.

Quentin has run and participated in a range of science communication and media skills workshops for such organisations as BBC Training, the British Council, the Institute of Physics and Channel 4 working with scientists/journalists in the UK and also in China, India and Malaysia.   From the launch of Radio 5Live he was the station’s film critic but two years ago moved over to be critic for ambitious-but-doomed WAP- and web-site XY Network which lasted a mere 12 months.   In the last few years Quentin has also presented a range of other programmes across several networks.  

For TV he was the on-screen "expert" on both film and technology during the two year run of BBC1’s Really Useful Show, presented BBC Knowledge’s long-running popular science series Science Fix, regularly covered digital culture and cinema for UK Arena's Reviews You Can Use and The Frame, and has made sporadic appearances - wearing either his arts or science hat - on everything from CNN to Vanessa, the Food Programme to Newsnight.

  

Having started off as a producer in News and Current Affairs, Quentin devised and produced the New York Radio Festival gold award winning arts preview programme Nightlife which led to him running the youth programme department first for Radio Scotland in Glasgow then for Radio 5 in Manchester.

Among the programmes he set up were Bite the Wax, Hit the North and Earshot and among the presenters whose careers were warped by early contact with him were Clare English, Armando Iannucci, Eddie Mair, Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley.

He blames his environment for growing up supporting both Grimsby Town and Manchester City, and his genes for his terrible posture.

Не was recently described by The Times as "the world’s most enthusiastic man" and more flatteringly as "an expert on everything from pop music to astrophysics"… a useful faculty for Radio 4’s main boffin of all things scientific and unfeasibly complex.  He also possesses a keen sense of humour which, as the presenter of The Material World, he employs to great effect”.    Even more recently The Daily Mail claimed that his "wit and enthusiasm can enliven the dullest of topics".