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Events
Date:
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September 21st 2004 |
| Title: |
'Have
we advanced since John Snow?'
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| Speaker: |
John Hamilton
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| Description: |
150 years ago
John Snow removed the handle from the pump that was spreading cholera in
Soho. He was an early player in the public health movement in which drains,
clean water and clean buildings all play a part. But over four million
children still die every year from diarrhoea and its complications.
In those early days, there was no understanding about diarrhoea its
microbiology, mechanisms or treatment; today much is known about its
science.
To what degree have we moved forward and what are the constraints? John
will speak from his experiences as a member and Chairman of the World Health
Organisation’s programme for the Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases to define
the factors that place diarrhoea, even in this age, as the second most
common cause of death in children.
John is Professor and Academic Director of the Medical Curriculum at Queen’s
Campus. Stockton Previously he was Consultant Gastroenterologist, has
researched into gut microbiology and physiology, and worked for many years
in the tropics.
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Date:
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October 19th
2004 |
| Title: |
‘Mined’ over Dark Matter'
|
Speaker:
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Pete Edwards |
| Description: |
Recent observations have
revolutionized our understanding of what makes the universe tick. One
question remains unanswered — what is actually holding it together?
A wide range of experiments have shown that the normal matter, which makes
up the stars, planets and ourselves, accounts for only a small fraction the
universe's total mass. Come and hear about the work taking place on your
doorstep, which aims to reveal the dark side of the universe.
Pete is the Co-ordinator of the Science and Society Programme at the Ogden
Centre for Fundamental Physics, University of Durham.
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Date:
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November 16th |
| Title: |
'Tees
Valley Where Nature Meets Industry'
|
Speaker:
|
Ray
Hudson
Ray is Director of the Wolfson Research Institute in Stockton,
and a Professor of Geography at the University of Durham. |
| Description: |
Details Later
|
Date:
|
January 18th
2005 |
| Title: |
'The
Evolution Of Ethics, Do Values Change?'
|
Speaker:
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Sir Kenneth Calman |
| Description: |
There is some evidence that
values in relation to medical ethics have changed over the last 50 years.
Examples will be presented of clinical issues which have forced a
re-evaluation of beliefs, and in some instances changed opinions. The
question is whether there are a series of core values which cannot, and
should not change, but in addition a range of subsidiary values which can,
and may be modified.
Sir Kenneth is Vice Chancellor of the University of Durham. He chairs a
working group on bioethics in developing countries and was the UK’s Chief
Medical Officer. His wide-ranging interests include gardening and cartoons. |
Date:
|
February 15th
|
| Title: |
'Fuel
Cells & the Hydrogen Economy - Tees Lights The Way Forward'
|
Speaker:
|
Ben Mayo |
| Description: |
The search
for new energy alternatives is becoming urgent, and Fuel Cells are
undoubtedly part of the answer. They are at least twice as efficient as
conventional engines, operate silently, and emit little more than water.
Over the next few years we will be starting to use them to power everything
from laptops to buses. Our region has most of the attributes required to be
right at the forefront of this exciting new technology, and this session
will discuss the opportunities and the implications. A Tees light house will
be using fuel cells in the near future.
Ben is the Director of the Fuel Cell Applications Facility at the Centre for
Process Innovation on Teesside.
|
Date:
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March 15th |
| Title: |
'Changing
Visions Of The Earth'
|
Speaker:
|
Mary Midgley |
| Description: |
Our culture
has too often viewed the earth with distaste as alien and dangerous,
essentially opposed to Heaven. Early Christians, living in a confused and
threatening age, taught detachment from earth and concentration on the
afterlife. Enlightenment sages still did not really see humans as part of
the earthly biosphere but rather as pure minds, observing and controlling
the earth in their own interests…. We still haven’t got this right.
Mary is a philosopher who has written many books on the relation between
humans and the rest of nature, the best-known of which are Beast and Man
and Science as Salvation. She was formerly Senior Lecturer in
Philosophy at the University of Newcastle on Tyne.
|
Date:
|
April
19th |
| Title: |
'If
Nature Gives Does Nurture Take Away?'
|
Speaker:
|
Roger Williams
Roger is Consultant Child and
Adolescent Psychiatrist at North Tees University Hospital and facilitates our
Café meetings
|
| Description: |
Details
Later.
