Sheffield Science Café

09 January 2012 Technology; will it save us from the challenges of an ageing population? Professor Gail Mountain,

2011-12-05T18:37:00.001Z

Policy makers are seeking solutions to the challenges of population ageing and in particular the projected economic burden of the increased lifespan. Increased use of technology to facilitate delivery of health and social is viewed as being a significant means of achieving cost effective service delivery. This may be so but what are the limitations of this vision? How can society adapt in a more holistic manner to an ageing population? Why do we always consider the problems of ageing rather than the potential? These and other questions will be posed for debate through the session.

07 Nov 'Neutrinos and the Universe' Dr. Susan Carwright,

2011-10-19T09:27:00.001+01:00

Every second, 65 billion neutrinos from the Sun pass through every square centimetre of your body. They do you no harm - they don't even notice you (indeed, they don't notice the entire Earth: almost all of those 65 billion will still pass through you as you sleep, having gone through the Earth to do so). Almost massless, almost devoid of any interaction with other matter, neutrinos would seem to be as close to nothing at all as it's possible for matter to get.
Monday, 7th November 2011 at 7pm in the bar of The Showroom
http://sciencecafesheffield.org/2011/11.html

'The real science behind Parallel Universes'

2011-09-18T19:49:00.002+01:00

Antonio Padilla, Royal Society Research Fellow and Lecturer in Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Nottingham University

Monday 03 October 19:00

'The real science behind Parallel Universes'

The Showroom
Have you always wanted be a rock star?

In a parallel reality your wish came true. Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?

Learn about the real science behind parallel universes as I take us on a journey of discovery through the multiverse to different parallel worlds, from those that exist all around us to those that are unimaginably far away.

Travel across the landscape of string theory to watch new universes bubbling into existence, and visit island universes that are marooned in a sea of extra dimensions. Understand how you can create new universes closer to home just by tossing a coin, and find out why you might be nothing more than a Boltzmann brain, floating through empty space with false memories.

Sci Cafe Extra events in May

2011-04-04T23:11:00.007+01:00

17 May 2011 at 19:00
Professor Neil Hyatt
Royal Academy of Engineering and NDA Chair in Radioactive Waste Management
Director, Immobilisation Science Laboratory

I would like to offer to lead a future sesssion on "What happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant?". My presentation would cover what went right, what went wrong, and the likely long term impact on human health, the environment, and the nuclear renaissance.

26 May 2011 at 19:00

Wellcome Trust-funded feature length documentary on stem cells. The film is a collaboration between an Edinburgh
based team of filmmakers and scientists. Director is Amy Hardie (Docspace,Scottish Documentary Institute) and Scientific Producer Dr Clare Blackburn (MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh).
Please book via http://vof-sheffield.eventbrite.com/
The film investigates the science, ethics and societal issues around stem cell research. From past breakthrough to subsequent clinical applications.

Prof Peter Andrews, co-director of the Centre for Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield will take part in the screening organised in Sheffield.

May Café Energy Futures

2011-04-04T22:32:00.004+01:00

09 May 2011 at 19:00
James Williams & Holly Castleton
From the E-Futures Project, University of Sheffield.

This Café will discuss projected future energy shortages and the different methods that are being employed to help solve it. Researchers from the E-Futures project will present their research and proposed solutions. Read More>>

Autism: epidemic disease, psychosocial disorder or post-modern condition Sponsored by LloydsTSB

2011-03-07T21:50:00.002Z

Dr Michael Fitzpatrick Barton House Health Centre, London
Monday 04 April 2011 19:00

Once regarded as a rare and obscure condition, autism now seems to be everywhere, attracting both fear and fascination. This talk looks at how can we understand the dramatic rise in the prevalence of autism and the high public profile it now enjoys. What are the consequences of the new age of autism, for individuals and families affected by this diagnosis, and for society?

