The Cabaret of Dangerous is a blend of controversial academic research, audience interaction, and a dash of comedy at the world’s largest arts festival! The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas (CoDI) has been running since 2013. This is a collaborative effort between the four universities in Edinburgh (coordinated through the Beltane Public Engagement Network and curated by the University of Edinburgh), Fair Pley (an arts production company) and Susan Morrison (stand-up comedian and professional entertainer). CoDI takes public engagement into the thick of the world’s largest arts festival: the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and provides opportunities for audiences to discuss and debate cutting edge and controversial research with experts. 2024 Program Find out which events members of the School of Mathematics are involved in. Statistics and Foreigners Date Saturday 3 August Time 12.20pm Top academics, dangerous ideas and your host comedian Susan Morrison. Dr Isabella Deutsch (The University of Edinburgh) takes a whirlwind tour through the fundamentals of statistics, from Covid to mortgage applications, and finds out why you need statistics if you want to fall in love. And Dr Katharina Addington-Lefringhausen (Heriot-Watt University) reveals how nationals – rather than immigrants – change culturally due to living in a multicultural society. Buy tickets here Computer Says That Will Be £300 Date Tuesday 6 August Time 1.30pm Should mathematical models be allowed to make decisions for or about you? They already are. Dr Lars Schewe (The University of Edinburgh) builds mathematical models that underpin automated decision making. But do they make the world a better place? From how we travel to what we pay for energy, more and more decisions that impact us are made by algorithms. And behind the algorithms are mathematical models that can improve decision making, or make it a lot worse. So how can we hold the computers to account without making everyone a mathematician? Buy tickets here All Statistics Are Wrong! Date Sunday 11 August Time 1.30pm Join Dr Isabella Deutsch (The University of Edinburgh) for a whirlwind tour through the wonderful world of statistics. Discover the fundamentals of statistics and why even Bill Gates doesn’t have a 100% chance of getting a mortgage. Why do statisticians insist on trying to answer questions that don’t have an answer? And why is Isabella convinced that you need statistics if you want to fall in love? No matter if you love or hate numbers, this show is (statistically speaking) for you. Dr Isabella Deutsch wrote more about the show in a recent blog post for the School. Read Isabella's blog post Buy tickets here What's Inside a Black Hole? Date Tuesday 20 August Time 12.10pm They consume anything that gets too close, but might just hold the keys to understanding the universe. Dr Tim Adamo, Dr Jelle Hartong and Dr Jan Sbierski explore the terrifying world of black holes. Discover exactly how scientists know anything about black holes when they can’t see them and can’t get anywhere near them. How do they know they really exist? Where did they come from? Why are people so fascinated by them, and most importantly – what’s inside a black hole? Buy tickets here Tickets and full program All shows will take place at The Stand Comedy Club: for directions and venue-specific information, visit the website linked below. The Stand Comedy Club Find out more and book tickets This article was published on 2025-04-22
