21st Jan 2026 – Antartica 2.0: The Heat is On (talk + pub quiz)

It may be cold out, but northern winter is Antarctic summer, so why not join us for a celebration of Antarctic research followed by a pub quiz hosted by Polar Beers!

PubSci kicks off 2026 on Wednesday 21st January with a fantastic joint event with UK Polar Network. PubSci's Mike Lucibella will talk about an island devastated by volcanic eruptions and the surprising role it plays in Antarctic research. Dr Lavy Ratnarajah from University College London will talk about the interplay between climate change and the microscopic life that underpins the ocean food web. The evening concludes with a fun pub quiz run by our friends at Polar Beers, an initiative of UK Polar Network.

Our venue, The Old King's Head near Borough Market offers a great range of drinks, has a happy hour before 7pm, and opens the kitchen serving classic pub grub especially for us.

Read on for booking details – please also check the FAQ.

Mike: Deception Island off the Antarctic peninsula has an explosive past. It’s an active volcano, strewn with the remains of three research stations. In the late 1960s, a series of eruptions has forced the evacuation of the island, leaving it unsafe for permanent human habitation. Despite the destruction, it touched off a new era of scientific research and discovery on the island...

Lavy: Antarctica is warming, and one of the first visible signs is changing sea ice - but the bigger story is what’s happening in the ocean itself. We’ll see how warming reshapes the food web from plankton and krill up to penguins and whales, and how those shifts affect how carbon moves from the surface ocean into the deep sea. What happens in Antarctic waters has implications well beyond the poles...

Anyone who was at Mike's 2023 talk about his time in Antarctica will know to expect a brilliantly accessible, fact-filled and fun talk on the Earth's southernmost continent, and we're delighted to be joined for the first time by Lavy who has been giving talks on climate change and the oceans for over a decade. Topping off the evening, Megan and Isabelle from Polar Beers host a fun Polar Pub Quiz with real prizes to be won!

Come to PubSci on Wednesday 21st January to discover why what happens in the Antarctic doesn't stay in the Antarctic – and how the research done there has implications for the whole world.

We'll be taking a cash collection on the night for St.Mungo's Homelessness Charity. Please bring cash and give generously – all money collected will go directly to St.Mungo's.

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PubSci talks run for around 45 minutes and are followed by a Q&A session. The Old King's Head has a happy hour before 7 and the kitchen serves traditional pub grub. The nearest tube is London Bridge (Borough High Street exit). See FAQs for more.

Booking is on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis.

Each ticket type has a separate allocation – please check both for availability.

• Book without donating (max 4 tickets) if you prefer to put cash in the pot on the night.
• Book for one + Support PubSci (max 1 ticket) if you prefer to contribute with your booking – this also reserves you one spot at the event.

If Book without donating is sold out, scroll to check Book for one + Support PubSci.

Multiple tickets

If you need multiple tickets, you could get one Support PubSci ticket for whatever amount you're comfortable with for your group, then add the rest of your tickets for free. You can do this in one transaction, but how you book is up to you.

We normally also take a cash collection on the night for those who prefer to support PubSci that way but for January, we’ll be donating all cash to St. Mungo’s instead.

How much are tickets...?

There's no set 'price' – we trust you to contribute what you think is fair for an evening of great science. The precise amount is up to you, but the price of a pub drink is probably a good measure.

PubSci receives no other income. More information at the bottom of this page.

is an all-around science communicator. For six years, he was the editor of The Antarctic Sun, the official newspaper of the U.S. Antarctic Program. He's travelled as far south as the South Pole to report on the science and research carried out across the frozen continent. Since moving to the UK, he’s continued to deepen his knowledge of the Antarctic, having just finished a master’s degree in the History and Philosophy of Science, focusing on the polar regions.

is a marine biogeochemist at UCL who studies nutrient and carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean.`

She lectures in Climate Science at the Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, with a strong commitment to public engagement and outreach activities. She's been speaking at schools and public events for over 10 years and in 2023 launched an educational outreach program called Project E.V.E. targeted towards school children of all ages.

PubSci presents accessible science talks in the comfort of a pub meeting room so you can enjoy top quality science talks with a drink in your hand.

It is an independent initiative run by volunteers, is not-for-profit, and receives no funding other than attendee contributions.

We believe science is for everyone and we want everybody to be able to afford our events, so we run PubSci on a Pay-What-You-Can basis. To contribute via Eventbrite choose "Book for one + support PubSci". To contribute on the night, please bring cash.

By making a donation, you make it possible for PubSci to put on events like this. If you're not sure what's a reasonable amount, we suggest the same as you'd pay for a drink at the pub. If you want to support somebody attending who can't afford it, consider the price of two drinks.

Note: We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, but it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the upstairs room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.

Check out our Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our Google Calendar. PubSci events will then automatically appear in your own iCal compatible calendar.

You can learn more about PubSci via our LinkTree and download our events programme here.

Please see the below for all your FAQs

Info: Order drinks and food at the downstairs bar, then join us upstairs.

Info: Introduction followed by the main talk.

Info: Stretch your legs, refill your glass, then come back for part 2. Timing is approximate.

Info: Test your knowledge and win prizes in this special event for January only

Info: Carry on the conversation. All timings are approximate.

Info: We normally aim to wrap up by 9pm but special events run to 9.30. Northern Line trains stop running at 10pm until late Spring 2026

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Old King's Head, King's Head Yard, London, United Kingdom

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