Parlour Talks are Magdalene's informal, interdisciplinary seminars designed to bring MCR members together with Fellows to hear accessible, interesting talks across a wide range of subjects. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people from across different disciplines as well as the fellows who you might not otherwise encounter.

Talks take place at 18.00 in the Parlour and will finish in good time for Formal Hall afterwards. Wine and nibbles will be provided, and there is no need to book.

Tuesday 10 February
Dr Will Barrie, Magdalene Junior Research Fellow

Title
10,000 Years in the Making: Unravelling Human History, Health and Evolution Through Ancient DNA

Abstract
The recent ability to extract DNA from ancient human skeletons has transformed our understanding of human history and evolution. As the number of sequenced ancient genomes has gone from the tens to the thousands, and to the soon to be tens of thousands, the types of questions we can answer is changing fast: we are moving from broad scale demographic inferences to fine scale histories and more complex evolutionary questions, like the origins of complex traits. I will give an introduction to this exciting field, before talking more in depth about my own research. I will discuss how we can extract pathogen DNA from human bones, from bacteria and viruses in the blood at the time of death, to reconstruct past epidemics, and examine the impact these have had on the human genome. I will then discuss the legacy of these changes, one of which is the high modern prevalence of autoimmune disease.

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!

Join us on a trip to Jack’s Gelato for a free hot chocolate/gelato with the MCR! Sign-up required - see newsletter for link to online form.

Three-course meal in Hall open to students and their guests. Dress code is formal with gowns. Tickets can be booked via Upay. Free pre-drinks in the College Bar from 18:45.

MCR trip to the ADC Theatre to see Private Lives (https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/play/private-lives/). See email to sign up!

Free coffee and pastries in the MCR. Please bring your own mug!

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!

Parlour Talks are Magdalene's informal, interdisciplinary seminars designed to bring MCR members together with Fellows to hear accessible, interesting talks across a wide range of subjects. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people from across different disciplines as well as the fellows who you might not otherwise encounter.

Talks take place at 18.00 in the Parlour and will finish in good time for Formal Hall afterwards. Wine and nibbles will be provided, and there is no need to book.

Tuesday 24 February
Dr Michelle Taylor, Magdalene T S Eliot Fellow

Topic
An exploration of T S Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral through its international performance history, examining how the play has been interpreted, adapted, and politicised in different cultural contexts, including its relationship with twentieth century fascism.

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!

Three-course meal in Hall open to students and their guests. Dress code is formal with gowns. Tickets can be booked via Upay. Free pre-drinks in Benson Hall from 18:45.

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!

Three-course meal in Hall open to students and their guests. Dress code is formal with gowns. Tickets can be booked via Upay. Free pre-drinks in Benson Hall from 18:45.

Following the success of our last Cheese and Wine evening in Michaelmas, we’re pleased to host another event, this time a Francophone-themed one, on Saturday, 7 March, in Benson Hall from 8pm. The tasting will once again be guided by Douglas Page, President of the University Blind Wine Tasting Society, and will feature a thoughtfully curated selection of cheese and wine, along with a variety of other nibbles. Non-alcoholic options will also be available!

This event is free for MCR members and will be limited to 35 places. If you’d like to attend, please sign up using the form sent out on the MCR mailing list

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!

Three-course meal in Hall open to students and their guests. Dress code is formal with gowns. Tickets can be booked via Upay. Free pre-drinks in Benson Hall from 18:45.

Parlour Talks are Magdalene's informal, interdisciplinary seminars designed to bring MCR members together with Fellows to hear accessible, interesting talks across a wide range of subjects. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people from across different disciplines as well as the fellows who you might not otherwise encounter.

Talks take place at 18.00 in the Parlour and will finish in good time for Formal Hall afterwards. Wine and nibbles will be provided, and there is no need to book.

Tuesday 17 March
James Syrett and James Wenn 

Abstract
James Syrett (Magdalene, m. 2008) and his partner James D. Wenn (Corpus, m. 2007) went to examine an underground building at a country estate in Essex in April 2019, not realising that they would end up unlocking the entirety of English culture from the Roman period to the start of the 20th Century. It was the cross pollination of the study by James S (geology and maths) and James W (ASNaC and country houses) that answered some of the biggest questions in history — why did the Saxons love garnet? What is the meaning of the Coronation Pavement? Why is the Gate of Honour in Caius College so weird? The answer lies in the geometry of garnet crystals, a secretive cult from Ancient Greece, and a dance that can bring the dead back to life. They present their research in easy to access terms, using animations, diagrams and reconstructions. The architecture of England is ready to talk once more.
The talk is of particular interest to historians, art historians, architects, classicists, and mathematicians.

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!

Details to follow…

Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation sessions for Magdalene MCR members in Buckingham Room. The sessions are designed to address high-pressure environments by balancing academic "doing" with intentional "being." Utilising breathwork and meditation, has also been shown to improve concentration and cognitive clarity. 

Our sessions will be conducted by an instructor from the Art of Living, a global organisation dedicated to building physical and mental well-being.

No sign up required, feel free to show up for any session!