The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas

Take two top academics, some dangerous ideas, add one comedian and it’s the force of nature that is the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas (CODI). Hosted by comedian Susan Morrison, and now in its eleventh year, CODI is ninety minutes of rapid-fire research from some of the finest minds in the country.

You can’t say that! Chipotle. Anemone. Soliloquy. Milngavie. Gezellig. Tzatziki. What do all these words have in common? If you’ve ever read an unfamiliar word and thought “I can’t say that!” you are not alone -- and you’re probably wrong. But are there words that are really hard to say? And if so, what makes them hard (or easy)? Why do foreign words feel so difficult and how does spelling play into the whole thing? Rebekka Puderbaugh (University of Edinburgh) will show you the limits of your speech and how you might be able to say more than you think!

What does your skin say about you? Skin is strange and wonderful. It brings beauty and pleasure to some people but real suffering to others. When it’s working well you might not give it a second thought, but when it goes wrong, skin cannot be ignored. Professor Sara Brown (The University of Edinburgh) can tell a lot about you from your skin. Who you are, how you are feeling and what’s going on inside your body. Join her to learn what your skin says about you.

CODI is curated by the University of Edinburgh as part of Beltane Public Engagement Network and produced by Fair Pley.