Back for it’s 11th year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with a brand new name, The Provocateurs (formerly The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas) will feature three colleagues from PPLS for it’s 2025 run. The Provocateurs promises to blend humour with ground breaking research. Join us for a spirited debate with some of Scotland’s sharpest intellects. Deconstructing brains, and 999 WTFDr Rana Fetit (The University of Edinburgh) is building human brains in the laboratory, but are they alive? Linguist Professor Chris Cummins (The University of Edinburgh) intervenes where miscommunications are a matter of life and death.Useful languages, and Other people Professor Antonella Sorace (The University of Edinburgh) argues that learning any language is good for you and that there is no such thing as a “more useful” language. Dr Mhairi Bowe (Heriot-Watt University) asks if other people are slowly killing you or the secret to long and happy lives?A 600 year old fart joke, and Talking to machines Dr Michael Barany (The University of Edinburgh) argues that a fart joke can explain the essence of mathematics. Dr Wataru Uegaki (The University of Edinburgh) dives into the weird overlap between human language and programming.Deconstructing brains, and 999 WTFProf Chris Cumminns Saturday 2 August & Saturday 16 August 2025 Useful languages, and Other people Professor Antonella SoraceSunday 17 August & Sunday 24 August 2025A 600 year old fart joke, and Talking to machines Dr Wataru Uegaki Thursday 21 August 2025 Book your tickets Further informationThe Provocateurs Publication date 24 Jul, 2025
