PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
18-20 MAY 2026
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From Crime Labs to Political Drama
Step inside the forensic lab to uncover how drugs and toxins are detected in real investigations, from ketamine to illegal vapes. Then zoom out to the global stage, where shameless political behaviour is becoming the norm. Science meets spectacle in this revealing double bill.
From Samples to Answers
Jari Rubbens
Forensic Toxicologist, Judicial Expert
National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology
What is forensic toxicology, and what role does it play in our society? This talk introduces the field: What do forensic toxicologists do? Who do they work for? and which tools do they use? How do we detect drugs and poisons in biological samples such as blood, urine, and hair?
A series of intriguing topics—including drugs and driving, nitrous oxide inhalation, ketamine abuse, hair analyses, illegal vapes, and so-called “zombie drugs”—will be explored through real case examples from crime investigations. These cases highlight both the scientific complexity and the societal relevance of forensic toxicology in an ever-evolving drug landscape.
Rude, Vulgar, and Self-Important: Shamelessness in World Politics
Zeger Verleye
Lecturer
Utrecht University and University of Antwerp
Shamelessness has become a prominent feature of contemporary world politics. Political leaders using vulgar, obscene humour, displaying unapologetic self-importance, and having a blatant disregard for common diplomatic etiquette, international rules, and institutions have become daily performances on the world stage. Why is this happening now? And what does it signal about the current state of world politics? In this talk, we will explore the history of shamelessness in world politics and the future developments it foreshadows.
