Forthcoming events: September rounds

After a rather quiet August in London when all the activity seems to head north of Hadrian's Wall, London is buzzing with events again.

The Dana Centre (behind the Science Museum) is hosting a mini series of events on pregnancy and childbirth. It kicks off on 13 September at 19.00 with 'Unwanted Pregnancies: the evolution of abortion'. On 14 September, 18.30, there is an opportunity to play the much-hyped Democs card game. The game aims to stimulate debate on controversial science-based issues, in this case stem-cell research: more details here. There is a discussion on mental health on 15 September, entitled 'Is it You or I Who Should Be in the Asylum?' (there is something decidedly iffy about the grammar in that title). This event will be webcast here. Things are bound to get heated on 21 September when the topic for discussion will be 'Too posh to push?' on the role of elective caeareans in childbirth. If it all sounds a bit heavy, some light relief is scheduled on 28 September, 19.00, when Y Touring Theatre presents a play about memory called 'Mind the Gap'. On 29 September, 18.30, Full Beam Visual Theatre are putting on 'The Man Who Discovered That Women Lay Eggs' billed as the 'epic and comic story of how man finally unravelled the truth about his own origins in 1827'.

Over at the Royal Institution, in the hallowed Faraday lecture theatre, there are also a number of events that look interesting. On 27 September, 19.00, there is a lecture rather unimaginatively entitled, 'Processing of visual information' by Michael Brady and VS Ramachandran. There is a talk on 'Perspectives on our ageing world' on 29 September at 19.00. Worth booking tickets for in advance, I suspect, is 'Anatomy for the terrified!!!' by Susie Whiten on 11 October at 19.00. An 'evening of wonder' is promised. Can it live up to all those exclamation marks without being puerile or patronising? Tickets for all RI events cost £8 (concessions £5).

The Hunterian Museum, London, is running an autumn lecture series called 'Surgeons at War: Trafalgar to Tikrit'. It includes talks on medicine and surgery in the Crimea, plastic surgery after the WWII, and life in a field hospital. On 28 September, 18.30, there is a free talk by Fiona MacNeill, 'Breasts Laid Bare', 'iconography and history of breasts and the treatment of breast cancer through the ages'.

On in Edinburgh at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery until 27 November, is an exhibition 'The Healing Touch' which examines the role of Scottish men and women in medicine. It coincides with the quincentenary of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Shown here is Johann Zoffany's painting, 'William Hunter lecturing at the Royal Academy'.

As usual, if anyone makes it to one of these events, we'd love to hear about it.