Event of the week
In Linnaeus’ Wake – 300 years of marine discovery
The Linnean Society of London and aboard the Swedish ship Götheborg
1 June

This conference at Burlington House will focus on marine taxonomy over the past 300 years. As the Linnean Society points out, ‘in the age of DNA sequencing and deep-sea robotic submarines, much of marine science is still in the ‘discovery phase’, just as it was in Linnaeus’ day’. Afterwards, delegates with sea-legs can attend an evening reception aboard the classic Swedish ship Götheborg, currently berthed at West India Docks.

Conferences and meetings
It’s all about sustainability this week. A major policy meeting to discuss the UK’s energy strategy will be held at 1 Whitehall Place on 31 May. A half-day workshop at the Institution of Chemical Engineers will ‘introduce delegates to the principles of industrial sustainability.’ The corporate response to climate change will be discussed at the CBI Conference Centre 29-31 May. Meanwhile, the Royal Institute of British Architects will host a one-day event on sustainable architecture on 30 May.

For those interested in alternative scientific careers, a London Biotechnology Network meeting on 29 May (DTI Conference Centre) is highly recommended. Delegates will hear about careers in science policy, technology transfer, business development, investment and law.

Academic seminars
The Natural History Museum, in association with Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, will host an evening devoted to infectious diseases and vector control on 30 May. An international line-up will present on trypanosomiasis vector control in Africa and Latin America, and the scaling-up of malaria prevention in Africa.

On the same day, Julian Downward of Cancer Research UK will be at Imperial’s Hammersmith campus to talk about his investigation of Ras oncogene signaling networks using functional genomics.

Public events
Former Famelab finalist Davina Bristow will fill the Croydon Café Scientifique with good vibes on 29 May. She will provide a neuroscientific look at what attracts people to one another. On the same evening, the Dana Centre will also look to the brain, as a source for artistic inspiration. If you like your science with a touch of humour, return to the Dana Centre the following night to see the Punk Science comedians. Finally, from 26 May, the Science Museum’s Imax screen will show a new movie about dinosaurs.

And finally…
Don’t forget, Nature Network London also hosts events. On 30 May, and on the last Wednesday of every month, we will welcome a diverse cross-section of London’s science sector to informal drinks at the Lamb, on Lamb’s Conduit Street. All welcome.