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# Lichfield Festival review: Prof Robert Winston @ Lady Chapel
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lichfield-festival-review-prof-robert-winston-lady-chapel/
- Published: 2013-07-12T14:48:24.000Z
- Updated: 2013-07-12T14:48:24.000Z
- Author: Phil Preece
- Tags: Reviews, What's On, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:24

Standing in for the advertised speaker Dame Harriet Walter, Robert Winston, Professor of imperial College London, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter and politician brought a refreshing breeze of opinion, innovation and a stylish tinge of controversy to intrique, fascinate and challenge his packed audience.

[![Professor Robert Winston](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/winston_2.jpg)](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2013/06/28/professor-robert-winston-confrimed-for-lichfield-lecture/winston%5F2/)

Professor Robert Winston

Claiming to be speaking without plan or notes this obviously deeply-experienced orator opened by describing an experiment soon to take place involving a giant laser and its potential for the release of huge amounts of energy. His theme developed as he pointed out that the laser, like many inventions, had taken a long time to have their possibilities for use being understood and exploited.

From here he went on to salute the relatively recent development of the human race, which although it had discovered the hand axe that allowed hunting and subsequent increase in brain size over a million years in the past, had developed agriculture only 11,000 years ago which took us from hunter-gathering to settled societies and the scientific awareness we have today. Potentially more worrying is his view that the current speed of scientific development makes it impossible to predict what will happen scientifically in even the next five years.

The fascinating glimpse Professor Winston allowed into the huge distances of time and space which occupy the minds of scientists was truly stimulating; this experienced speaker knows very well how to intrigue, charm, humour and captivate an audience, notes or not. We learnt he disagrees with the “God delusion” of Richard Dawkins, agrees climate change exists, approves of genetically modified crops and thinks everyone needs scientific education at primary school level.

Presenter Sue Beardsmore joined him for a question and answer session which allowed him to become slightly more controversial, touching increasingly on his own political views whereas his lecture had concerned itself more with anecdotes illustrating scientific principles. One particularly sly audience question asking for this famous IVF expert’s views on the threat of overpopulation led to the dismissal of the very idea since economically stable populations have less children, implicitly revealing his view that we should really be aiming for political stability rather than worrying about the earth having too many people.

Whether we agreed with him or not, this was a hugely enjoyable evening allowing a fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of the great scientific personalities of our time.