Bishop's Stortford Cafe
| |
Launched December 2005
Back to top of page
Back to top of page
|
|
Date:
|
27th February
2006 |
| Title: |
Human
interface with the Universe |
Speaker:
|
Stan Allen |
|
Description: |
As the
title suggests, this talk follows on from our earlier Cafe
Scientifique talks. Richard Epworth's "Interface with
reality" and Kevin Byron's "Counter intuitive science"
presentations addressed how, with our apparent limited
capability, we can get an understanding of the Universe. Our
brain seemingly processes new information at a low data rate
and our only useful human sense is sight.
The
Universe is known to be expanding, but because we do not
experience this in our day to day living, some of the
concepts involved are counter intuitive. For example, it is
impossible to visualise the non existence of space. A few of
the outcomes are surprising, even to some people who have
studied physics!
Following the tremendous burst of theoretical activity in
the 25 years prior to 1930, a huge amount of experimental
work over the past 25 years has led to a what is now a
robust model of how the Universe has evolved. Even so, there
is a much which has to be explained.
Stan
Allen will outline how cosmological data is collected and
reduced. Two dimensional models are discussed and
demonstrated, which make the understanding of expanding
space a whole lot easier. The talk concludes with the
present view of how the Universe has evolved and how it
became transparent at 380,000 years old.
Stan Allen worked at the Nortel Research Laboratories in
Harlow where he was involved with navigation systems and
telecoms research. He is retired now and has always retained
an interest in cosmology. He has an MSc in
telecommunications, an MSc in Astronomy and Astronautics and
is a member of the IEE.
|
|
Date:
|
30th January 2006 |
| Title: |
Counter-Intuitive
Science |
Speaker:
|
Kevin Byron |
|
Description: |
At first sight many ideas
in science do not make sense; indeed they can often appear in opposition to
what we consider to be common sense. The phrase 'counter-intuitive' has been
coined to describe such concepts and in recent years has found
widespread use in the published literature of science. Some ideas appear to
be counter-intuitive when there is insufficient knowledge of the underlying
phenomena and in a sense our intuitions at this stage can be viewed as
illusory even though they instinctively 'feel' right. Other
counter-intuitive ideas seem to defy any rational explanation. Such ideas in
science can surprise, amaze, confound and amuse - but more importantly -
challenge us to observe our own thinking and adopt a more creative approach
to science.
Kevin Byron will describe
the ubiquitous nature of the counter-intuitive - in thought, feeling and
action and demonstrate some examples of counter-intuitive concepts in
science.
Kevin Byron received
his Ph.D in Physics from the University of Hull and spent many years in
telecomms research. More recently he was awarded a NESTA Fellowship to
enable him to research into creative thinking in science education. He is a
Fellow of The Institute of Physics and a Visiting Senior Fellow to the
Physical Sciences branch of The Higher Education Academy at the University
of Hull. |
|
Date:
|
14th December 2005 |
| Title: |
'The
Human Interface with Reality: "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?'
|
Speaker:
|
Richard Epworth |
|
Description: |
A
paradox: the world we inhabit, and experience through our senses, appears
incredibly detailed and rich in information. However there is little
scientific evidence that we are able to absorb more than a tiny trickle of
fresh information, leading to the conclusion that most of the world we
are experiencing is just an internal construct or simulation based on our
history. The talk will explore the disturbing and exciting implications of
taking the true nature of the human interface into account.
|
Date:
|
29th March
2006 |
| Title: |
What makes science education
memorable? |
Speaker:
|
Jonathan Forgham,
Science co-ordinator, Summercroft Primary School, Bishop's Stortford |
|
Description: |
When
Einstein said "Imagination is more important than
knowledge!" he was referring to the importance of creativity
in science. Many of the audience will recall how the
emphasis in their science education was primarily on the
acquisition of knowledge and of learning facts, definitions
and laws. This approach in recent years has been partly
responsible for the loss of interest in science by many
younger people which is held by education policy makers to
be a major concern.
One way
to attract students back to science is by nurturing the
missing elements that appeal to the imagination by placing a
greater emphasis on creativity. Jonathan has achieved wide
acclaim in this endeavour with his pioneering practical work
which provides opportunities for primary school children:
‘To learn through seeing science happening in front of their
eyes!’.
