© Pint of Science, 2026. All rights reserved.
Pint of Science brings researchers into the pub to explore how scientists detect, transmit and interpret signals at the limits of what’s possible. From incredibly fragile information governed by the rules of the quantum world, to faint ripples from the most extreme events in the universe, this night looks at how these signals are used to measure, test and better understand the fundamental workings of space, time and the cosmos.
Join us for a relaxed Wednesday evening — grab a drink, hear from scientists, ask questions, and be part of the conversation. No science background required.
Join us for a relaxed Wednesday evening — grab a drink, hear from scientists, ask questions, and be part of the conversation. No science background required.
Extragalactic Black Holes: Echoes and Ripples to Hear the Age of the Universe
Hugh McDougall
(I'm a PhD student at the University of Queensland working in astrophysics! My specialty is in statistical modelling, namely in listening to how the flickering of Quasars echoes off their clouds to measure how heavy supermassive black holes are.)
Just over 10 years ago we started being able to hear the ripples of two black holes colliding. This 'gravitational wave Astronomy' is helping us learn the history of our universe, and in this talk I'll explain how we use LIGO, the most precise device in human history, to listen to colliding black holes in distant galaxies.
How to send a secret message using quantum physics
Josephine Dias
(Josephine Dias is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow at the University of Queensland researching quantum communication and next-generation information technologies. Her work focuses on using light and quantum mechanics to enable secure communication.)
How do you send a message that no one else can read, not even the best hacker in the world? In this talk, we’ll explore how the strange rules of quantum physics make this possible. You’ll see how light can be used to share secrets, why eavesdropping can be detected, and how this could shape the future of communication.
How to directly detect dark matter
Narise Williams
(I'm a PhD student at the University of Queensland working in astroparticle physics. My research focuses on using atomic physics to develop new direct detection methods for dark matter.)
Dark matter is an elusive form of matter whose gravitational effects we can feel but that we haven't directly seen. In fact, from indirect detection, it is estimated that 85% of the matter in the universe is dark matter, with hundreds of experiments around the world aiming to detect it on Earth. In this talk, I will explore how some of these experiments work and how we could directly detect dark matter for the first time.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Other BrewDog Fortitude Valley events
2026-05-19
Forces Unseen
BrewDog Fortitude Valley
235 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
2026-05-18
At the Edge of Science
BrewDog Fortitude Valley
235 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia