Tuesday, August 12th at Explore At-Bristol - Dr David Bird

Nice barrage - shame about the fish

A barrage across the Severn Estuary is predicted to supply up to 5% of the UK’s electricity needs; but at what cost?

Join David Bird from the University of the West of England as he discusses the impact a barrage could have on the fish population.

Dr David Bird is a Principal Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of the West of England.

Find out more about David here.

Monday July 28th at the Tobacco Factory - Ed Drewitt

What's happening to our garden birds - are pigeons and magpies taking over?

We're often being encouraged to feed garden birds all year round and hear about the plight of our sparrows and starlings in the media. But what is really going on?

Find out about the population changes of our familiar garden birds, the reasons behind them as well as some fascinating science about some of our garden favourites.

Clarify and challenge some of the misunderstandings or misinterpreted stories relating to some of our garden birds and find out what's happening with garden birds across the UK more generally.

Edward is a Museum Learning Officer (Natural Sciences) at Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery. He provides the commentary for educational trips on Bristol Ferryboats and is an expert on, amongst other things, the Peregrine Falcons in Bristol.

July 8th at Explore, At-Bristol. Dr Ruth Morse.

Cancer Fact, Cancer Fiction

Join Ruth Morse from the University of the West of England to explore how your DNA, your environment and your personal behaviour interact in the development of cancers.

Distinguish between cancer facts and cancer fictions as Ruth challenges some common misconceptions about cancer.

Dr Ruth Morse is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Genetics with a particular interest in the role of DNA in bone marrow cancer.

More on Ruth and her work

June 30th at the Tobacco Factory: Mark Hempsell

What happened to the Space Age?

In the 50 years period between 1970 and 2020 mankind will have invested around $500 Billion in space capability (launch vehicles, space stations etc.) and effectively achieved nothing. In the equivalent period in aviation aircraft moved from world war 1 biplanes to supersonic fighters and jet airliners.

Technically, almost anything is possible - solar power, re-usable space planes, cheap methods for disposable of nuclear waste, trips to the moon and mars - but is there the political will?

Mark Hempsell is Senior Lecturer in Space Technology in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Bristol University.

Mark's webpage at Bristol University

June 10th at Explore At-Bristol: Dr Marcello Ruta

Note - change of speaker - Mike Benton has been called away; his colleague Marcello Ruta will cover the same topic

Mass Extinction

250 million years ago life on planet Earth was almost wiped out in the greatest Mass Extinction of all time. Marcello Ruta and his research team at the University of Bristol weren't there in the flesh, but are unearthing what caused such a catastrophe using the next best thing - fossils!

But how much can the fossils that we find today tell us about what life was like so many millions of years ago? How did some animals survive the extinction? And what can studying mass extinctions of the past tell us about the world we live in today?

Join us at our second Science Café in Explore At-Bristol to meet and chat with Marcello in the present day, to find out more about this dramatic period in life's history.

Link to Marcello Ruta's webpage

May 19th at the Tobacco Factory: James Ladyman

"The mysteries of Quantum Mechanics - what do they tell us about the world we live in?"

In this talk James will first explain what is so strange about quantum entanglement and then explain why it is wrong to draw many of the exciting conclusions from it that are often talked about in popular discussions.

James Ladyman is Professor of Philosophy, University of Bristol

New Science Cafe: Explore-At-Bristol!

May 13th at Explore-At-Bristol: Dr Ainsley Newson

Genetic Futures

With DNA sequencing and genetic testing technologies advancing all the time, the reality of a personal genomic profile for any one of us is just around the corner.

But what could receiving your genetic profile mean to you? How might this affect the way we live our lives? How important are our genes in predicting our future health? What ethical issues might arise? Would we rather not know what information our genes hold?

To ask these questions and more come along to Explore At Bristol's first Science Cafe on Tuesday 13th May at 7.30 for 8pm in the Theory Cafe, and find out more about this interesting area of social and scientific dilemma.

Ainsley Newson, lecturer in Biomedical Ethics at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine at the University of Bristol, spends her time unpicking the social and moral issues of developments in genetic technologies.

