St Andrews Cafe
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Launched March 2005
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LAUNCH
EVENT!!!!
Date:
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16th March 2005 |
| Title: |
'When
does fringe science become pseudoscience?' |
Speaker:
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| 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:
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20th April |
| Title: |
'The Evolution of Language'
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Speaker:
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Dr Tecumseh Fitch: School of
Psychology University of St Andrews
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| 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.
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Date:
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3rd May |
| Title: |
'Why creationism and
evolutionism are both faith positions'
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Speaker:
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Dr David Rosevear, Creation
Science Movement |
| Description: |
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Date:
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Wednesday 8th March, 7pm |
| Title: |
Where is the mystery
in quantum mechanics?
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Speaker:
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| 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:
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Wednesday 15th March, 7pm |
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| Title: |
The genetics of red hair
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Speaker:
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| 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. |
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Date: |
Wednesday 25th October |
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Title: |
A new renaissance in mathematical science? |
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Speaker: |
Andrew Green, University of St Andrews |
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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.
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Date: |
Wednesday 8th November |
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Title: |
Merits of long-term biological
data gathering |
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Speaker: |
Erik Rexstad, CREEM, University of St Andrews |
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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. |
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Date: |
Wednesday 15th November |
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Title: |
An Inconvenient Truth |
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Speaker: |
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Description: |
A
trip to the New Picture House cinema to see the film, followed by a
discussion led by a sceptical speaker. |
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Date: |
Wednesday 6th December |
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Title: |
Fuel Cells |
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Speaker: |
John Irvine, University of St Andrews |
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Description: |
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Date: |
Wednesday 13th December |
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Title: |
New surveillance techniques,
their science and ethical implications |
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Speaker: |
Graham Smith, University of St Andrews |
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Description: |
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Date:
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Wednesday 24th
October |
| Title: |
The Science of the Turin
Shroud |
Speaker:
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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... |
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Date: |
Wednesday 14th November |
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Title: |
Chemistry: fuelling the
future |
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Speaker: |
Richard Baker, University of St Andrews |
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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. |
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Date: |
Wednesday 19th November |
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Title: |
The philosophies of
scientists |
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Speaker: |
Katherine Hawley, Philosophy; Roy Dyckhoff, Computer Science;
Tecumseh Fitch, Psychology; Chris Hooley, Physics; Pat Willmer,
Biology. |
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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. |
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Date: |
Wednesday 10th December |
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Title: |
Obesity-the weight of the
nation |
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Speaker: |
Alison Rutter, Endocrinology Unit,
University of Edinburgh |
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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? |
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Date: |
Wednesday 8th April |
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Title: |
‘Power' is not about resources, it's about sex |
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Speaker: |
Steve Moxon |
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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. |
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