Michael is the author of two books : MMR and Autism: What Parents Need To Know and Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion, both published by Routledge. http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/201104.htm

We promised to publish the Arts Science URL

2011-03-07T21:36:00.000Z

Don't for get about our friends at Arts-Science Encounters http://shef.ac.uk/arts-science

'The Lung – an inspiring organ' Sci Cafe Sponsored by LloydsTSB

2011-02-07T21:09:00.001Z

Monday 07 March 2011 19:00 'The Lung – an inspiring organ'
Prof Helen Storey, Prof Matthew Holley, Prof Moira Whyte describe how the combined powers of art and science inspire us to understand ourselves and our place within the world. ‘Primitive Streak’ is a project founded by the acclaimed fashion designer Helen Storey and her sister Kate, who is Professor of Developmental Biology at the University of Dundee. See More at http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/201103.htm

The alcohol industry - a responsible partner in public health policy development? Sci Cafe Sponsored by LloydsTSB

2011-01-16T12:57:00.003Z

Monday 07 February 2011 19:00 - Professor Petra Meier will look at Andrew Lansley's “responsibility deals” Does this mean drinks firms' dream of writing public health policy has finally come true? Or can and should the alcohol industry be partners in public health policy making, by educating consumers and promoting healthy drinking practices? Read more at: http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/201102.htm

January Event: POSTPONED

2011-01-07T14:36:00.001Z

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the January event is postponed.

'Life on Mars' December Café Scientifique Sponsored by LloydsTSB

2010-12-05T16:10:00.002Z

Monday, 6th December 2010 at 7pm in the bar of The Showroom

'Life on Mars'

Steve Cutts discusses his lifelong interest in the planet Mars in this Cafe Scientifique talk accompanied by about 50 colour slides. What do we know about Mars now and how did we find it out? Is there life on the red planet? Could human beings ever travel to Mars and if we ever got there what would it be like? What are the remaining technical barriers to sending a manned expedition to Mars and ultimately conquering the red planet? Could we use raw materials found on Mars to help build a human settlement there?

Steve Cutts published Viking Village in 2009.

More info: contact the organisers via cafesci.s1@gmail.com

See more at http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org

Admission is FREE, No need to sign up.
If you are visually/hearing impaired or have other special access needs and would like to attend the event, please get in touch with us in advance, and we will try our best to arrange for help to make the event accessible to you.

The Life Alchemists - "It's life, but not as we know it!" Cafe Scientifique, sponsored by LloydsTSB

2010-10-22T18:58:00.002+01:00

Theatre Company 'Babbling Vagabonds' and Dr. Sandrine Soubes from the department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield explore synthetic biology.

If you could create new life in a lab what would you make? Can the answers to the world's problems be grown from the lab?

While Craig Venter announce the age of a new biology where biologists and engineers are joining forces, Synthetic Biology is offering to be the new Graal which may solve many problems of our modern world.

If we let school children be the synthetic biologists of tomorrow what would they do with these new biological tools, which products and technology would they develop. The theatre company, the Babbling Vagabonds and Dr Sandrine Soubes from the department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology have worked to explore such ideas with primary school children. This performance will encapsulate synthetic biology seen through the eyes of young people.

Discussion with the audience will follow the performance with the participation of Professor Phil Wright, from the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

October Cafe - Human Enhancement Technology in Sport

2010-09-29T18:06:00.005+01:00

The whole issue of human enhancement is also a major area of debate. Can HET be used to help diasbled athletes? Running blades, powered ankle joints and cutting-edge wheelchair design are just some of the technologies that could allow disabled athletes to compete at the highest level and challenge perceptions of disability. Could such enhanced Paralympians ever compete with, or even beat the performance of able-bodied athletes? If so, how do we ensure a level playing field? Are we moving towards a post-human future? All we all cyborgs? Topics that were once only tackled within the realm of science fiction are now on the horizon of science fact. Read on

------------Editor's Note-----------------
The Link to "Inside Incredible Athletes" has been removed as the video is no longer available
------------------------------------------

The Birth, Life and Death of Stars, September Cafe Sci Sponsored by Lloyds TSB

2010-08-19T21:09:00.003+01:00

Monday, 6th September 2010 at 19:00 in the bar of The Showroom

'How I Wonder What You Are: The Birth, Life and Death of Stars'

Dr Paul Ruffle, Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!" How often did we sing that as a child without realising what we were asking?

