Why do sparks fly when you put metal in the microwave? Why does it hurt so much when you get chilli pepper juice in your eyes? Why can cheese keep for weeks but milk go off while your back is turned?

Professor Peter Bentley is one of the most creative thinkers in computer science, working with scientists of all different disciplines to model virtual experiments. He is Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Computer Science, University College London and is known for his prolific research covering all aspects of Evolutionary Computation and Digital Biology. He is the author of the popular science books The Book of Numbers (Cassell Illustrated), Digital Biology (Simon and Schuster USA), and the academic books The PhD Application Handbook, Evolutionary Design by Computers, Creative Evolutionary Systems and On Growth, Form and Computers. He is the host of the Royal Institution's monthly Cafe Scientifique, contributing editor for Wired UK and a regular contributor to programming for the BBC and Discovery Channel.