Have you ever wondered why you exist? What had to happen for you – and all life on Earth – to come into being? In this talk I start at the beginning of everything: the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. From there, I journey step by step along the path to the most astonishing thing we have yet encountered – the staggering complexity of the modern human mind. I will explore what had to happen for you and me to exist. The talk is the history of you, me and everything – of how we all came to be. In short, it is the greatest story ever told.

There will be a book signing after the talk during the drinks reception

A short biography

Tim Coulson is Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford. He is a science junkie who chose biology as it is the hardest of all the sciences. He is also a keen populariser of science, and this talk tells the story in his recent book – The Universal History of Us.

The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and Biodiversity Network are interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners.

The views, opinions and positions expressed within this lecture are those of the author alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery/Biodiversity Network, or its researchers.