Well, with the aid of some of the latest astronomical images, the wonder of what stars are is revealed in this highly informative presentation that includes: how stars form in clouds of molecular gas and dust scattered about in the interstellar medium (ISM) of our Milky Way galaxy; how they then evolve and synthesise the elements that make life possible; and how at the end of their lives, they return this material to the ISM for the next generation of stars, either as red giants and planetary nebulae or more catastrophically as exploding supernovae.

The speaker also provides a feel for the sheer number of stars in the Milky Way, the enormous distance scales in our Galaxy and the range of densities encountered, from the most tenuous parts of the ISM to the compact cores of the most massive stars.

See http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/201009.htm

follow http://twitter.com/scicafe

2010-11 Season

2010-08-05T22:19:00.005+01:00

The Next season is looking promising,

So far, we have:

September: The Birth, Life and Death of Stars by Dr Paul Ruffle, Jodrell Bank
October:Human Enhancement Technology in Sport, with pannelists including David James from Sheffield Hallam University
November: a local theatre company "The babbling vagabonds" will explore ideas around Synthetic Biology
December we have Life on Mars Steven Cutts (Author of "VIKING VILLAGE")

January 2011 Professor Pamela Shaw, Director of the Sheffield Care and Research Centre for Motor Neuron Disorders
February Dr. Petra Meier, School of Health andRelated Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield

'Watching the world go by : Seeing the Earth's processes from space'- June Cafe Sci Sponsored by Lloyds TSB

2010-05-27T09:25:00.003+01:00

Professor Shaun Quegan, Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics, University of Sheffield Over recent years our ability to see the dynamics of the earth's land, ocean and atmosphere has been revolutionised by satellite observations. These have been fundamental in improving our understanding of the earth's climate and carbon cycle, cryosphere etc. This talk will give a survey of recent advances in our observing capability and explain how they have improved our understanding of how the world is changing and how it is likely to change. Also included, will be discussion of how outcomes from the Copenhagen meeting may change the value we put on the environment and how these are crucially dependent on monitoring systems operating in space.

May Café: Stonehenge: new discoveries'

2010-04-29T14:35:00.003+01:00

Professor Michael Parker Pearson
`Archaeologist of the Year' for 2010

Archaeological excavations led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield
University have uncovered new evidence of when and why Stonehenge was built.
Since 2003, Parker Pearson has led a multi-university team working on a
Neolithic settlement inhabited by the builders of Stonehenge. They have also
found the remains of a hitherto unknown stone circle in close proximity to
Stonehenge. The results of the Stonehenge Riverside Project have attracted
attention from all over the world and have earned it the award of
Archaeological Research Project of the Year.

April Cafe: How not to legislate for the digitial economy

2010-03-20T14:29:00.004Z

'Sausages and law - How not to legislate for the digitial economy' Café Scientifique Sheffield
Lilian Edwards, Professor in Internet Law, School of Law, University of Sheffield

"The Digital Economy Bill, which is likely to pass in haste and without scrutiny by MPs before the next election, is supposed to benefit the UK's emergent 21st century digital industries. Yet critics of various parts, especially the controversial plans to disconnect from the Internet alleged repeat infringers of copyright ("three strikes"), include ISPs, telcos, Facebook, Google and even Stephen Fry, and some have suggested it might better be called the Analogue Preservation Bill.
More than this the heated passage of the Bill has raised two worrying issues that go wider than the problems of music, copyright or downloading. First, the vacuum of technical knowledge, and near-disdain for the Internet, at the heart of all the main political parties in this country. Second, the capture of the regulatory process by industry sectors who do understand the technology and can spend the money needed to get the laws they want from those who don't, even where this means restraining not developing innovation.

Does the Digital Economy Bill show that democracy is dead in the Houses of Parliament or that the gap between the ruling classes and the technoliterati is unbridgeable? Lilian Edwards, Professor of Internet Law at the University of Sheffield, will discuss these issues in the light of her recent experience advising the Open Rights Group and the Liberal democrats on the Bill."

Science Brainwaves: What's in a Headline?

2010-03-19T13:44:00.000Z

The workshop is all about What's in a Headline? What, how and why science newsgets into the press, with opportunities to air your views on good/bad newsstories and put your questions to our panel of experts.Dr. Allan Pacey of The Great Sperm Race, Channel 4 and Emma Wilkinson, HealthCorrespondent for BBC online.

