The Arsonist, the Martian, the Cat and the Coke... oh and Dwain

Have you ever wondered what links Martians to Olympic athletes? Cats to cocaine? Surgery to the Shroud of Turin? Pizza to forensic science?

The Royal Society of Chemistry's latest public lecture (which will be webcast live for those who can't make the event) has all the answers to these questions, led by Dr Tony Bristow of AstraZeneca.

Tony's talk will cover some of the many fascinating applications of mass spectrometry - one of the most important and widely used techniques in analytical science.

But what is it? Like many people, you may never have heard of it, so Tony aims to explain what it is and how it is employed in ways that directly affect our lives.

Speaking ahead of his lecture, Tony told the RSC: "I'm really pleased to get the opportunity to speak at the Chemistry Centre. Public engagement is a really important part of my role and it's always great to hear new people say 'wow, I didn't realise that's how it was done'.

"I've done these talks to groups big and small, so I'm looking for the same level of engagement and audience participation at this event as I would at a sci-bar event in a pub. I definitely need a volunteer from the audience.

"There are so many exciting uses for mass spectrometry and this is my chance to demonstrate my enthusiasm for the science behind it - it's meant to be fun and really explains how this affects people's lives on a day-to-day basis."

The RSC run a hugely popular programme of public events at the Chemistry Centre, in the historic surroundings of Burlington House, on Piccadilly. They take place throughout the year and include our monthly public lecture series, on the first Thursday of each month.

While all these events are open to our members, the aim is to encourage you, the general public, to come along and find out about the science behind many fascinating examples of how chemistry affects your life. Booking is definitely required as the events are extremely popular.

If you are unable to attend an event in person, many are webcast live and also available to watch, on demand, via the Past Events page.

The Arsonist, the Martian, the Cat and the Coke... oh and Dwain takes place on Thursday 7 March 2013, from 6.30 - 8.30pm, at The Chemistry Centre, London W1J 0BA.