Cafe Scientifique

Lower Hutt Cafe Scientifique

Where :

CADILLAC DINER, HIGH STREET, LOWER HUTT 6pm - 7.30

*** NEW VENUE***

When :

Last Thursday in the month, except December and January

Contact:

David Hancock

Previous Events

*Hear a podcast of July 2009's cafe on H1N1 flu here. Cafe details here.

Upcoming Events

Date:	Thursday 29 April
Title:	Learning to become immune to cancer
Speaker:	Melanie McConnell
Description:	Immunology is a vibrant and ever-changing branch of biomedical science that deals with the study of the immune system. International Immunology Day is an opportunity to reflect on the research being done to improve the lives of people whose immune systems do not work optimally. Dr McConnell and her colleagues at the Malaghan Institute are attempting to isolate chemotherapy-resistant cancer stem cells and educate the immune system about them. · Decades of research costing billions of dollars; what’s holding up a cure? · Is the progression of cancer as much a failure of the immune system as the success of the cancer cell? · Can we alert our immune system to the presence of cancer cells? · Is the cancer stem cell as resistant to immunotherapy as it is to radiation and chemotherapy? Dr Melanie McConnell grew up on the Kapiti Coast, then enrolled at Otago Uni where she completed a B.Sc (Hons) in Microbiology, followed by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. She then worked for several years in New York to understand how myeloid leukemia develops and how new drugs could be targeted to this disease. In 2006, Melanie joined the Malaghan Institute to establish the cancer stem cell programme.

Previous Events

Date:	Wednesday 24 September 2008
Title:	What is the real cost of mould in homes?
Speaker:	Philippa Howden-Chapman, University of Otago, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Science
Description:	Mould problems are common in New Zealand homes. This is largely due to many homes being poorly insulated and remaining cold, damp and expensive to heat. The spores and fungi associated with mould are a serious health hazard, especially to young children, elderly, and those with respiratory problems. What is the real cost to New Zealand from mould in homes, and why should you be concerned with mould in your own home?

Date:	Wednesday 27 August 2008
Title:	The Next Big One: Could Taita be the new beachfront?
Speaker:	Russ Van Dissen, GNS Science
Description:	Wellingtonians live on an active fault, which means that we are at risk of experiencing an earthquake at any time. We are continuously told to "be prepared". But prepared for what? What would happen if a very large earthquake (similar to the recent quake in China) struck Wellington? Join Russ Van Dissen from GNS Science who studies the Wellington fault, and its earthquakes. Find out if the Hutt Valley could submerge under the sea. Could Taita be the new beachfront? Would all the houses on the surrounding hills be shaken off, or is it the safest place to live? What would be the effects on infrastructure, and life as we know it? And most importantly - when will the next big shake occur?

Date:	Wednesday 30 July 2008
Title:	CSI Hutt City - Counterfeit pharmaceuticals and criminal investigations
Speaker:	Dallas Mildenhall, GNS Science
Description:	More than ever before our imaginations have been captured by the science of crime solving. Television is saturated with crime dramas giving us tantalizing, if inaccurate, insights into the lives of forensic scientists and seemingly every night the news profiles another drug, rape or murder scandal. In Lower Hutt we have our own forensic scientists, working in laboratories to solve crime. Dr Dallas Mildenhall from GNS Science studies pollen grains and spores to assist police in rape and murder cases, and also specialises in sourcing counterfeit drugs and "health" products that are contaminated with animal and plant remains and toxic or inactive chemicals. Join us for some true life insights into this fascinating field.

Date:	Wednesday 26 November 2008
Title:	World Financial Turmoil: could it strike New Zealand?
Speaker:	Brendan O'Donovan, Chief Economist, Westpac
Description:	The current financial crisis hitting the world is said to be larger than the economic downturn which created the 1930's depression. European and American financial markets are in a state of chaos as the share market has taken huge losses across the world, and international banks and financial institutions are going broke. The economic turmoil is hitting hard, ruining businesses and individuals alike. Meanwhile in New Zealand, lending institutions are going into receivership, our local house prices are tumbling, mortgage interest rates are still high and home loans are being called in. Are we in the throes of financial turmoil? Can it get worse? Is our money safe anywhere? The New Zealand Government has promised to protect our banks and guarantee our savings, but what does this mean for us?

Date:	Wednesday 29 October 2008
Title:	Global Warming: what's to be done?
Speaker:	Robert Holt, Industrial Research Limited
Description:	There is no doubt that the earth is getting warmer but there is still strong debate over whether the cause is of man's doing. What if those who say that the warming earth is a natural process are wrong? Should Hutt City be building bigger break waters now or gamble on what the true impact of a warming plant will be. Can't we just plant a tree? Industrial Research Limited (IRL) based in Lower Hutt is the New Zealand centre for physical sciences. IRL is working on ways to capture carbon dioxide to reduce its presence in the atmosphere. How do you capture carbon dioxide and what do you do with it once you have it? Can enough be captured to make any difference to global warming?