To sign up for this free event people need to go to the Science Brainwaveswebsite www.sciencebrainwaves.com/events and click on the ‘What’s in aHeadline?’ event

March Cafés: 01 March & 15 March

2010-02-02T09:52:00.003Z

01 March 2010: Professor Peter F. Smith, MA, PhD, FRIBA; Chartered Architect

We need to change the way we build homes, towns and cities now. Why the urgency?Because global warming is picking up speed and the villain is carbon dioxide.

Atmospheric carbon will almost certainly increase and raise the global average temperature to well beyond the 2C tipping point into irreversible climate change.

Experts like James Hansen in the US and Lord Turner in the UK warn that we should begin preparing now for a 4C rise in average temperature. This translates to a 13C rise in Siberia with its massive stores of methane.
The Copenhagen COP15 was an almost total disaster. It failed in its primary aim which was to get the major polluting countries to agree a cap on their CO2 emissions.
Read More: http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/201003.htm

15 March: this special event which will look at the idea of a 'muse': the voice, catalyst or driver, which instigates new direction for research. It brings together experts in psychology, literature, theatre, global climate and public health.
http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/201003a.htm

The Biological Basis to Male Homosexuality

2009-12-09T16:48:00.000Z

Dr Mark Sergeant, Nottingham Trent University. Monday 01 February 2010 19:00 The Showroom
The last 30 years has seen an explosion of research into the biological basis of male homosexuality.
Historically, much research focused on the effects of upbringing and childrearing on the development of an individual's sexual orientation. More recent research, however, has focused on areas such as molecular genetics, neuroanatomy and endocrinology in a bid to fine out what makes someone gay.
This talk will review research findings on this area, and discuss the ethical implications of such findings. Dr Mark Sergeant is a lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University.
His PhD studies focused on the evolution of male homosexuality. He has lectured extensively on the topic and is an active research in the field of sexual science

December Cafe: The genes that regulate intelligence.

2009-11-08T09:32:00.002Z

For December we are delighted to welcome Dr Tony Payton. (Monday 07 Dec at 1900 at The Showroom) Identifying the risk factors for individual differences in age-related cognitive ability and decline is amongst the greatest challenges facing the healthcare of older people. Cognitive impairment caused by “normal ageing” is a major contributor towards overall intellectual deficit in the elderly and a process that exhibits substantial variation within the population. Both cognitive ability and its decline with age are influenced by our both our genes and the environment with interaction between the two. Over the past fourteen years genetic research has aimed to identify the genetic variation responsible for high cognitive functioning and successful cognitive ageing. During this period a bewildering array of contrasting reports have appeared in the literature that have implicated over 50 genes with effect sizes ranging from 0.1 to 21 per cent. This talk will discuss the progress that’s been made in the field and the benefits and pitfalls of discovering genes that regulate intelligence.

November Café: Mass extinctions and volcanism by Paul Wignall

2009-10-08T17:38:00.001+01:00

All major crises of life in the past 300 million years coincide with large scale volcanic eruptions.

This includes the two biggest mass extinctions of all time: the end-Cretaceous and end-Permian events.

The reasons behind this coincidence have not been clear but geologists have generally thought that it is related to the effects of two of the principal volcanic gases, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

These have diametrically opposed climatic effects, the former causes long-term global warming and the latter causes short-term cooling due to formation of clouds of volcanic aerosols.

The talk will look at some of the latest research which shows that some mass extinction events coincide with huge individual eruptions - involving up a thousand cubic kilometres of lava. Event Page: http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/200911.htm

October Café: Processing Human Language by Computer: Advances and Challenges, by Rob Gaizauskas

2009-09-14T17:09:00.005+01:00

In his landmark 1950 paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence", Alan Turing proposed conversation as the ultimate test of machine intelligence: if we cannot distinguish a computer from a human in conversation then we may deem the computer intelligent. Turing also speculated that computers would achieve this capability by the year 2000.

2000 has now come and gone, and despite the phenomenal advances in computing since 1950, the "Turing Test" has not yet been passed. Why not? And what have computer scientists, computational linguists and artificial intelligence researchers been up to in the interim in order to get computers to "understand" human language?

