Cafe Sci: Bio-Semiotics Part Two

In part two of his exploration of this paradigmatic shift in the life sciences, Robin will be delving deeper into what bio-semiotics all may mean for the ways we can understand ourselves.

You can find Robin’s January talk on bio-semiotics on YouTube.

Robin will continue his exploration of the potential that there may be in a relatively new approach in contemporary biology that offers a fresh and radically different account of the nature of our humanity than the one we have seen from 20th Century evolutionary psychology and sociobiology.

We will have a short reprise of the concept of the Umwelt, as a novel perspective on subjective, 'lived' experience, and of the new paradigm of bio-semiotics. From here, Robin will be asking; what does this new view of biology mean for the social sciences? 

If time allows, we will come back to the growing understanding of psychological and emotional trauma and the dynamics of social exclusion; and the work of many creative services in turning lives around.

About the speaker:

Robin Johnson was a psychiatric social worker, then a specialist advisor on mental health and housing issues with the Department of Health and later a journal editor and a visiting fellow at several universities. Robin’s work included setting up PIElink, a platform to connect people addressing the psychological and emotional issues that go with homelessness and other complex psychological and emotional needs. He has recently published two books on these 'Psychologically Informed Environments'.

About Café Sci:

Café sci events feature a short talk by an expert on a scientific topic, followed by a lengthy discussion where any and all audience participation is highly encouraged!

Tickets: £2.50

A £1 Poly Fund payment is added to each ticket sold