St Andrews Cafe
 
 

Launched March 2005



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 


 

LAUNCH EVENT!!!!
 
Date:
 
16th March 2005
Title: 'When does fringe science become pseudoscience?'
Speaker:
 
 
Description: This inaugural first monthly meeting of a St. Andrews branch of Cafe Scientifique during National Science Week will be a discussion about the limits of conventional science, fringe science and pseudo-science. Topics up for consideration include, UFOs, ghosts, cold fusion and to coincide
with the "Science and Sea Monsters" event the following Saturday in the Physics department of the university, cryptozoology.

All are welcome.

 
Date:
 
20th April
Title: 'The Evolution of Language'
 
Speaker:
 
Dr Tecumseh Fitch: School of Psychology University of St Andrews
 
Description: This meeting will discuss the evolution of language from a biological
perspective. Topics up for discussion will include the similarities
and differences between animal communication systems and human language, along with the cognitive and neural bases for the capacity for language in humans, and their genetic determinants.
 

 
Date:
 
3rd May
Title: 'Why creationism and evolutionism are both faith positions'
 
Speaker:
 
Dr David Rosevear, Creation Science Movement
Description:
 
Date:
 
Wednesday 8th March, 7pm
Title: Where is the mystery in quantum mechanics?
 
Speaker:
 
 
Description: The discovery of quantum mechanics has had profound implications for our understanding of the nature of existence. Every theoretical prediction of quantum mechanics has been borne out by experiment. Nevertheless, physicists still disagree about what quantum mechanics actually "means". In this Café, three theoretical physicists will discuss their opinions of the mysteries and challenges of quantum mechanics.
Date:
 

Wednesday 15th March, 7pm

 
Title: The genetics of red hair
 
 
Speaker:
 
   
Description: Have you ever wondered why some people have "red", "ginger" or "strawberry blond" hair? How does this happen and who do you inherit your hair colour from? Come and discuss these questions over a coffee in very informal surroundings.  

Date:

Wednesday 25th October

Title:

A new renaissance in mathematical science?

Speaker:

Andrew Green, University of St Andrews

Description:

The Renaissance was a singular time in the history of thought, when individuals could appreciate and contribute ideas across the whole range of human knowledge.

Following pioneers such as D'Arcy Thomas, von Neumann and May, a revolution has been building in Mathematical Science. Mathematics is now indeed the language of Nature. It may be used to describe problems from theoretical physics to ecology- from cellular biology to sociology. Mathematical scientists can once again be Renaissance men and women, contributing across swathes of knowledge.

We will discuss the nature of this revolution, whether it is real or illusory, and its implications for how we separate scientific disciplines.

Date:

Wednesday 8th November

Title:

Merits of long-term biological data gathering

Speaker:

Erik Rexstad, CREEM, University of St Andrews

Description:

Why does it take so long to answer simple ecological questions? Recently, a list was published of 100 questions of high policy relevance in the UK. We will take a glance at that list and discuss why many of those questions will require many years (if not many decades) to address adequately. This will be juxtaposed with the desire for rapid publication of results in science, and crisis-driven need for immediate answers on the part of decision-makers.

Date:

Wednesday 15th November

Title:

An Inconvenient Truth

Speaker:

 

Description:

A trip to the New Picture House cinema to see the film, followed by a discussion led by a sceptical speaker.

Date:

Wednesday 6th December

Title:

Fuel Cells

Speaker:

John Irvine, University of St Andrews

Description:

 

Date:

Wednesday 13th December

Title:

New surveillance techniques, their science and ethical implications

Speaker:

Graham Smith, University of St Andrews

Description:

 

 

Date:
 
Wednesday 24th October
Title: The Science of the Turin Shroud
Speaker:
 
Gordon Rutter
Description: The Shroud of Turin.  For centuries revered as the burial cloth of Christ. But then in the late 1980's carbon dating showed the material
to be a mere 700 years old, surely the death knell for this artefact?  Ever since argument has raged on how the carbon dating could be wrong and what other evidence can be used to provide a date - any date!  Some put forward the idea it's a lost Leonardo Da Vinci, others an early photograph and some even believe it's an early photograph of Da Vinci! Come along and hear the facts and make up your own mind...

Date:

Wednesday 14th November

Title:

Chemistry: fuelling the future

Speaker:

Richard Baker, University of St Andrews

Description:

There is enormous coverage in the media about climate change, CO2
emissions, the Greenhouse Effect, the Hydrogen Economy, Fuel Cells  and Renewable Energy. How are all these interlinked? Are the problems as serious as we think and are the proposed solutions as clear-cut? We will discuss these issues with reference to the underlying chemistry.

Date:

Wednesday 19th November

Title:

The philosophies of scientists

Speaker:

Katherine Hawley, Philosophy; Roy Dyckhoff, Computer Science; Tecumseh Fitch, Psychology; Chris Hooley, Physics; Pat Willmer, Biology.

Description:

The philosophy of scientists is surprisingly diverse. Even within the same discipline, scientists can hold very different and even contradictory views of the philosophical underpinnings of their work. This café brings together a panel of scientists from the University of St Andrews, led in discussion by a philosopher of science, Katherine Hawley. The discussion will reveal the philosophies of scientists and the role that they have to play in the progress of science.

Date:

Wednesday 10th December

Title:

Obesity-the weight of the nation

Speaker:

Alison Rutter, Endocrinology Unit, University of Edinburgh

Description:

The nation is getting fatter. What are the reasons for this and why are there so many conflicting headlines? Take a look at some of the real facts behind the headlines and find out what is going on in current research. Can a solution be found?

Date:

Wednesday 8th April

Title:

‘Power' is not about resources, it's about sex

Speaker:

Steve Moxon

Description:

'Power' is assumed to be about resources and to be exercised by one sex over another. But this to misunderstand the biology of dominance, which is same-sex, and serves not to apportion resources more efficiently by minimising conflict, but to create competition so as to apportion reproduction. To understand society, our concept of 'power' needs radical revision.

Steve Moxon is a freelance author/researcher. He has published a provocatively-titled book: ‘The Woman Racket: the new science explaining how the sexes relate at work, at play and in society. His essay on dominance is to be published as an editorial in the journal Medical Hypotheses.

 

 

 

Last Modified  17-06-2009                                                                                                                           Home