In this talk I will discuss just what it is that makes human language so difficult for computers to interpret and describe some of the approaches that researchers have taken to address this problem. While the holy grail of human-like language understanding remains illusive, significant advances have been made, advances that are leading to a improved language processing capabilities embedded in applications ranging from question answering and text mining to machine translation, task-based dialogue systems and plagiarism detection.

More>>

We're back!

2009-08-27T09:25:00.002+01:00

Sorry about the few months of silence.
We have a new programme of events kicking off in OCTOBER:

The next Café event will be at 7.00 pm on Monday 5th October in the Cafe/Bar area of the Showroom Cinema.The speaker will be Prof Rob Gaizauskas speaking on computer linguistics.

November: Paul Wignall.

December : Dr Tony Payton on latest developments in genomic research.

'Power' is not about resources; it's about sex', Steve Moxon

2009-05-22T12:35:00.000+01:00

'Power' is assumed to be about resources, exercised by men over women as well as by men over other men. But this misunderstands the biology of dominance, which is same-sex, serving not to apportion resources more efficiently by minimising conflict, but to create competition so as to apportion reproduction. To understand society, our conception of 'power' needs radical revision. Steve Moxon has published a provocatively titled book, 'The Woman Racket: The new science explaining how the sexes relate at work, at play and in society - http://www.imprint-academic.com/moxon. A scientific essay on dominance is to be an editorial in the journal, Medical Hypotheses, and he publishes his own occasional and challenging blog - stevemoxon.blogspot.com.

Monday, 1st June at 7pm in the bar of The Showroom

Big Science for Big Questions: the race to find New Physics at the Large Hadron Collider

2009-05-07T10:05:00.001+01:00

Monday, 11th May at 7pm in the bar of The Showroom

On 10th September 2008 seemingly the whole world was watching as the largest machine on the planet, the 27km circumference Large Hadron Collider, was coaxed into life 100m under Geneva. This mammoth project has been 15 years in the making, and despite the early engineering glitch it promises to revolutionise our understanding of how the universe works at the smallest and largest scales, answering questions ranging from how particles acquire mass to why galaxies rotate as fast as they do.

In his presentation Professor Tovey will give a whistle-stop tour of the LHC and the giant experiments which observe its collisions; outline the motivations behind their construction; and highlight the key role in the project played by Sheffield scientists.

Café Scientifique is sponsored by LloydsTSB

Dan Tovey Professor of Particle Physics,
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Sheffield

emotional responses to music in film

2009-04-26T23:50:00.000+01:00

Dr Nicola Dibben, the University of Sheffield
‘Chills, thrills and other feeling states: Understanding emotional responses to music in film soundtracks.’
For many people music elicits strong emotional experiences, and film soundtracks often exploit that potential, whether it be to heighten an effect of suspense and terror, as in the shower scene of the film Psycho, or of love and romance, as in Brief Encounter. Musicians have developed the ability to evoke emotions through a folk psychology of musical techniques, many of the clichés of which can be heard in film music. But why do these techniques work (and why do they sometimes fail?). The talk will explore the way in which affective response to music is dependent on psycho-biological mechanisms for expectation, illustrated with clips from films, and data drawn from experimental research. The talk illustrates the way in which affective experience of music is shaped both by culture and biology.
Dr Nicola Dibben is a Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Sheffield where her research and teaching focuses on the relationship between music, mind and culture.
She has over 40 publications spanning music cognition and emotion, textual analysis of popular music, gender and identity, and critical and cultural theory. She is editor of the journal Popular Music and has two books forthcoming: Björk (Equinox Press, 2009) and Music and Mind in Everyday Life (Oxford University Press).

April Cafe: Nothing is Certain: Understanding Randomness, Unpredictability and Uncertainty

2009-03-31T13:46:00.000+01:00

Keith Worden [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield]
Monday 06 April 2009 at 19:00 The Showroom

Engineering relies increasingly on computer modelling of systems and structures. Because of the expense of prototypes for testing, modelling offers clear economic advantages. However, this may not be as reliable as one would wish, because of uncertainty in the physics being modelled. This may be due to the inherent randomness or unpredictability of nature or may be a result of ignorance. Even if physics is deterministic, predictability can be lost – as in Chaos Theory, where the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings can appear to have catastrophic consequences. Uncertainty also commonly arises in living organisms, e.g. the behaviour of human tissue depends on highly uncertain material properties; this will be illustrated by reference to models of heart valves and ‘shaken baby’ syndrome.