After
describing his work in creative science Jonathan is keen to
further his researches in the ensuing discussion with those
members of the audience who have either had a career in
science or an enduring interest in science by asking - What
is it that made science memorable to you ?
Jonathan
Forgham has been teaching science education at primary level
for some 25 years and was primary science advisor for
Hertfordshire in 2004. He was appointed Science Fellow to
the Gatsby Technical Education project for his work on plant
science for primary school education and was made leading
teacher fellow in 2004. He is the science co-ordinator at
Summercroft Primary School
in Bishops Stortford and is currently organising a range of
activities for National Science Week.
Jonathan
is a ECB cricket coach, keen ornithologist, photographer and
traveller.
|
|
Date:
|
26th April
2006 |
| Title: |
Alzheimer's disease: pat,
present and future |
Speaker:
|
John Atack, Senior
Investigator, Merck & Co., Inc. |
|
Description: |
It
is one hundred years since Alois Alzheimer first described the patient whose
changes in the brain became characteristic of the disease that bears his
name. It is therefore an appropriate time to reflect upon how Alzheimer's
Disease has become a major focus of attention, within both the scientific
community and the general population. The current status of Alzheimer's
disease research will be reviewed as will the present and potential future
treatments for this debilitating disease.
Having completed his PhD studying the chemistry of the brain of Alzheimer's
patients in the department of Pathology at Newcastle General Hospital in
1984, John spent five years at the US Government's National Institutes of
Health outside Washington DC continuing his research on Alzheimer's Disease.
Whilst there it became apparent to him that there were no adequate
treatments for the disease and therefore he joined the Merck Neuroscience
Research Centre in Harlow 16 years ago in order to try develop new drugs for
this and other disorders of the brain. |
Date:
|
21st June
2006 |
| Title: |
Energy literacy - how do we
make sense of the energy debate? |
Speaker:
|
Damien Bevan |
|
Description: |
There seems a growing
consensus that in the near future we will need to
find new sources of energy, and we will
need to use that energy more efficiently. The reasons for
this include the greenhouse effect, and the imminent
exhaustion of the world's supply of fossil fuels.
Both of these issues are accelerated in
their urgency by the ongoing rise of the 'tiger' economies
such as China and India. However, changing our source and
use of energy is going to involve making choices. These
choices can only be made with the understanding and consent
of the electorate, for which they need to be literate in the
language of energy. The presenter argues that the
gross inaccuracies and dumbing-down of
the energy issue in the media only serves to make things
more confusing. We need to find a clear and precise language
in order for the majority of the population to discuss the
energy
issue in a mature and informed way.
The aim of this Cafe Scientifique will
be to debate the form and terminology
of that language
|
|
|
Date: |
Monday 20th November |
|
Title: |
Have a rant! |
|
Speaker: |
Who knows? |
|
Description: |
Your opportunity
to have a brief rant on any topic that could be of interest to
our Café Scientifique audience.
A five minute talk,
followed by 10
minutes of questions and comments from our audience. A great
opportunity for you to air an idea, complain about something, or
simply to present a question.
Click
here for more
information.
|
|
|
Date: |
Monday 15th January |
|
Title: |
The threat from near-Earth
objects |
|
Speaker: |
Jerry Stone, Fellow, British Interplanetary Society |
|
Description: |
Summary:
It came
from Space
It was
10 km wide
It
killed nearly all life on Earth
That was
65 million years ago
When
will it happen again?
"We're
All Going to Die"
Do you
feel Lucky? Well Do You?
|
|
|
Date: |
Monday 26th February |
|
Title: |
Stem cells to therapy - a view
from the UK Stem Cell Bank |
|
Speaker: |
Glyn Stacey |
|
Description: |
Stem cells are in the news almost every day, and there are a lot of
passionate views and expectations.
-
What is the biology that makes stem cells
special?
-
How do 'adult' and 'embryonic' stem cells
compare? What is their clinical potential?
-
How is the use of embryos and tissue
regulated in the UK?
-
What is the UK Stem Cell Bank and what
does it do?
Glyn Stacey is Head Of Division of Cell Biology and Imaging & Director for
the UK Stem Cell Bank, National Institute for Biological Standards and
Control. He is also a professor in the University of Luton postgraduate
degree course in cryobiology.
