Big Questions, Cool Drinks is a new evening out in London that’s tapping into knowledge and not just beer kegs. For this edition, it’s all about the brain, mental health and recent groundbreaking research. Leading the discussion will be Dr. David Luke, Professor of Exceptional Experience at the University of Greenwich and psychologist specialising in altered states of consciousness.
He’ll be translating genuinely fascinating brain research into no‑nonsense pub talk that you can enjoy over a pint or two — goodbye stuffy lecture halls. With the added bonus of getting to ask your own questions before the night is over, think of it as a different kind of night out.
What is the Big Questions, Cool Drinks experience?
Big Questions, Cool Drinks is where “I wish I could ask someone who knows their stuff” becomes a reality. This 60-minute London edition explores the hype and hard data around neuroscience. How does the brain shape the way we think, feel and behave? What does current research really say about mental health, perception and consciousness? And what happens when science runs into real-world questions, myths and misconceptions?
The talk runs for 45 minutes, leaving the rest of the time for an open Q&A where no questions are off limits. It’s your chance to further your understanding of real-world science in a relaxed environment filled with other curious minds. Grab a drink, learn something new and stick around to keep the conversation flowing.
The expert: A Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society Associate Fellow and former Parapsychological Association president
Dr. David Luke’s work (PhD, CertTESOL, PGCertHE, BSc, FHEA, CPsychol, AFBPsS) sits at the crossroads of psychology, consciousness studies and psychedelic science, with a particular interest in experiences that challenge conventional ideas of perception and reality. He leads the Psychedelic and Exceptional Experience Lab and directs research into lucid dreaming, precognition and transpersonal psychology. His expertise is built on nearly two decades of academic research, teaching and supervision, alongside extensive publishing on DMT, LSD, psilocybin, near-death experiences and psychedelic harm reduction.
What makes his perspective distinctive is its range. He examines both the transformative potential of altered states and the psychological difficulties that can follow psychedelic use, including their risks, complexities and longer-term effects.
Everything you need to know about Big Questions Cool Drinks London
📅 Date: 4 September
🕐 Time: There are currently two sessions scheduled: 6:30pm and 9pm
📍 Where: 21Soho, 3–5 Sutton Row, Soho, London, W1D 4NR
🧠What is it: A 45-minute lecture and 10-minute Q&A with a neuroscience expert in a relaxed bar setting
👥 Suitable for: Anyone 18+
🚆Getting there: Take the tube to Tottenham Court Road station (Northern, Central or Elizabeth line), then walk about one minute to Soho Square and onto Sutton Row—21Soho is on your right.
