| Date | Subject (Standard Info) | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
2015 8:15 pm |
You are actually going to get two lectures. The first one is about the miracle of our hand, which can wield a sledge hammer and seconds later thread a needle. Manual dexterity and tool making is the basis of “home sapiens” in his or her modern configuration. Prof. Wolff believes that manual dexterity, in the form of small precision movements, sewing, clock making, embroider, shelling peas, playing with Meccano, is linked to mental dexterity. Digital operation of many activities has made the need for dexterity disappear, particularly in the education of young children; maybe the disastrous decrease in primary school mathematics is one of the results. Are we throwing away some of our “sapiens”? The second part describes a novel national scheme, to mobilise a very much greater number of kind and empathic hands to the task of Caring for the increasing number of frail elderly people, called “Give&TakeCare”. You, as Society will have to take over, with little connection except at the margins of criticality, with the State, Business or Charity; a real Game Changer! |
(Brunel University) |
8:15 pm |
Dr Michael Keith-Lucas was Senior Tutor in Plant Sciences at the University of Reading before his retirement 9 years ago. His talk will be about how pollen can be used in establishing the time of some event in the past, such as a murder, and also how it can be used to establish whether a suspect has been at a scene of crime. He will also mention some other uses such as investigating thefts, bombings and honey fraud. |
(University of Reading) |
8:15 pm |
Rotating bodies sometimes behave in ways that appear counterintuitive, yet such behaviour can readily be explained by the simple rules of classical mechanics. Also counterintuitive is the motion of bodies as observed relative to a rotating frame of reference, and we live on a rotating frame of reference - the Earth. The lecture, with its associated demonstrations, will introduce the audience to various aspects of the fascinating world of rotations. |
(University College London) |
8:15 pm |
This talk will be somewhat autobiographical, sketching the background to ionising radiation dose measurement, upright MRI, dental CT, intraoperative radiotherapy, x-raying hash browns and container trucks, and a few other projects and buzz words, seen from the viewpoint of a small consultancy company. En route the speaker will talk about quantisation of risk and benefit in radiology, and a few challenges for the future. |
(State Registered Clinical Physicist) |
8:15 pm |
Previously considered a bridge to heart transplantation, artificial hearts are now being considered as a 'destination' therapy since they have become fully implantable. Materials science, fluid dynamics, pump technology, advanced electronics, advanced power supplies and better control of blood clotting have all contributed to this development. This lecture will describe these developments and consider some of the risks of the devices both for the individual and, if successful, for society. |
(Great Ormond St Hospital) |
8:15 pm |
Why is the sky dark at night? This talk will explore the differing roles of puzzles and paradoxes in science and in mathematics. Thought experiments like Maxwell's Demon or the EPR Paradox have been used to illustrate or question new ideas in physics; the Olbers Paradox has challenged our understanding of the universe, while mathematical paradoxes can entertain or perplex. A variety of examples will be demonstrated and discussed, and we will see water fall upwards! |
(University of Greenwich) |
8:15 pm |
Beavers have been successfully reintroduced into Scotland and are under trial in other parts of the UK. Significant work has been done on the impact of beavers and their dams on surrounding ecology, however currently there is a significant shortfall in knowledge of the engineering properties of their dams. This talk provides an overview of the impact of these remarkable natural structures on river channels, discusses how these structures would be viewed in light of current water policy and investigates the most appropriate form of hydraulic analysis to describe how these structures impact the rivers. |
(BuroHappold Engineering) |
8:15 pm |
Despite the magnificent results from New Horizons there is still one question that remains unresolved … Did it encounter a planet? Just 7 months after New Horizons was launched back in January 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted to re-classify Pluto as a Dwarf Planet, resulting in uproar in the astronomical community and starting a controversy that still divides opinion among astronomers and the general public alike. “Is Pluto A Planet?” covers the thorny question of the status of Pluto. It looks in detail at the IAU definition of a planet and some of its unexpected – and unintended – consequences, and as a result Jerry Stone can give a definitive answer to the question. This is his most controversial presentation, and includes some things that one astronomer has told him he shouldn’t be saying! Jerry Stone is a freelance presenter on astronomy and space exploration. He has given presentations on space since 1969, having started when he was 14 years old at school. Now he runs Spaceflight UK, and has spoken at venues that have included The Edinburgh Festival, The Royal Institution, The British Science Festival, The Royal Observatory, The Palace of Westminster, Sir Patrick Moore’s garden, and a rock festival! He is described as “one of the leading speakers on space exploration”. |
(Spaceflight UK) |
8:15 pm |
Not an erudite description of Andean geology, but glimpses of some of the spectacular bits of South America’s great mountain chain, seen on three recent long visits. The Altiplano and the Atacama of the central Andes offer dramatic desert terrains with their conical volcanoes and great salt flats, beside the mineral riches of Potosi. The nortghern Andes have more volcanoes in Ecuador, and the southern Andes, often known as Patagonia, are distinguished by their glaciers and their extraordinary granite towers carved into parts of a great batholith. |
(Engineering geologist) |
8:00 pm |
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Last updated 16-May-2016