See
www.cafescientifique.goforich.co.uk
|
|
Date: |
Monday 19th March |
|
Title: |
Flu pandemics |
|
Speaker: |
Jane Leese |
|
Description: |
Bird Flu continues to threaten to jump to humans.
|
|
Date: |
Monday 16th April |
|
Title: |
LASERs: fact and fiction |
|
Speaker: |
Kevin Byron |
|
Description: |
Light Sabres, Holodecks & Photon Torpedoes! |
|
Date: |
Monday 18th June |
|
Title: |
When Vesuvius erupts again |
|
Speaker: |
Peter Baxter |
|
Description: |
See
www.cafescientifique.goforich.co.uk
The "future eruption of Vesuvius is the worst foreseeable natural disaster
facing the European Union".
Vesuvius is the most studied volcano in the world, but it is only relatively
recently that its mega-hazard in an area inhabited by at least 1 million
people has become understood by the Italian authorities. Now, for the first
time, scientists are attempting to develop emergency planning for such an
eruption.
Peter will explain the history of Vesuvius' eruptions, and how this suggests
what could happen in the next eruption. The timing, duration, size and
type of the eruption cannot be predicted in a volcano which is "on the edge
of chaos" but Peter will explain what is being done to plan for such an
event, such as the timely evacuation of at least 500,000 people.
Don't Miss It!
|
|
Date: |
Monday 2nd July |
|
Title: |
Digital dynamics: science with
a digital camera |
|
Speaker: |
James Collett |
|
Description: |
Note: If you intend to reserve a place, then
please respond ASAP, as we will soon publicise this more widely. Please tell
your friends who are into digital photography
Modern digital cameras are marvellous tools for studying the natural world.
Their high sensitivity means that motion can be studied on short timescales
(e.g. insect flight) or where there is limited light (e.g. a spark). In this
talk, we will see how digital photography with relatively simple equipment
can reveal the dynamics of the natural world from the kitchen sink to
lightning, from the flight of a bee to the changing face of the Moon.
Dr James Collett is a lecturer in the School of Physics, Astronomy and
Mathematics at the University of Hertfordshire, with research interests in
the dynamics of galaxies and cosmic clouds.
See
www.cafescientifique.goforich.co.uk |
|
Date: |
Monday 29th October |
|
Title: |
What the "!£%&*" do we
know?
Quantum physics, conciousness and spirituality: is there any connection? |
|
Description: |
Kevin Byron
Quantum theory was first formulated in the early 20th century to address a
growing number of experimental anomalies that could not be explained by the
existing classical physics of the day. Within a few decades this successful
theory had ushered in the new ages of atomic and nuclear physics that in
turn enabled a wealth of technological developments that surround us now.
Progress however, was largely driven by the predictive power of the
mathematical models used to describe the theory rather than by a deeper
conceptual understanding of the reality it describes.
Quantum theory is riddled with paradox and counter-intuitive concepts such
as multiple universes, multi-dimensional spaces, entities that can take on
different identities, instantaneous communication etc which remain to this
day a challenge to the imagination. It is perhaps because of these
unknowable aspects of quantum theory that they have crossed over into other
more philosophical and spiritual disciplines that formerly defined human
reality. Such disciplines had been robbed of meaning for many years by other
successful developments in modern science such as Darwinism and behavioural
psychology and more recently, neuroscience. Maybe it was believed that
quantum theory could restore some meaning to these areas of thought under
the umbrella of respectable science.
But is this cross-over justified? Does the underlying weirdness of quantum
theory give new life to imponderable spiritual ideas that have been under
assault by the progress of conventional science? Can parallels be drawn
between quantum theory and the equally unfathomable understanding of
conscious awareness?
What the "*?@~#" do we really know?
Some of the highly-respected scientists in this film seem to answer these
first three questions in the affirmative. And in answer to the last one they
appear to say - 'a lot more than we think we know!' What do you think?
|
|
Date: |
Monday November 26th |
|
Title: |
The 'Captain of the Men of
Death' is back! - the relentless march of tuberculosis into the twenty-first
century |
|
Description: |
Jane Leese
In 1680 John Bunyan called TB "The Captain of all these men of death". The
scourge of Tuberculosis continued through the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries but the twentieth century saw hope, in the BCG vaccine and
effective antibiotic treatments.