How to be Creative

2009-03-05T17:03:00.001Z

Cafe Scientifique, the Arts-Science network and the ESRC present:

How to be Creative
Thursday, 12th March 2009, 7 - 9 pm,
the Showroom Bar

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science, we are hosting a special event on creativity in the sciences, the social sciences and the arts. Two physical scientists, a psychologist and an artistic director/performer will draw on their research and personal experiences to share their insights and tips on how to be creative. This is an opportunity for Cafe Scientifique guests to interact with the disciplinary specialists on where, how and whether they are creative! With a mix of stories, studies, discussion and creative activities, this session is set to be a Cafe with a difference!

March Café: Ghost Science

2009-02-13T09:19:00.001Z

Ghost Science and pharmaceutical research: Statistics without data and other weapons of mass deception

Dr Aubrey Blumsohn Consultant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

This is not the best of times for academic medicine involving pharmaceuticals. Doctors and patients rely on the scientific literature to make rational decisions.
Many incidents have cast doubt on the honesty of that literature. Pharmaceutical companies have developed an extraordinary stranglehold over academic life, journals, governments, regulators, and common sense.
"Authors" of " scientific" publications have been denied access to raw data in several instances. Those charged with regulating integrity have colluded with scientific fraud.

Fear of litigation and the flow of advertising and grant revenue have inhibited proper discussion.See http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/200902.htm
http://scientific-misconduct.blogspot.com/

More on Darwin and Evolution

2009-02-13T08:14:00.004Z

If you were interested in our previous Evolutionary biology talks [ http://sheffieldsciencecafe.blogspot.com/search/label/evolution ], there are some Darwin related events to which you are invited.

The University of Sheffield's Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Society is organizing a series of lectures during which speakers will talk about their own experience with the theory of natural selection and what their understanding of the theory has given them in their scientific arena.
These lectures will be held in Firth hall (Firth court, Western bank, at the University of Sheffield) between 1 and 2 pm on the following days:

Friday 20th February: Dr Frank Ryan, author of the popular science book "Darwin's Blind Spot" talks on how modern evolutionary biology has much to offer medicine in terms of new molecular and biotechnology research in a lecture entitled "The New Evolution/The New Medicine".

Friday 27th February: Professor Terry Burke talks on one of Darwin's most misunderstood theories, sexual selection.

Friday 13th March: Dr Milton Wainwright talks on the possibilities that "Survival of the Fittest" was an idea already in the scientific domain before the publication of "On the Origin of Species", and that Darwin just happened to publish the right book at the right time.

To reserve a place contact Glenn Masson: glennmasson@googlemail.com

February Café POSTPONED to 02 March 2009

2009-01-16T09:13:00.003Z

January 2009 Cafe: How much do we really know about fluoride?

2008-12-02T09:03:00.004Z

How much do we really know about fluoride?
19:00 12 January 2009 [Venue]

How much do we really know about fluoride?
"How much do we really know about fluoride? Ulrich Weigert, who has spent many years studying its effects, has some things to reveal about it which may shock some listeners and cause them to revise their views on the advisability of ading it to water, toothpaste etc. This is an important public issue on which the public should be as fully informed as possible - which it is not at present".

The quest for ever larger astronomical telescopes

2008-11-19T12:29:00.001Z

Monday 01 December 2008 [Venue]
Richard de Grijs, Reader in Astrophysics,Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Sheffield.

Astronomy is in a golden age. It is, in particular, a technology- enabled science: progress in astronomy demands new technologies and new facilities.
In the past half-century a new generation of telescopes and instruments allowed a golden age of remarkable new discoveries: quasars, masers, black holes, gravitational arcs, extrasolar planets, gamma ray bursts, the cosmic microwave background, dark matter and dark energy have all been discovered through the development of a succession of ever larger and more sophisticated telescopes.
In the last decade, satellite observatories and the new generation of 8- to 10-metre diameter ground- based telescopes, have created a new view of our Universe, one dominated by poorly understood dark matter and a mysterious vacuum energy density. This progress poses new, and more fundamental, questions.
As the current generation of telescopes continues to probe the Universe and challenge our understanding, the time has come to take the next step.
A small step in telescope size will not progress these fundamental questions. Fortunately, preliminary studies indicate that the technology to achieve a quantum leap in telescope size is feasible.
A telescope of 50-metre to 100-metre diameter can be built, and will provide astronomers with the ability to address the next generation of scientific questions.

