Higgs Halloween Lecture: Creepy Cosmos

Professor Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, is taking over the Medical School at the University of Edinburgh on Friday 30 October for Creepy Cosmos, a Halloween lecture that leans right into the spooky side of the universe. It's part of the Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics' Halloween series, and the whole thing is billed as a wonderfully spooky hour.

Heymans will take the audience on a journey through the cosmos to meet what she calls 'cosmic creeps'—the kind of things that sound like they belong in a horror story but are actually out there. She'll be talking about invisible monsters that devour light and the cannibalising vampire corpses of long-dead stars, so if you've ever looked up at the night sky and thought it seemed a bit too peaceful, this is the version that reminds you it's actually quite a strange place.

The Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics was set up by the University of Edinburgh in 2012 to tackle fundamental questions about the universe, bringing together researchers and students from around the world to work on theoretical concepts that go beyond current paradigms. It also houses the Peter Higgs Memorial Fund. This lecture is one of the centre's Halloween events, and it's suggested for ages 10 and over, though everyone is welcome. There will be sweets on offer, too.

They're encouraging people to turn up in fancy dress and bring their best science jokes, with prizes for the best costume and the best joke of the night. It runs from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Medical School on Teviot Place, Edinburgh South EH8 9AG, and entry is free.