-
So why, at the dawn of the twenty-first
century, is TB a global catastrophe?
-
Why don't we hear more about it?
-
And what can be done about it?
These are some of the questions Jane will endeavour to answer. |
|
Date: |
Monday December 10th |
|
Title: |
Is science ever trivial? - a
light-hearted science quiz |
|
Description: |
|
|
Date: |
Monday February 18th |
|
Title: |
The science and beauty of
nebulae |
|
Description: |
Carolin
Crawford, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University
Carolin will take us on an illustrated journey through our galaxy,
showcasing some of the most spectacular space telescope images of the dust
and gas that lie between the stars. She will show us how to read the
turbulent story they reveal of the lives of stars; explaining the science
behind the beauty. |
|
Date: |
Monday 31st
March |
|
Title: |
How to win the Nobel Prize! |
|
Description: |
Tim Hunt
Sir Tim Hunt,
Fellow of the Royal Society, will talk about the journey of discovery that
led to him receiving the highest accolade in the world of science - the
Nobel Prize. Tim received his award in 'Physiology or Medicine' in 2001 for
studies on 'Key regulators of the cell cycle' (according to the Nobel
citation).
In his autobiography, Tim talks of the pleasures of doing science, such as
'trying to make sense of unfamiliar territory and the discussions with the
other authors providing an even more intense pleasure of learning new
things'. But he goes on to say 'none of these pleasures, great and
satisfying though they are, match the joy of discovery'.
We will hear, first-hand, the story behind the discoveries that have made a
major contribution to understanding how cells can make copies of themselves
at the molecular level. Such knowledge is essential for progress in
many areas of biology and the discoveries may, in the long term, open new
principles for cancer therapy. |
| Date: |
Monday 28th April |
| Title: |
It's
Playtime!! |
|
Speaker: |
They say it's never too late to have a happy
childhood and this is a unique opportunity for you to recapture the fun of
playing with science.
Bishops Stortford College have kindly offered to open their Science Action
Centre just to us, Cafe Scientifique enthusiasts of all ages.
If you have ever visited "Launch Pad" at the London Science Museum, or the
Bristol Exploratory, you will have some idea of what to expect. It's all about
the fun of learning from experience: (I hear - I forget, I see - I remember, I
do - I understand)
"The Science Action Centre is a place where fun and learning go hand in hand.
Designed to intrigue and engage, it houses more than thirty-five interactive
displays for inquisitive young minds to explore. Whether discovering the magic
of magnets and mirrors, experimenting with light,
sight and sound, or creating a water fountain with their own hands, children
will find themselves absorbed from the moment they arrive. Exhibits include a
Helios Planetarium funded by the Institute of Physics and ViewSpace, which
provides an amazing live internet link to the Space Telescope Science Institute,
home of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope."
Don't just envy the kids of today: it's your turn to play, and another
opportunity to meet and chat with fellow Stortford Café Scientifique
enthusiasts.
Note that the venue is Bishops Stortford College, on Maze Green Road, just off
the Hadham Road NOT Caffé Nero
There is a Google Map on the web page:
www.cafescientifique.goforich.co.uk or the College website is
www.bishops-stortford-college.herts.sch.uk/
|
| Date: |
Monday 12th May |
| Title: |
How the brain creates the mind |
|
Speaker: |
Chris Frith, University College, London
Inside your head there is an amazing labour saving device, more effective than
the latest high-tech computer. Your brain frees you from the everyday tasks of
moving about in the world around you, allowing you to concentrate on the things
that are important to you; making friends and influencing people.
However, the 'you' that is released into this social world is also a
construction of your brain. It is your brain that enables you to share your
mental life with the people around you.
Using evidence from brain imaging, psychological experiments, and patient
studies, Chris, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, will explore the
relationship between the mind and the brain.
