Crick: A Mind in Motion with Matthew Cobb

Professor Matthew Cobb will be discussing his major new biography of Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, pioneering neuroscientist, and twentieth-century genius. The event is being chaired by Professor Anne Osbourn.Supported by the John Innes Foundation.About the speakers
ProfessorMatthew Cobb is a British zoologist and Emeritus Professor of Zoology at the University of Manchester. He is the author of popular science books, and appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage, The Life Scientific, Start the Week and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry, as well as on BBC Radio 3 and the BBC World Service. His book Crick: A Mind in Motion from DNA to the Brain, was published in 2025. Exploring the life of Frances Crick the restless, relentless thinker, who was as fascinated by Beat poetry and psychedelics as the genetic meaning of life and the inner workings of the brain. Galvanised by collaboration: with Jim Watson on DNA, with artists in Cambridge and California, and with his wife Odile, who drew the figure of the double helix that illuminated his most famous discovery. It was his debates and conflicts with these collaborators that powered a mind in motion.Professor Anne Osbourn is an award-winning scientist, Fellow of the Royal Society, and Group Leader at the John Innes Centre, where she investigates plant natural product biosynthesis. Anne is also interested in popular science writing and interdisciplinary interactions, leading her to develop the Science, Art and Writing Trust (SAW), a science education charity which incorporates practical science, poetry and visual arts.Please note: refunds are only available if a show is cancelled or rescheduled, unfortunately booking fees are non-refundable.