Previous Meetings
2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03
2005-06
Tuesday 6th June 2006
"Colour in Nature"
Peter Smithers (Scientific Officer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth)
Peter Smithers has always been fascinated by the ecology of invertebrates, but it is the arachnids that have been the main focus of his recent work. His main areas of interest are the ecology of cave invertebrates, interactions between humans and invertebrates in their homes, the ecology of Andean paramos and the effects of invasive species on our native fauna.
He also has a keen interest in stimulating the next generation of invertebrate biologists by interacting with local schools and youth organisations.
Tuesday 2nd May 2006
"Ageing, stress and free radicals. Can we live a healthier and longer life by eating less? "
Professor Michael Moore (Plymouth Marine Laboratory)
There is considerable scientific evidence that free radicals can cause oxidative stress contributing to a number of degenerative diseases, cancers and the ageing process. A reduction in dietary intake of food, while maintaining essential micronutrients such as vitamins, has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases in laboratory mammals and to increase lifespan in many species. Could this also work in humans? The probable underpinning mechanisms will be discussed.
Professor Michael Moore is a senior scientist employed by the Natural Environment Research Council working in Plymouth Marine Laboratory since 1971. His primary research interests lie in the field of cellular pathology and toxicology, particularly the impact of chemical pollutants on aquatic organisms. he has been seconded to work for the United Nations (UNIDO) in Vienna as a Senior Scientific and Technical Advisor, with responsibility for water management and environmental impacts on sustainable resources and human health. His research has included the role of oxidative stress in ageing processes using marine animals as simple experimental models. He is currently developing computational models, together with other colleagues, to simulate oxidative stress and age-related processes. He has published over 160 scientific papers, book chapters and books.
Tuesday 7th February 2006
"Religion as science, or science as religion?"
Dr Jeffery Bishop (Senior Lecturer in Medical Ethics and Law, Peninsula Medical School)
Tuesday 6th December 2005
"The first billion years of history – seeing galaxies close to the dawn of time"
Dr Andy Bunker (School of Physics, University of Exeter)
Dr Andy Bunker will be discussing how we identify and confirm very distant galaxies, looking 90% of the way back in time to the Big Bang, using both Hubble Space Telescope and large telescopes on the ground in Chile and Hawaii. The discussion will expand into how galaxies form and evolve.
Tuesday 1st November 2005
"Cloning and stem cells – the science and the spin"
Professor John Bryant (School of Biosciences, University of Exeter)
When Dolly the cloned sheep was presented to the world, it was easy to get the impression from the media that human cloning was just around the corner. Of course it wasn't; however, what was just around the corner was application of our greater understanding of developmental biology in research on embryonic stem cells, those cells in very early embryos that give rise to all the different cell types in the body. Any protocol that gives rise to embryos in the "test-tube", whether IVF or cloning, can provide a laboratory source of these cells and there has been intense interest in the possibility of using them to repair damaged tissues and organs. Indeed, some reports give the idea that cures for certain degenerative diseases are a matter of months away but again, this is not so. In this SciBAr discussion, John will try to separate the science from the spin in this fascinating area of biomedicine.
John Bryant is a Professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Exeter, Fellow of the Wessex Institute of Technology and Visiting Professor at West Virginia State University. He is also Immediate Past–President of the Society for Experimental Biology and Chair of Christians in Science. He combines his intense interest in the workings of genes with a strong desire to communicate science to a wider public and to get to grips with the social and ethical issues arising from modern biomedical science. In his university teaching this range of interests has seen him lecturing not only on molecular biology but also in establishing and running a Bioethics course for Biology students and for prospective Biology teachers. He is chair of the steering committee of the Higher Education Academy's special interest group on Teaching Ethics to Bioscience students. He has published about 100 scholarly articles and his recent books include Programmed Cell Death in Animals and Plants (with Steve Hughes and John Garland), Bioethics for Scientists (with John Searle and Linda Baggott la Velle), Life in Our Hands (with John Searle), The Nuclear Envelope (with David Evans and Christopher Hutchison) and Introduction to Bioethics (with John Searle and Linda Baggott la Velle). Outside of science, John lists among his interests birdwatching, mountains, running, Bob Dylan, Celtic folk music, cricket and Crystal Palace FC.
Tuesday 4th October 2005
"Nanosciences and Nanotechnology – the wonders and risks of new scientific fields"
Alex Vlandas (Oxford University)
Alexis Vlandas is a graduate researcher in the materials department at the University of Oxford. He studies the electronic and optical properties of filled single wall carbon nanotubes. He holds his first degree from Imperial College where he studied Physics. He has a keen interest in the ethics of science and has been the secretary of the Pugwash* group at Oxford for the past two years. In September 2004 he won the British Association for the Advancement of Science "Perspectives" poster competition at the BA Festival of Science. His poster entitled "Nanotechnology: Opportunities, Risks and Choices" presented the societal and ethical implications surrounding his field of research.
He has given over ten talks on nanotechnology to a wide range of public and written several articles on subjects such as the risks of nanotechnology in military research, the question of public engagement in science or the role of ethics course in university science degrees. He is the recipient of the Unilever Scholarship at St–Cross College and of the Armourier and Brasiers research bursary at the department of materials.
* A international society founded by A. Einstein and English philosopher B. Russel which aims at bringing scientific insight and reason to bear on threats to human security arising from science and technology.