Chris
has recently published Making up the mind: how the brain creates our mental
world. He is professor of neuropsychology, at the Wellcome Trust Centre for
Neuroimaging at UCL.His other publications include Schizophrenia: a very
short introduction (2003, with Eve C. Johnstone) and The neuroscience of
social interaction (2004, edited with Daniel Wolpert). |
|
Date: |
Monday July 7th |
|
Title: |
The Frontier of Particle
Physics & the Large Hadron Collider |
|
Speaker: |
Nick Evans,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Southampton
This one is the
Big One! Hence the special big venue (Not the usual café) -
The Ferguson Lecture Theatre
at Bishops Stortford College
This hot topic
is getting very cold. If you go to the CERN website, you can see a map
of the LHC, coloured showing the decreasing temperatures as the magnets are
cooled to enable the superconductive magnets to function. Switch on
time is getting near.
Phew! Large
Hadron Collider deemed safe:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2219838/lhc-won-destroy-planet-study
"Particle
physics is the unbelievable in pursuit of the unimaginable. To pinpoint the
smallest fragments of the universe you have to build the biggest machine in
the world. To recreate the first millionths of a second of creation
you have to focus energy on an awesome scale." -The Guardian
There are people
who believe that when the LHC is switched on it will produce a tiny black
hole that will then swallow up our world. But if it hasn't done so by July
7th, come and find out why not.
Attendance is
free, but we do need to know approximate numbers to organise the seating.
Numbers are not limited for this venue, so bring some friends for the big
show.
If you (or
anyone else) would like to reserve a place please use the contact details
above.
|
|
Date: |
Thursday September 25th, Ferguson Lecture Theatre at Bishops Stortford
College
(note
change from our usual Monday date and normal venue) |
|
Title: |
To sleep, perchance to dream |
|
Speaker: |
Omar Daniels
Sleep and dreams have been a source of
fascination for almost all of recorded history. Dreams have been
seen as sources of inspiration, provided glimpses of fantasy worlds
and have even been regarded as oracles or portents of doom. The
psychoanalytical theories of the interpretation of dreams which came
to prominence in the early part of the twentieth century have set
the tone for much of the public perception of the psychological
approach to the subject. Nevertheless, a more empirical and
scientific study of dreams has quietly developed to help us
understand the significance and function of this activity.
The scientific study of sleep has
always been more robust than that of dreams. There is a wealth of
literature on the biology of sleep in animals. Studies in human
sleep and sleep disturbance have been translated into clinical
applications within medical and neurological practice. Omar Daniels
will give an overview of the field of the science of sleep and
dreams, drawing on his experience as a practising clinician.
Dr Omar Daniels is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Honorary Senior
Lecturer, formerly at Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Dept of
Psychiatry and Behavioural Science UCL and currently in private
practice. He has special interests in mood disorders, obesity,
substance misuse and neuropsychiatry. He trained in Psychiatry at
the renowned Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry in
London. During his training at the Maudsley he worked as a Senior
Registrar in the Epilepsy Unit, which is a national centre for
neuropsychiatric referrals. |
|
Date: |
Monday October 13th, Ferguson Lecture Theatre at Bishops Stortford College
|
|
Title: |
The science of music |
|
Speaker: |
Matt Fradley
What
is music? From Hildegard of Bingen to Pink Floyd, Mongolian Diphonic Singers to
KanYe West, from Beethoven to Indonesian Gamelan, Dizzy Gillespie to The Red Hot
Chilli Peppers; we'll be discussing such questions as: what do we enjoy about
music (and really can't stand)? Where did music come from and is there an
evolutionary advantage to music? Or is it, in the words of Cognitive
Psychologist Steven Pinker, just 'auditory cheesecake'? How does the brain
interpret music and why do we seem to have only a limited number of notes that
we can play? How is music created and why do different instruments that are
playing the same note sound so wildly different?
Come and Join Matt Fradley, "a very amateur musician and part-time
scientist", in the pursuit of the "Science of Music".
|
|
Date: |
Monday 17th November
The Ferguson Building Lecture Theatre at Bishop's Stortford College |
|
Title: |
A Phoenix on Mars |
|
Speaker: |
Carolin
Crawford
By
popular request, Carolin will bring us up to date on the latest developments in
humankind's exploration of Mars. Her talk will be illustrated with some of the
stunning images taken both from orbiting Space-Probes and the Landers and Rovers
currently exploring the surface.