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Date:
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May 17th |
| Title: |
|
Speaker:
|
|
| Description: |
Details Later
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Date:
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June 14th |
| Title: |
'Designer Babies'
|
Speaker:
|
Tom Shakespeare |
| Description: |
Embryo
selection offers couples the chance to avoid inherited disease and choose
'saviour siblings'. Is this ethical? What about choosing on other grounds
- such as sex, personality or physique? Where do we draw the line?
Tom is an academic, writer and broadcaster based at the University of
Newcastle, where he is responsible for the outreach work of PEALS, a project
on bioethics and science engagement which includes the University of Durham
as a key partner. His books include "Genetics Politics: from eugenics to
genome". |
Date:
|
November
15, 7.30 pm |
| Title: |
'Nanotechnology:
Phoenix or Phantasy?'
|
Speaker:
|
Jim Feast |
| Description: |
“Nanotechnology” excites both optimism and fear, depending on how it is
presented. The word frequently appears in the media but is infrequently
understood; Jim will attempt to provide an understanding. He contends that
nanoscience is just a new name for things that have been with us since the
origin of life on the planet and that the nano prefix usefully focuses
attention on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of
materials designed and assembled on the 1 to 100 nanometre size scale. (A
nanometre is 0.0000000001 of a metre.)
Natural nanotechnology is ingested with mother’s milk: synthetic
nanotechnologies were developed in Mayan ceramics and in the stained glass
of many European cathedrals. This Café will be concerned with the
implications of nanotechnology for science and society today; what novel
effects can be expected at this scale? Do they present a threat or a
potential benefit?
Jim is
a chemist who collaborates with physicists, engineers, medical scientists
and technologists in many countries. Although retired, he is a Research
Professor in Chemistry, Co-ordinator of the Durham Nanomaterials Centre and
works at the Technical University of Eindhoven; his interests include
self-assembly, biomaterials, theatre, fine arts, fell walking in the
Northern hills and cycling in The Netherlands. He is a Fellow of the Royal
Society and President-designate of the Royal Society of Chemistry. |
Date:
|
January 17 2006 |
| Title: |
Malaria at Home and
Abroad
|
Speaker:
|
Steve Lindsay |
| Description: |
Malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases of humankind, killing
about two million children each year. Yet few realize that malaria was
common in the marshes of southern England only 150 years ago. What made
malaria disappear? Is it likely to come back? And what lessons can be learnt
from the past that will tell us about malaria control today? These will be
some of the questions tackled in this talk.
Steve
is a disease ecologist with a passion for controlling pathogens spread by
insects and a particular interest in designing simple tools to control
malaria, based on field research in countries with endemic malaria. He is a
Professor in Durham University’s School of Biological and Biomedical
Sciences. |
Date:
|
February 21 |
| Title: |
Quarks, Leptons and the Higgs
boson
|
Speaker:
|
Alan Martin |
| Description: |
At a
fundamental level we are made of quarks and leptons. Symmetry plays a big
role in nature. Moreover, for some reason, nature makes three copies of
itself. The search is on for the Higgs boson. The Large Hadron Collider
being built at CERN, Geneva, which starts in 2007, should find it - if it
exists!
Alan
is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at Durham University and, although
nominally retired, has a Emeritus Leverhulme Fellowship to research into
high energy elementary particle interactions. Formerly head of Physics at
Durham, he has written post-graduate level books, including Quarks and
Leptons. |
|
Date: |
March 21 |
| Title: |
Chaos and Evolution
|
Speaker:
|
Dick Bird |
| Description: |
The
existence of species that remain stable for long periods of time poses two
problems for conventional evolutionary theory. First, why are there
species? Second, why are there so many species? Dick explored these themes
in his book Chaos and Life. Chaos theory brings two important
concepts to these evolutionary questions: bifurcation, which accounts for
the multiplicity of species and the existence of attractors, which accounts
for their stability. He will be explaining the relevance of these two
aspects of chaos theory and putting forward some ideas as to how they might
be realized in practical terms.