To find out more about Ainsley's work visit: Ainsley's web page

To find out more about At-Bristol visit: www.at-bristol.org.uk

April 28th: Adam Durant

Volcanoes, dust, and climate

Image: 1991 Pinatubo volcanic aerosol veil, taken from the space shuttle

Small silicate particles suspended in the atmosphere redistribute energy from the sun and surface of the Earth, and consequently impact climate. The main sources of these particles are from suspension of surface dust in arid regions, such as the Sahara Desert, and from direct injection by explosive volcanic activity (volcanic ash).

At this meeting of Science Café, we will discuss the types and origin of particles in the atmosphere, how they interact with solar and terrestrial radiation, how clouds are modified, and ultimately how climate is affected...more information as pdf file.

More about Adam

Adam Durant, University of Bristol, UK, and Michigan Technological University, USA

March 31st: James Windmill

Hearing at the nano-scale

Dr James Windmill is a qualified engineer with a PhD in Nanotechnology. He will describe, using a multi-media presentation, his research into BioNanoScience and the mechanisms of hearing.

This research has included investigations into the nano-mechanics of insect sound receivers, looking at the processes through which mechanical vibrations at the nanoscale are converted to neural signals. The mechanisms involved are strikingly similar to those found in the human ear, making certain insects very good models for research into human hearing.

James is a research associate in the School of Biological Sciences at Bristol University.

February 25th: Sue Wilson

All about sleep

Why do we sleep? What happens if we don't get enough? How common are sleeping disorders? How common is sleep walking and other peculiar sleep habits?

Come with your questions for what I think will be an especially lively evening!

Dr Sue Wilson is Senior Research Fellow in the
Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol.

January 28th: Anthony Hollander

Science & ethics of stem-cell research

Professor Hollander has been working in the field of cartilage biology and arthritis research for nearly 20 years, including 3 years spent at an internationally recognized cartilage laboratory at McGill University in Montreal. More recently he has focused on tissue engineering and stem cell biology for cartilage repair.

Anthony Hollander is Professor of Rheumatology and Tissue Engineering at Bristol University.

Anthony's University home page.

October 29th: Ian Donaldson

Good Queen Bess and the Mineral Industries of Somerset and Gloucester

Queen Elizabeth realised that if the newly Protestant England ever went to war with Catholic Spain and France, her forces lacked brass for cannon, which at that time only came from the continent. So in 1565 she brought in prospectors from southern Germany to search the length and breadth of the Kingdom for calamine, an essential mineral. It was eventually found at Weston-super-Mare, and the rest is history. But they weren’t the first prospectors to strike it rich in this area.

So if you’ve ever fantasised about Puzzle Wood, puzzled over Velvet Bottom, scratched you head about the cat’s whisker, quarrelled over crossbows, or just seen red, come and learn about our rich mineral heritage.

Monday, September 24th : Stuart Allan

When Worlds Collide: Science and the Media

Stuart will be talking about how journalists report on science issues - especially where questions of risk are concerned - and how scientists themselves regard their own involvement in this process.

He will seek to highlight various problems from these respective perspectives, thereby opening up some questions for discussion - not least with a view to how we might improve the quality of science journalism.

Stuart Allan is Professor of Journalism, The Media School, Bournemouth University.

Some additional information:

Stuart Allan’s work contrasts two worlds. Namely that of science and that of the media.

According to the media scientists are insular, white-coated boffins whose work is boring and repetitive, that is, until a terrifying flash of insight leaves the future of humankind hanging in the balance. Scientists are generally high-minded citizens working for the good of society, but there are those who are intent on exploiting scientific knowledge for ominous purposes, corrupted by power and greed.

For some scientists, this recurrent misrepresentation of the scientific world by certain members of the media is more than just scandalous, it is contrary to democracy itself. The media’s failure to give science the respect it deserves, they warn, will have dire consequences for the future.

Stuart Allan is Professor of Journalism at Bournemouth University. His science-related books include Media, Risk and Science, and the co-edited Environmental Risks and the Media. He is currently co-writing a book about the news reporting of nanotechnology.