Dr
Carolin Crawford is based at the Institute of Astronomy in the University of
Cambridge, and is a Fellow of Emmanuel College. She is an observer, combining
data from the optical, near-infrared and X-ray wavebands to study how active
galaxies can influence their environment.
Carolin combines her research into astronomy with the job of Outreach Officer,
conveying her enthusiasm for her subject to as wide an audience as possible
through talks, lectures, videoconferences and radio. |
|
Date: |
Monday 8h December
The Ferguson Building Lecture Theatre at Bishop's Stortford College |
|
Title: |
Universally Challenged? |
|
Speaker: |
Kevin Byron
Following the fun time we had with
this last year, by popular request Kevin Byron returns with another
Science Trivia Quiz - Universally Challenged?
This will be a fun event where teams
of three or more can exercise their general scientific knowledge,
basic science skills and creative abilities.
In addition to the more conventional
multi-choice answers to questions testing your knowledge and
un-common sense, there will be some fun 'Hands-on' team creative
science challenges.
Remember 'Points mean Prizes' and the
'Big Bang' award, the Schrödinger's Cat award and the 'Higgs Bozo'
awards are all up for grabs. Come and have some fun; come on your
own or bring friends |
|
Date: |
Monday January 19th, 2009 |
|
Title: |
The amazing science of
hearing |
|
Speaker: |
Jonathan Ashmore
Did you know that the ear generates sounds? See a
link to John's amazing video of a hair cell dancing to Bill Haley's Rock Around
the Clock at www.cafescientifique.goforich.co.uk |
|
Date: |
Thursday 5th February |
|
Title: |
Genetic Genealogy: the
history hidden in your genes |
|
Speaker: |
Bryn Carr
NB This cafe will be held in the Junior School
Hall, Bishop's Stortford College. See
www.cafescientifique.goforich.co.uk |
|
Date: |
Monday March 9th |
|
Title: |
Is a little bit of
Polonium good for you? - Current Issues in Radiation Protection
|
|
Speaker: |
Jim Thurston
Every one of us will
almost certainly be deliberately exposed to ionising radiation several times
during our lifetime, especially for medical or dental diagnosis or
treatment. We are also exposed to natural background radiation all the time.
The deliberate use of ionising radiation for medical and other purposes has
been going on for over 100 years now, and the public perception of the risks
resultant from such exposure has changed quite dramatically during that
time. However recent events have brought the attention of the public back to
considering the potential harm of ionising radiation, such events including
the Litvinenko Affair, Terrorism and Dirty Bombs, a return to Nuclear Power,
etc.
Jim's talk will give a
historical background to the uses of ionising radiation, discuss some of the
recent issues in the public domain, and also introduce some of the latest
thinking on the actual hazards and risks of exposure to ionising radiation.
Jim Thurston gained a
BSc in Applied Physics at Liverpool Polytechnic (now Liverpool John Moores
University), followed by a MSc in Medical Radiation Physics at Brunel
University. He has worked for twenty years as a Medical Physicist in
the Radiation Protection Services of four major London teaching hospitals.
His work has involved the areas of radiology (x-ray) physics and the audit
of work with radioactive substances. He has also been involved in
physics support of the use of lasers in medicine.
If he was to win £1
million on the National Lottery, he would still cycle to work – but he’d be
riding a much better bike!
|
|
Date: |
Monday April 27th |
|
Title: |
Sustainable
Energy, Without the Hot Air
|
|
Speaker: |
David J.C. MacKay
If you have
an interest in the future of this planet, and care about the best way
forward, you should come and hear this talk
-
How easy
is it to get off our fossil fuel habit?
-
Could
Britain live on its own renewables?
-
How does
our current energy consumption compare with our sustainable energy
options?
|
|
Date: |
Thursday 25th June 6:45 for 7:15 start |
|
Title: |
Sailing
towards 100 knots! The science, technology and fun of going very fast on
water using just wind power |
|
Speaker: |
Bob Spagnoletti
The motivation to sail at high speed has
changed over the years. Originally it was getting your cargo to market as
quickly as possible, now it is predominantly for sport.
Today, the
accessibility of high-tech materials has made it possible to experiment with
different concepts, leading to new and more adrenaline pumping forms of
sailing. The talk will outline the physics of fast sailing and speculate on
the ultimate speed.
