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THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED AS THE SPEAKER IS UNABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.

Novelist and science writer Simon Ings investigates the strange world of Stalin and his scientists and explains that, while often portrayed as mad, many deserve admiration and respect.

Stalin gathered scientists from a range of disciplines to help him create a superpower. They helped to steer the Russian empire through famine, drought, soil exhaustion, war, widespread alcoholism, a huge orphan problem and epidemics. Most of them remain unknown outside Russia but Ings says their work helped to shape global progress for more than a century.

Ings began as a writer of science-fiction stories, novels and films before branching into non-fiction. He is co-founder of Arc, a digital magazine about the future, and is arts editor of New Scientist.

Supported by Elsevier.