Date:	Wednesday 25 February 2009
Title:	SCIENCE - is it just mysticism in a lab coat?
Speaker:	Bernard Beckett
Description:	Modern science has managed to unravel the mystery of life, seen back to the dawn of time and peered down the microscope into the weird world of quantum physics. Small wonder then that people now look to science and scientists to answer all our big questions. But…. Are scientists ‘the High Priests of everything’ or is it just mysticism in a lab coat? Have we moved into an era where we believe every scientific study performed by scientists? How do stories influence our science, and how does our science inform our stories? Evolution has messed with our most precious stories. What is the relationship between traditional stories we tell and modern science? Using evolution as a case study, award-winning author, Bernard Beckett, will explore these questions and more.

Date:	Wednesday 25 March 2009
Title:	Less than a millionth of a metre - what harm can there be?
Speaker:	Ben Ruck, MacDiarmid Institute, Victoria University of Wellington
Description:	Nanotechnology studies the manipulation of physical systems with size much less than one millionth of a metre. This study offers immense promise in fields ranging from advanced electronics to modern medicine. But as with any new advances many big questions are being posed of the miniature world of Nanotechnology: What are the great promises of nanotechnology and who will benefit? What impact could nanofactories have on the world economy? Could nanotechnology have implications for terrorism? Could we be besieged by reproducing “gray goo” or invaded by “nanobots”? What is New Zealand’s stake, and are we keeping up with the field?

Date:	Thursday 30 April 2009
Title:	The Rights of Embryonic Stem Cells
Speaker:	Mike Berridge
Description:	Embryonic stem cells, like the nuclear debate has engaged and polarised the public like few other issues. In the USA the democratic decision making process was subverted by Presidential veto. This has been overturned by Obama with an order to “restore scientific integrity to government decision making”. Some hefty issues are at stake. In New Zealand, the issue is before the Minister of Health: What is human life and where does it begin? What are embryonic stem cells and what are the alternatives? Where are the boundaries of science, ethics, culture, religion and politics? What are the promises and what is the hype?

Date:	Thursday 25th June 2009
Title:	The significance of New Zealand dinosaurs
Speaker:	Hamish Campbell
Description:	Since their first recognition in 1980, dinosaur fossils have been reported from three localities in New Zealand: inland Hawkes Bay in rocks about 80 million years old Port Waikato in rocks about 145 million years old northern Chatham Island in rocks about 62-63million years old Most of these fossils are Hutt Valley residents in Avalon at GNS Science in the National Palaeontology Collections. What is the nature of these fossils? How certain are the identifications? What do they tell us? This is an opportunity to find out the latest on the controversial interpretation of the Chatham Island dinosaur identifications. Dr Hamish Campbell is a palaeontologist with GNS Science but he is better-known as ‘the geologist’ at Te Papa, a sometime speaker on Radio NZ, and a coauthor of books such as Awesome Forces and In search of ancient New Zealand. Come along to find out more about New Zealand’s dinosaur population with Hamish.

Date:	Thursday 30th July 2009
Title:	H1N1 + 1 = ?
Speaker:	Dr Anne LaFlamme who is the Senior Lecturer at Victoria University’s School of Biological Sciences. Dr LaFlamme’s research includes work in immunology and cell biology.
Description:	At first New Zealand was trying to prevent the arrival of Swine Flu and then it was a matter of managing the inevitable. Now without any resistance from human defences, Swine Flu is sweeping through New Zealand communities and so far there has been little to show for it like some other debilitating influenza. · Has this symptomatically mild influenza bred complacency? · Will this complacency come at a cost? · What happens if H1N1 joins forces with another virus? · What have we learned from past pandemics? · What about vaccinations or immunisation strategies?

Date:	Thursday 27th August 2009
Title:	High Temperature Superconductivity; a 'cool' NZ industry
Speaker:	Ron Baddock
Description:	New Zealand has a significant share of the IP and is at the forefront of HTS development. There has been considerable excitement recently over the development of high temperature superconductors from ceramic materials with the capability to transform many aspects of electrical engineering. The industry is reaching application on a commercial scale and with current energy challenges HTS cables are seen as a key product for renewable power technologies. How may high temperature superconductors impinge on everyday life? What developments are being made in the Hutt Valley, Wellington region and New Zealand? What are the future applications? Dr Rod Baddock is a research engineer with Industrial Research Limited and a member of the Cooper Medal winning IRL / General Cable Superconductors developing state of the art HTS into a commercial proposition.