-
So just
how fast can a sailing craft go? What will it look like?
-
How do
windsurfers, kite boards and hydrofoil boats measure up?
-
What has
been achieved so far? What can go wrong?
Bob
Spagnoletti is a keen windsurfer and one of the organisers of Weymouth Speed
Week, an event dedicated to exploring experimental form of fast sailing. He
has studied the aero-hydro dynamics of sailing extensively and built
experimental windsurfers. During the week he is a design engineer for
Vitesse Networks.
|
|
Date: |
Thursday October 1st |
|
Title: |
Looking into Arty
Questions |
|
Speaker: |
Helen Saunderson
We are largely
unconscious of what our eyes are drawn to when we “look” at any image. Our next
speaker is using a point-of-gaze monitor to observe how we observe “Art”.
When is a bin bag not a bin bag? What
happens when you look at an art work that is a gnome covered in cigarettes?
Does it matter if you are Homer Simpson (art novice?) or Brian Sewell (art
critic)?
Helen will describe psychological research
undertaken to answer these, and other arty questions. Starting with a plea
for a cross-disciplinary "Babel fish", she will describe how the eyes function
(with some interesting examples of how easily they can be fooled!).
Leading onto the method of the research, namely using a machine - which was
likened to that in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ - but that in fact only records where
and when somebody looks. She will describe her preliminary results, and what
these might tell us in relation to the questions posed...
But to find out what they are you will have
to turn up!
Helen
Saunderson is currently a PhD student at the University of Leicester,
researching how people look at contemporary art and the influence of art
expertise. Previously she undertook a joint honours degree in Fine Art and
Psychology at Reading University, cementing a long-term interest in art and
psychology with a dissertation that investigated if there were difference when
people looked at originals and reproductions of paintings. In addition she
maintains an artistic practice, which is also diverse, ranging from creating
spheres from recycled plastic, knitting scarves for trees and creating images
from drawing pins. |
|
|
Date: |
Monday
November 9th |
|
Title: |
Don’t sleep, there are snakes: life and language in the Amazon |
|
Speaker: |
Daniel Everett
This is
a unique event. Daniel is in the UK just briefly to speak at the Royal
Institution and our Café Scientifique will be his only public appearance.
Daniel
Everett took his family to convert the Pirahas (pronounced pee-da-HAN), a remote
people of the Amazonian jungle whose language no outsider had yet been able to
understand. They encountered malaria, snakes, jaguars, spiders, insects, and a
plot to kill them as they slept. But Everett gradually gained entry to this
curious culture, and gave up trying to Christianise it. Along the way he
discovered a language which disproved the most established tenets of
linguistics.
He will
describe the slow, meticulous steps by which he mastered their language and his
gradual realisation that its unusual nature closely reflected its speakers’
startlingly original perceptions of the world. He will tell how he began to
realise that his discoveries about the Piraha language opened up a new way of
understanding how language works in our minds and in our lives, and that this
was utterly at odds with Noam Chomsky’s universally accepted linguistic
theories. The perils of passionate academic opposition are conjoined to those of
the Amazon in a debate whose outcome has yet to be won.
Adventure, personal enlightenment and the makings of a scientific revolution are
all part of Daniel’s vivid, funny and moving story.
Daniel
L. Everett is the Chair of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Illinois
State University.
‘Dan
Everett is the most interesting man I have ever met. This story about his life
among the Pirahas is a fascinating read. His observations and claims about the
culture and language of the Pirahas are astounding’ - Edward Gibson,
Professor of Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
There
will be an opportunity to buy his book. |
|
Date: |
Monday December
14th |
|
Title: |
The history of optical communications |
|
Speaker: |
Richard Epworth
In
celebration of the awarding of the 2009 Nobel Prize for physics to Charles Kao,
who pioneered Optical Fibre Communications at Standard Telecommunications
Laboratories in Harlow back in the 1960’s.
Mankind has communicated using
light for aeons: a wave of the hand, a nod of the head, or a wink of the
eye. Light gives us the power to communicate over vast distances, but
generally travels in straight lines, so for many years long distance
communication was dominated by copper conductors carrying electrical signals
that could be steered over the horizon and around corners, even under the
oceans. With the invention of the laser in 1960, researchers in Harlow
started to explore a variety of ways of guiding optical signals. Their
aim was to exploit the potentially vast information capacity of light.
