Open your mind

Opening up the research-interests of the finest academics, hearing the grand tales of the greatest explorers and absorbing the ideas of the nation's leaders - the programme for this year's Saturday evening lecture series promises to be a varied and fascinating delve into some great minds.

NASA Astronaut Piers Sellers will be kicking off February's programme with a lecture entitled 'Flying in Space'. With space exploration at the top of the Bush administration's agenda and the recent excitement around the British Beagle 2 mission, this is a highly topical look at the future of space exploration - which is poised to make some giant strides in our lifetime. Sellers will explain how NASA is aiming to complete the exploration of the solar system and develop further manned expeditions to Mars and perhaps even further afield. His lecture will take place on 7 February.

Coming back down to earth, but addressing a similarly exciting theme, Dr Vanessa Lawrence's lecture is entitled: 'Unleashing the Power of Geography'. Honorary Graduate and Director General of Ordnance Survey, Dr Lawrence will address the development of new technologies, the integration of Geographic Information standards into the wider IT environment and the increasing acceptance of the relevance of geography for joining up government for all. Dr Lawrence’s lecture will take place on 21 February.

On 6 March Niall Dickson, CEO of The King's Fund and former BBC Social Affairs Editor will talk on the subject of 'The Third Way - Where now?' An authority on political matters, Dickson’s talk promises to be an insightful probe into the politics of today and tomorrow.

All lectures will take place in the Tower Extension Lecture Theatre and start at 6pm. For more information contact events@dundee.ac.uk