Date:	Thursday 24 September
Title:	New Zealand’s native animals: Welfare v Quality of Life
Speaker:	Katja Geschke
Description:	The Wellington Zoo animal hospital receives 'injured' native species from the DoC, local rehabbers and the community. A major difficulty in the veterinary/scientific triage and prognosis process is in defining 'welfare' and 'quality of life'. Apart from the immense difference in species, habitat and behaviours, we also contend with the human factor. What is totally acceptable for one person; is unacceptable for another. Cultural, educational and sociological differences have a huge impact on our perceived 'state of mind' of an animal. Is an objective assessment possible? Katja Geschke studied veterinary science in Germany and has worked in the field throughout the world. Katja moved to New Zealand in 2003 to become the Veterinarian at Wellington Zoo and is now the manager of Conservation and Veterinary Science. Katja lectures at Massey University on elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), marine mammal and zoo veterinary medicine. She is also the veterinary advisor for marine mammals, hoofstock and misc. species for the Australasian Regional Assoc. of Zoological Parks and Aquaria. Discuss this and more with the star of television’s ‘Wild Vets’:

Date:	Thursday 29 October
Title:	Àtea1: it is rocket science
Speaker:	Peter Beck
Description:	New Zealand and the space race isn’t a usual headline but that’s just where Rocket Lab is taking us. Rocket Lab’s aim is to provide solutions that enable public access to space and develop a space industry within New Zealand. A new launch vehicle that offers access to space at an unprecedented low cost is currently being developed. The Atea1 is a twostage suborbital vehicle capable of carrying payloads of 2 kg up to 120 km altitude. The new launch vehicle is aimed at opening up access to space for scientific research at an unprecedented level. What are the future applications? Will we get a New Zealander into space? Is New Zealand really entering the international space race? Peter Beck, CEO & Technical Director of Rocket Lab, based at Industrial Research Limited, Auckland, is an award winning scientist and engineer with his most recent achievement being the Cooper Medal – presented by the Royal Society biannually to those deemed to have published the best single account of research in physics and engineering. Peter is also credited with five US and European patents and a provisional patent in hybrid rocket fuel. This is an opportunity to discuss New Zealand’s place in space.

Date:	Thursday 26 November 2009
Title:	Plastic Surgery
Speaker:	Swee Tan
Description:	Hutt Hospital is one of only four plastic surgery units in New Zealand. Common reconstructive procedures are for wounds following accidents or the removal of tumours, burns survivors, breast reconstruction, cleft lip and palate surgery and the re-attachment of severed body parts. This is an opportunity to discuss the latest developments in plastic surgery and meet a world leader in the field. Professor Tan will discuss his wide clinical and basic science research interests including: vascular birthmarks head & neck cancers strawberry birthmarks Professor Swee Tan is Consultant Plastic & Cranio-Maxillo-facial Surgeon and Director of Surgery at Hutt Hospital as well as holding the position of Professor in Plastic Surgery, University of Otago. The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute is known for two innovations: the pedicle tube for grafting living flesh and the epithelial outlay for repairing eyelids are two of Gillies' innovations. Together with McIndoe they pioneered surgical techniques to correct breast abnormalities.

Date:	Thursday 25 February 2010 * NEW VENUE*
Title:	New Zealand’s Oil Pipelines
Speaker:	Chris Uruski
Description:	Oil exploration in New Zealand has been occurring since 1865. Taranaki’s oil and gas fields particularly stand out as obvious rewards of New Zealand’s involvement in the industry. What about future exploration? Do we have the infrastructure to respond quickly? Are we too far from the rest of the world? How certain is success for an exploration investment? What about the environmental risks? Chris Uruski currently leads the frontier basins project for GNS Science where he is employed as a seismic interpreter. He has a particular interest in deepwater basins and believes that the deepwater basins around New Zealand may contain large quantities of hydrocarbons which may sustain New Zealand as a net oil exporter for many years to come. This is an opportunity to discuss the future of New Zealand’s oil supply with a local expert.

Date:	Thursday 25 March 20010 * NEW VENUE*
Title:	Oil and water do mix
Speaker:	Ian Coard
Description:	A WelTec (Petone) based organisation is working to produce a fuel option which contains … Water? Testing has shown the product to have environmental benefits through the reduction of NOx, CO, CO2 and particulate matter by up to 60% and with visible smoke virtually eliminated. This fuel product is already being used commercially in the Hutt Valley so where to from here? Apart from the environmental benefits, what could be the future for fuels? Is a viable production capacity a possibility? Could we see price reductions at the fuel pump? Ian Coard (ex Chevon) and his team will speak on the use of emulsified fuel. Emulsified diesel has been legislated in some European cities because of the reduction in emissions over straight run Diesel. The team have also developed similar technology to deal with the issues surrounding waste oil. This is an opportunity to discuss this exciting new fuel option with a local expert.