SCI FIGHT Science Comedy Debate is Back in Melbourne May 20

Appearing this debate: Scout Boxall (nominated Best Newcomer MICF 2021), Elizabeth Flux (writer and editor at large for the Melbourne City of Literature), Nicholas J Johnson (award-winning magician, best-selling author and conman), Associate Professor Jess Nithianantharajah (Australian Research Council Future Fellow and heads the Synapse Biology and Cognition laboratory), Sam Petersen (producer and comedian) and Owen Collins (science communicator and massive nerd).

SCI FIGHT (science comedy debate) has returned from its COVID induced slumber!

Host Alanta Colley (of Days of our Hives and On the Origin of Faeces) will attempt to herd a group of Melbourne's funniest nerds and smartest comedians to fight it out (rhetorically) for your approval (literally) live on stage (physically). It's going to be eye-opening, mind blowing, and side splitting. No organ is safe!

This round's topic: 'Scientists go to Heaven'

Scientists do God's work. They seek truth; divorced from opinion or ambition. They put society's needs ahead of their own. They pursue their research with diligence, patience, and humility. Some of them even do it sober. That's most of the seven Heavenly virtues! Surely that's enough Frequent Virtue Points to fly them straight to the gates of Heaven. Knowing scientists, they probably carbon offset the flight as well. Surely scientists are God's chosen ones.

Pope Francis assured us that you didn't actually have to believe in God to go to Heaven; though it is still rude to continuously blank Him during the weekly Bingo tournament once you're there. Plus, the atheist scientists surely have an eternity in Heaven to overcome their existential bewilderment.

Then again, scientific research brought us the weapons of war; the tools to frack God's Mother Earth, and the Lynx Africa body spray range. Can any amount of atonement wash the sins of shower in a can away? If Richard Dawkins ended up in Heaven surely it would be some sort of Angelic prank. If Dawkins is there, is it still Heaven?

Come to the Brunswick Ballroom and enjoy a bite and a beverage as we get belligerent and biblical.

Where: Brunswick Ballroom, 314 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056
When: May 20, Doors open 6.30pm, debate at 8pm
Tickets: https://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/sci-fight-science-comedy-debate/127272