November Café: 'Torture As A Government Service - the New Technopolitics of Pain'

2008-11-10T06:52:00.001Z

Monday 10 November 2008
Dr Steve Wright Leeds Metropolitan UniversitySchool of Applied Global Ethics
'Torture As A Government Service - the New Technopolitics of Pain'
Many share the fear and loathing of the new torture technolgies deployed by the US in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Few however realize that such techniques were originally pioneered here in the UK and only part of a new technopolitics being developed for military operations in urban terrain. The talk will discuss the creation and deployment of these new technologies and the efforts of academics, NGO's and comedians to return us to human security as if people mattered.

Listen, We're on the Radio!

2008-10-23T14:30:00.002+01:00

We will have a spot on the Sound Of Science Radio programme on Friday 24 Oct 2008.

This is the third Science Café report on the programme and we plan to have many more once per month. I, Kenneth, compiled this this report from two conversations:

The first with Alison Cooper and Tina McGuinness, the second was with John Stratford, Chamu Kuppuswamy, Alison Cooper and the star of the show: Prof. Stephen Wood.

I enjoyed the feeling of having done the programme, but it was hard work to do. I hope you enjoy listening.

Tune in to 93.2FM on Friday morning at 09:00

See: http://www.sheffieldlive.org/index.php?page=Friday

or The Sound of Science blog.

Sheffield Live! 93.2FM is a community radio station

Can you hear us?

2008-10-08T09:54:00.004+01:00

We believe that we have the sound issues sorted now.

We have moved the PA speakers to the "Back" of the Café, so that people in the "front" section can hear the human voice and people in the back can hear the PA.

Photographs of September 2008 Event...

2008-10-07T06:55:00.002+01:00

...can be found on the website at http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/img_events/200809/

KGM

October Café: Is Management theory irrelevant outside airport books and managerial conferences?

2008-09-23T20:20:00.004+01:00

Monday 6th October at 19:00 in the Café bar of The Showroom

Is Management theory irrelevant outside airport books and managerial conferences?
by Professor Stephen Wood

Research Chair and Deputy Director, Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield Popular Management books often present ideals and concentrate on sanitized cases. Yet they address an important issue: the quest for more flexible organic, high involving organizations. And they have influenced the spread of managerialism, which has added to the scepticism surrounding management thought. Such concern may not be misplaced if management thought lacks a strong theoretical base. Or is it more that managers are skipping key elements or the devil lies in the details of implementation?

Stephen explores the argument that the problem is the growing distance between management thought and social science. In so doing he presents some of the social science that in fact underpinned earlier popular management writing and how this has progressed, concluding that current recipes for bringing the two fields further together are inadequate and pointing to ways forward.

Feature on Sheffield Live

2008-07-18T10:06:00.003+01:00

Café Scientifique was featured on the local radio station, Sheffield Live. Dr. Ross Drayton attended our July Café, and reported his experience on his radio programme, Sound of Science.
You can listen to the programme via an audio download.

Sheffield Live! 93.2FM is a community radio station: www.sheffieldlive.org

September Café

2008-07-17T17:07:00.007+01:00

Monday 01 September 2008
19:00 The Café at The Showroom
No Tickets Required.
http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/200809.htm

Dr Frank Ryan will talk about four amazing revelations arising from his travels and contacts within the world of evolutionary biology, each linked to a single image that will exemplify this broader understanding.

The first will relate to a very surprising new discovery about the human brain that links to my redefinition of HIV-1 as an “aggressive symbiont”.
The second will link the fascinating but highly controversial topic of James Lovelock’s Gaia with our present concerns about global warming.
The third will examine his contribution to just one facet of Lynn Margulis’s theory for the origin of nucleated cells and link it both to the dance of the chromosomes in mitosis and the human eye.
The fourth will link the current race to create the first truly artificial (and thus entirely alien) life form in the lab... Read More >>

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We need your help

2008-07-09T12:45:00.007+01:00

Café Scientifique is for everyone, we want to be all-inclusive.

