Previous Meetings
2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03
2003-04
Tuesday 4th May 2004
"Nanotechnology and the Media"
Dr Alison Anderson (University of Plymouth)
The discussion will focus on how the new technology of nanotechnology is currently being addressed by the media.
Tuesday 9th March 2004
"Putting the Con into Conservation?"
Natasha de Vere (Paington Zoo)
Do zoos have an important role to play in wildlife conservation, or are they anachronisms using the conservation message as a marketing ploy?
Tuesday 10th February 2004
"Forensic Psychology"
Liz Bird (South West Regional Psychologist, HM Prison Service)
The discussion will focus on the beneficial work undertaken by the psychologists within the Prison Service in terms of public protection and rehabilitation, with a strong slant on the social inclusion agenda.
Tuesday 13th January 2004
"Nuclear Power and Mistrust"
Dr Miranda Keith-Roach (University of Plymouth)
The nuclear debate generates strong arguments. From the public point of view, who are we willing to believe? How does the history of nuclear energy affect trust? Are our fears justified? These questions will be discussed in the context of the UK and its policies.
Tuesday 9th December 2003
"Gaia theory and Deep Ecology"
Stephan Harding (Schumacher College)
Western culture has produced some extraordinary achievements, including modern science, but it has also generated the massive ecological and social crises we face today. Could it be that the intense destructiveness of our culture has something to do with the fact that it has taken to heart the notion that the Earth, and indeed the entire cosmos, are no more than mere machines? With a particular emphasis on Gaia theory and deep ecology, we will explore the outlines and implications of a world view in which nature is experienced, understood and revered once again as a vast organism, full of meaning and creative potential.
Notes from the discussion (Word document – 19 KB)
Tuesday 4th November 2003
"Dealing with uncertainty in clinical science – as illustrated by AIDS and CFS/ME"
Professor Anthony Pinching (Associate Dean for Cornwall and Professor of Clinical Immunology – Peninsula Medical School)
This discussion will explore how clinicians provide care for patients in areas of scientific uncertainty, and how the clinical work can itself inform the scientific process. It will be illustrated from the experiences of the discussion leader, Professor Anthony Pinching (Associate Dean for Cornwall and Professor of Clinical Immunology, Peninsula Medical School) during the early years of AIDS and HIV, and currently with CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalopathy).
Notes from the discussion (Word document – 40 KB)
Tuesday 7th October 2003
"Social Responsibility in Science"
Dr Jack Harris (School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth)