Prior to joining Bournemouth, he taught at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Monday, June 25th : Helen Heath

Into the Heart of Matter

In order to investigate the smallest building blocks of matter we need to build very big machines. The 27 kilometre long Large Hadron Collider, being constructed near Geneva, is the biggest of these big machines and is due to start exploring matter at the smallest scale at the end of 2007.

This is the biggest scientific project since men were sent to the moon and involves thousands of physicists and engineers. I hope to be able to explain why one of those physicists has worked on the project for over 10 years.

Helen is a senior lecturer in the Particle Physics Group in Physics Department at the University of Bristol.

Monday, May 21st : Ben Sessa

From Sacred Plants to Psychotherapy: The History and Re-Emergence of Psychedelics in Medicine

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since the ‘Turn On Tune In and Drop Out’ days of the 1960s. If clinicians can remain dispassionate and stay true to principle of evidenced based medicine, then we may be able to reconsider the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelic drugs.

If we can do this, then there is a real chance that these fascinating chemicals could play a positive role in the future of psychiatry and neuroscience. That much we owe to the population of patients with resistant psychological illnesses that may benefit from this novel and brave approach.

Dr Ben Sessa is Consultant Psychiatrist,
Department of Psychopharmacology, Bristol University.

Monday, April 30th: Keith Williams

DNA Vaccines - Panacea or Pandora's Box?

Since 1990, when it was shown that genes injected into muscle could initiate the production of novel proteins by the muscle cells, the field of DNA vaccine research has undergone a rapid growth.

The human genome project and the greater understanding of the molecular biology of infectious agents has given scientists a plethora of potential therapeutic targets for this technology.

With the very recent publication of some early human clinical trials data, this exiting new field has just begun to show its therapeutic potential.

However, as with any new advancement in the field of gene therapy, the concept of inserting genetic material into the human genome raises a number of technical and ethical issues.

Keith will discuss the form and function of these vaccines, how they are manufactured, their therapeutic potential and the regulatory framework that is being implemented to reduce the possible risks.

Tuesday, March 27th: Margaret Clotworthy

Animal Testing- A False Safety Net?

Dr Margaret Clotworthy is Science Consultant for the Europeans for Medical Progress Trust.

Adverse reactions to prescribed drugs are now our fourth leading cause of death. This problem is epitomized by Vioxx - the painkiller which has killed tens of thousands of people over the past few years.

What can we do to improve drug safety? Many new and sophisticated human-based tests offer advantages over the animal tests we have relied on in the past. So how should we go about discovering & developing new medicines today?

Europeans for Medical Progress is an independent, non-profit-making organisation of scientists and medical professionals. Dr Clotworthy is a consultant for the separate organisation Europeans for Medical Progress Trust, which is a charity responsible for education and research.

Monday 26th February - Vala Ragnarsdottir

One Planet Living: Delivering a habitable planet for future generations

Vala is Professor of Earth Sciences at Bristol University.

Top climate change scientists have come to the conclusion that an increase of more than 1C° from present temperatures in the coming century would deliver a different planet, with impacts including flooded lowlands, submerged islands, increases in severe weather and droughts, hundreds of
millions of human refugees and over 50% extinction of species.

To avoid this 1 degree temperature rise we need to stabilise the CO₂ in the atmosphere to below 450 ppmv. This means we need to reduce CO₂ emissions by roughly 70% globally by 2030. To deliver a habitable planet to our grandchildren individuals and political leaders need to act now.

Vala will describe the "state we are in" and then some practical steps for individuals "to do their bit".

Link to the Environmental Geochemistry Research Group at Bristol University, of which Vala is the head.

Monday 29th January - Nick Sturge of SETsquared

Exploiting and Accelerating University Science & Technology

How does a great academic idea become a commercial reality?

SETsquared is a joint initiative of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surry Universities that supports knowledge-based high-growth potential enterprises.

Nick will give examples of new businesses that are 'spin-offs' of research carried out at Bristol and other Universities. He will talk about what the Universities try to achieve, what their decision making process is in deciding what ideas to exploit, and how they do it.