If you can interpret the spoken word to sign language or help us to produce braille transcripts or any other useful service, please contact us.

We would need your services on a voluntary basis.

The interface between Science and the Law: the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, 2007-08)

2008-07-01T10:52:00.000+01:00

Monday 07 July 2008
Professor Roger Brownsword, Kings College, London

The interface between Science and the Law: the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, 2007-08)

Scientists want to advance knowledge, Society wants protection and advances. How does the law affect Science?

The recent Parliamentary debates concerning key provisions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill highlight continuing concerns about the respect that, as a community, we attach to the human embryo. Ever since the Warnock Report in the 1980s, we have insisted that we accord the human embryo a special status and yet licences can be (and are) issued to use human embryos for research (including now using so-called cybrids or hybrids for research), and human embryos can be screened and then selected or rejected depending upon their suitability to serve as prospective "saviour siblings". Is this the best that we can do and what does the future hold?

Sound issues

2008-06-06T12:48:00.002+01:00

All,

Thank you for the feedback regarding the sound issues we have been experiencing.

I am glad to announce that we will, from now on, have the use of lapel microphones, so hopefully we can all hear better.

Fingers Crossed!

Thank You!

2008-06-06T12:33:00.002+01:00

During the May Café, we had a collection for funds to help start new Cafés in Uganda and Kenya.

I'm pleased to announce that we raised £38. This has been forwarded to Duncan Dallas in Leeds, who is co-ordinating the aid effort from the UK.

June Café

2008-05-22T14:53:00.001+01:00

Monday 02 June 2008
19:00 The Café at The Showroom
No Tickets Required.

Anthony J Ryan OBE
The ICI Professor of Physical Chemistry & Director of the Polymer Centre, University of Sheffield
Wonderland - Working at the art-science boundary

Wonderland is a project that has challenged Tony and his collaborator Helen Storey to devise beautiful materials and methods to demonstrate chemistry in a visual arts setting ? but crucially, their dialogue has challenged the underlying nature of science, it's societal, cultural and artistic context, leading to the development of real world applications. In the next CS session, Tony will talk about the project and its outcomes.

More on the December 2007 Café

2008-05-22T14:48:00.004+01:00

BBC Radio4's "The Today Programme" featured more about the use of modafinil.

Have a look... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7412719.stm

This was a feature of our December 2007 Café

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Bank Holiday Madness

2008-05-02T12:42:00.003+01:00

Folks,

Don't forget that monday coming (05 May 2008) is a Bank Holiday.

This means that Café Scientifique will be the 2nd Monday of the month: 12 MAY

See you then,

May Event

2008-04-25T13:53:00.005+01:00

Monday 12 May 2008
19:00 The Café at The Showroom
No Tickets Required.

Frank Ryan will present two Cafés. This, the first, will be linked to the 150th anniversary of the presentation of Darwin's theory at the Linnean Society in 1858, a year before publication of 'The Origin of Species'. Indeed, Frank Ryan will be co-hosting an international meeting at the Linnean Society in July to mark the occasion - click here for the abstracts.

At Café Scientifique Frank will discuss the concept of genomic creativity, explaining how viruses are a vital part of this, referring to symbiosis as a creative force. Frank has written on this subject . His latest book, 'Darwin's Blind Spot' is available, with free postage, from http://www.swiftpublishers.com/.

A second book, that is entertaining as well as informative, is his recently published eco-thriller. The 'Doomsday Genie', available from www.fprbooks.com.

Frank will have copies of these books available at his presentation. As an audience, be prepared to contribute to this session in order to shape the direction of Frank's follow-on presentation to be given on 1st September. What areas of this fascinating field do you want to explore?

You might even be able to get your copy of his book signed by the author!

http://www.sciencecafesheffield.org/200805.htm

Welcome

2008-04-22T22:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to the Sheffield Science Cafe Blog!

We'll use this blog in conjunction with the website
The Blog allows you to subscribe to feeds and to comment on the Café events.

Please feel free to use the comments facility to tell us what you think.