Dick
is Visiting Scholar and sometime Senior Lecturer at Northumbria University,
and past president of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life
Sciences. |
| Date: |
April 18 |
| Title: |
Predictive genetic testing is
here; are we ready?
|
Speaker:
|
Willie Barker |
| Description: |
It is already possible to use genetic testing to identify people who are at
risk of developing some rare genetic disorders and it is likely that it will
become possible to test for commoner conditions. The experience of fifteen
years of predictive testing for Huntington's disease has given us some
understanding of the advantages and disadvantages but has thrown up ethical
dilemmas that need wide debate. We can't put the gene genie back in the
bottle; can we use it responsibly?
Willie Barker is a consultant neuropsychiatrist with a national reputation
in the management of HD. He heads the Huntington's Disease Service for the
North of England. After fifteen years he is still learning about this
condition, which means either it is very complicated or Dr Barker is a slow
learner. |
|
Date: |
May 16 |
| Title: |
Art and science: a
collaborative approach |
Speaker:
|
Marianne and Clive Greated |
| Description: |
How can
art and science work in harmony? The rigid academic demarcations between
these two disciplines seem to discourage cross fertilization of ideas but
increasingly the barriers are being challenged. Marianne and Clive will talk
primarily about two projects, the COAST and SOUND exhibitions and more
generally about the way in which artistic and scientific ideas can move
forward together.
Marianne Greated is an artist based in Glasgow who has worked on
collaborative science and art projects. She has exhibited throughout
Scotland and internationally since graduating from Glasgow School of Art in
1998. Since 1999 she has been Artist in Residence in Golfhill Primary,
Dennistoun and was co-director/curator of artist-run, moving gallery space,
Switchspace. To further her work in this field she has begun a
practice/theory based PhD jointly between Edinburgh College of Art and The
University of Edinburgh.
Clive
Greated is Professor Emeritus in the School of Physics at The University of
Edinburgh and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Both his teaching
and research have strong links with the arts, notably through his two books
on musical acoustics but also through his recent work on colour and his
contributions to public outreach exhibitions. He has published widely in the
field of fluid dynamics and acoustics and is particularly known for his work
on optical measurement techniques and their application to the mapping of
complex flow patterns. |
|
Date: |
June 20 |
| Title: |
Einstein: a superstar's legacy
|
Speaker:
|
Pete Edwards |
| Description: |
A
photograph of Einstein and the equation E=mc2 are surely two of
the
most widely recognised
symbols of the
twentieth century.
Indeed, 2005
was
declared Einstein Year in the UK to celebrate the centenary of publishing
the equation. Einstein's
work on the nature of atoms and light was hugely influential
and his work on relativity made him science's first international superstar.
This talk will take a look at the man, his ideas and the impact his physics
has on our lives today.
Pete
co-ordinates the Science and Society Programme at Durham University’s
Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics.
|
|
Date: |
July 18 |
| Title: |
Nanotechnology: phoenix or phantasy?
|
Speaker:
|
Jim Feast |
| Description: |
Nanotechnology
excites both optimism and fear depending on how it is presented, the word
frequently appears in the media but is infrequently understood; Jim will
attempt to provide an understanding. His contention is that nanoscience is
just a new name for things that have been with us since the origin of life
on the planet and that nano usefully focuses attention on the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of materials designed and
assembled on the 1 to 100 nanometre size scale. (A nanometre is 0.0000000001
of a metre.)
Natural nanotechnology is ingested with mother’s milk and synthetic
nanotechnologies were developed in Mayan ceramics and the stained glass of
many European cathedrals. What are the implications of nanotechnology for
science and society today and what novel effects can be expected at this
length scale? Do they present a threat or a potential benefit?
Jim is a chemist who collaborates with physicists, engineers, medical
scientists and technologists in many countries. Although allegedly retired,
he is a Research Professor in Chemistry, Co-ordinator of the Durham
Nanomaterials Centre and works at the Technical University of Eindhoven; his
interests include self assembly, biomaterials, theatre, fine arts, fell
walking in our Northern hills and cycling in The Netherlands. He is a Fellow
of the Royal Society and President designate of the Royal Society of
Chemistry. |
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