SETsquared.co.uk

Monday, 11th December:

Science Café Cabaret!

Grab yourself a glass of wine, beer or warming hot chocolate and join in the fun! Hear from fellow cafe-goers as they take 5 minutes to get on their soap-box, ask a question, tell a joke or do a demo - all with a science flavour.

But the fun doesn't stop there; in the usual Science Cafe style, the floor will be open for quick-fire comments and questions after each 'performance'.
Places are filling up fast, so if you've got something to get off your chest, or share with the world then email Bob or Helen [Contact us] to reserve your place.

Usual time and place - 8pm in the Green room of the Tobacco Factory.

Monday, November 27th - Alan Winfield

"Please don't switch me off!"

How would you feel if your robot vacuum cleaner asked you not to switch it off?

Robots already play an important role in many of our lives by going to places and doing jobs we don't want to, or simply can't, do. As robot technology moves on, we pose the question, how intelligent do we want our robots to be?

Alan is Associate Dean (Research) and
Hewlett-Packard Professor of Electronic Engineering in the Faculty of Computing Engineering and Mathematical Sciences at the University of the West of England.

On Alan's webpage at UWE [here], he says:

"I am deeply interested in mobile robots for two reasons: (1), they are complex and potentially useful machines that embody just about every design challenge and discipline there is and (2), robots allow us to address some deep questions about life, emergence and intelligence in a radically new way, that is by building models. Thus, robotics is for me both engineering and experimental philosophy."

Monday, October 30th - Richard Ellam

Mr Brunel's Bloomers

On form, Isambard Brunel was unstoppable, and was capable of truly great things. Unfortunately he was also capable of staging monumental engineering disasters, such as the launching of the SS Great Eastern which cost a lot of people a lot of money. Even some of his great achievements, such as the Great Western Railway only narrowly escaped being expensive and embarrassing fiascos.

Brunel’s tendency to believe that he alone could do anything resulted in his being as doggedly wrong as he could be brilliantly right and left some expensive legacies for his successors to clear up.

‘Mr Brunel’s Bloomers’ is a light hearted and entertaining look at the science behind some of Brunel’s less glorious achievements with the serious purpose of presenting a more rounded and balanced view of the life and career of this most charismatic of Victorian engineers.

Monday, September 25th

Superconductivity and the science of quantum materials.

Our speaker is James Analytis from Bristol University. He is a Science and Engineering Ambassador and has recently moved to Bristol from Oxford. He is investigating the science behind the extraordinary phenomenon of superconductivity in which an electric current can travel with virtually zero resistance. Such a current flowing in a loop of superconducting wire could persist almost indefinitely with no power source. This has been demonstrated at very low temperatures; doing it at normal temperatures could revolutionise many areas of our lives. However, success may depend on a deeper knowledge of the quantum world than we have at present. James will describe the background to this fascinating work and the latest discoveries.

July 31st

The science of beermaking and the history of brewing in Southville

Our speakers are Chris Thurgeson and Simon Bartlett from the Bristol Beer Factory.

The Bristol Beer Factory is a small, independent venture that uses locally grown malt and hops (samples of which will no doubt be available).

Whether you like beer or not, this is sure to be entertaining and informative.

http://bristolbeerfactory.co.uk

June 26th

Forensic Evidence Interpretation – and the ‘Transposed Conditional’ for the common man.

Mike Rogers BSc, RFP. Forensic Scientist

Mike Rogers is a senior Forensic biologist of some 34 years’ experience with the Home Office and, latterly, FSS Ltd (GovCo).

As an active Court Reporting officer, Mike is concerned at the increasing trivialisation of Forensic Science on TV and the all-too frequent misrepresentation of scientific evidence in the press and, sometimes, in court (the ‘prosecutors fallacy’).

Do potential Jurors appreciate that when the scientist tells the court, "There is only a one-in-a-billion chance of getting this matching DNA evidence if the blood on the accused hadn't come from the victim", he is not saying, "The odds are a billion to one that the blood did come from the victim" - and would they recognise the transposition if they saw it?