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The �������� is inviting the public to an enlightening event where leading academics will reveal the secrets of our planet’s past and discover pathways to an advanced future as part of the Life Solved Live: Inaugural Lectures series. 

Life Solved Live: Inaugural Lectures celebrates the achievements of professors and the impact of their work locally and beyond. 

On Wednesday, 3 June 2026, members of the public, staff and students are all invited to attend , an event set to discover how the Earth became a habitable planet within a dynamic solar system and explore how cutting-edge technology can shape a more advanced future. 

Professor James Darling from the School of the Environment and Life Sciences at the �������� will delve into how planetary science and terrestrial geology both illuminate the deep history of our planet in his lecture, Planetary Perspectives on Earth’s Dynamic Evolution. 

Professor Darling, said: “By studying Earth’s oldest rocks alongside samples from the Moon, Mars and asteroids, and probing them down to the atomic scale, it becomes possible to reconstruct the processes that shaped the early crust, the role of hypervelocity impacts in planetary evolution, and the conditions that led to the formation of major metal deposits and the emergence of life.  

“These approaches reveal new perspectives on how our planet evolved and help to support the circular economy of critical raw materials.” 

Professor Darling will also introduce Institute of the Earth and Environment to help shine a light on how our planet works, and what we can do to secure a sustainable future. 

Professor Ivan Jordanov from the School of Computing will discuss the fundamentals of Computational Intelligence in his lecture, Computational Intelligence - Nature-Inspired Models and Their Applications, focusing on its two principal technological paradigms: Artificial Neural Networks (NN) and Evolutionary Computation (EC).  

Drawing inspiration from nature, NN mimics the complex processes of the human brain, and EC is built on the principles of natural evolution. 

Professor Jordanov added: “I’ll begin with Global Optimisation and so-called Low Discrepancy Sequences, and the use of Genetic Algorithms as one example of EC. I’ll then consider Machine Learning (ML) - specifically, Deep ML NN architectures applied for solving supervised ML problems.  

“Finally, I’ll share examples of applying these methodologies in successful research projects which I led or took part in as a co-investigator – from web applications to areas of engineering, defence and security, and healthcare.” 

The event will take place at the ��������’s Portland Building on Wednesday, 3 June, between 6:00pm-8:45pm. 

For more information and to book your free place, visit Life Solved Live: Where We Came From, Where We’re Going Eventbrite .