You will hear a story of
cul-de-sacs and competing microwave technologies. You will hear how the
prophetic vision of Charles Kao and George Hockham in the mid 1960s, was
developed by an ever increasing community of skilled scientists through the
next decades, to become the incredible global optical fibre communication
network of today. We will explore how different the world would be
today, if Charles had been less obsessed, and the doubters had been heeded.
There will be demonstrations
of pulses of light travelling down glass fibres, and exhibits of key
historical significance in the story of Communicating with Light . All this
and tea & biscuits too!
Richard Epworth has enjoyed
communicating with light since 1965. He was fortunate to spend most of
his playtime at Standard Telecommunications Laboratories in Harlow, which
later became BNR/Nortel Networks.
If you missed the
December 09 cafe
A History of Communicating with Light
with Richard Epworth, a recording is available from on our
website (see above), thanks to Kevin Byron who videoed the event.
The slides are included.
|
|
Date: |
Monday February
15th 2010 |
|
Title: |
Is it creative to believe in
the paranormal? |
|
Speaker: |
Christine Mohr
Madness and creativity are often considered
together. This claim seems supported by personal reports and insight into the
mental health of famous artists. Studies will be presented that link language
processing in the two hemispheres to associative word processing, paranormal
belief and creativity. The audience is invited to consider the idea that these
links could explain the wide prevalence of paranormal beliefs in the general
population.
Christine Mohr
has now made the questionnaires available on our web page:
http://www.goforich.co.uk/cafescientifique/previous/previousparanormal.htm |
|
Date: |
Monday March
15th |
|
Title: |
Risk: can we quantify our uncertainty? |
|
Speaker: |
David Spiegelhalter
There has been
a traditional division between ‘risk’, which can be quantified using probability
distributions, and ‘uncertainty’, which is the surrounding mess of doubt,
disagreement and ignorance. In well-understood situations we may be happy to
quote reasonable odds for future events, and I shall look at ways in which these
risks can be communicated visually. When the problem is more complex, analysts
may use a mixture of judgement and historical data to construct a mathematical
model that can assess future risks, but deeper uncertainties may be glossed
over. I will use examples from swine flu to climate change to illustrate
different approaches to dealing with uncertainty, from ignoring it to trying to
fully quantify it, and conclude that we should all try to be aware and open
about the magnitude and potential consequences of our ignorance.
David
Spiegelhalter is Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at the
University of Cambridge, which he combines with being a Senior Scientist in the
MRC Biostatistics Unit. His background is in medical statistics, particularly
the use of Bayesian methods in clinical trials, health technology assessment and
drug safety. He led the statistical team in the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry
and also gave evidence to the Shipman Inquiry. He has been a consultant to a
number of public and private organizations including pharmaceutical companies.
In his new post he leads a small team which is attempting to improve the way in
which the quantitative aspects of risk and uncertainty are discussed in society.
He was elected FRS in 2005 and awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to medical
statistics |
|
|
|
Date: |
Monday May 10th
2010 |
|
Title: |
The MoD-X Files |
|
Speaker: |
Nick Pope
Nick Pope used to work for the Ministry of
Defence in the unit that investigated the numerous reports of Unidentified
Flying Objects (UFOs), and has appeared regularly on television.
|
|
Date: |
Monday July 5th |
|
Title: |
The Curious
Life and Complex Legacy of Alec Reeves |
|
Speaker: |
David
Robertson of Technology Response Ltd.
Alec Reeves was one of the
20th century's greatest scientists and engineers. He was also an enigma.
Often called 'father of the
digital age', he invented Pulse Code Modulation - the basis for today's
pervasive digital technology - and later, working at Standard
Telecommunication Laboratories in Harlow, led the team that pioneered
optical fibres. Yet Reeves is virtually unknown to the public.
A committed pacifist, he
devised the most accurate bomb-aiming device of WW2, saving the Allies from
early defeat. A highly practical engineer, Reeves also dabbled in spiritualism,
claiming his work was ‘guided’ by the great 19th Century experimentalist Michael
Faraday. |
|
|
