Oriel Science Cafe Previous Talks

Does science have the whole story on complementary medicine?
Toby Murcott, science writer
April 2005

Energy Beyond Oil
Paul Mobbs, Environmental Investigator
May 2005

Happiness: the science behind your smile
Daniel Nettle, brain and behaviour psychologist
June 2005

The future relation of computers and people
Dr Harold Thimbleby, University of Wales Swansea
July 2005

Whatever happened to real physics?
Vivian Pope
August 2005

Alien invaders: Invasive species in Britain
Dr Dan Forman, University of Wales Swansea
September 2005

Alien invaders: Invasive species in Britain
Dan Forman, University of Wales Swansea
September 2005

Uncanny Valley: Living with Living Machines
Richard Evans, Robotics Author
November 2005

Language and Meaning
Pius ten Hacken, University of Wales Swansea
January 2006

Climate Change: Past, Present & Future
Danny McCaroll, University of Wales Swansea
March 2006

Better Humans? The Politics of Human Enhancement
Paul Miller, Senior Researcher, Demos
April 2006

Daily Diaries for Enigmatic Animals: The power of animal-attached recorders and their skeletons in the cupboard.
Professor Rory Wilson, University of Wales Swansea
May 2006

New Ways to Use Computers
Will & Harold Thimbleby, Swansea University
June 2006

Swanturbines Tidal Stream Energy - Invisible, Predictable, Low Cost
James Orme, Director, Swanturbines Ltd
September 2006

All Fingers and Thumbs - Why do our fingers grow where they do?
Sarah Forbes-Robertson, Swansea University
October 2006

Antarctic and Climate Change: hot air or chilling reality?
David Vaughan, British Antarctic Survey
November 2006

The Hidden Hazards of Hypothyroidism
Coralie Phillips and Donna Roach www.thyroidbooks.co.uk
January 2007

There must have been something in the water.......
Dr Rachel Charmers, Head of the UK Cryptosporidium Reference Unit
February 2007

Supplying food from aquaculture - current status and future opportunities and challenges
Dr Robin Shields, Aquaculture Wales
March 2007

When sugar is not so sweet: Why every cow should carry a health warning
Prof Anthony Campbell, Cardiff University and Director of the Darwin Centre
April 2007

Challenges for conserving endangered species in the tropics
Prof Mike Bruford, Cardiff University
May 2007

Bionanotechnology: borrowing nature's smallest secrets
Kierann Shah & Chris Wright, Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Centre, Swansea University
September 2007

Useful waste
Bob Lovitt, Swansea University
October 2007

Chemistry and light
Peter Douglas, Swansea University
November 2007

Does cigarette smoking cause feelings of stress and depression
Andrew Parrott, Swansea University
January 2008

The Thinking Eye: Art & Science in Conversation
Karen Ingham, Science, Arts and Technology Network, Swansea Metropolitan University
February 2008

Plumes and hotspots: Are they just mind over mantle?
Gillian Foulger, Earth Sciences, Durham University
March 2008

Leatherback turtles in northern European waters: current patterns and prospects with climate change
Graeme Hays, Swansea University
April 2008

Nature does it, so why can't we? Nanomedicine from an ethical point of view
Christian Lenk, Department of Ethics & History of Medicine, University of Goettingen
May 2008

Slimy creatures of the seas: politicians and the Marine Bill
Dr Lyndsey Dodds, WWF Marine Policy Officer
October 2008

The case for nuclear energy
Dr John Lewis, Royal Society of Chemistry Lecture
November 2008

Table for one? Otter foraging in Wales
Dr Gareth Parry, Swansea University
January 2009

The BLOODHOUND Supersonic Car: How and Why?
Ben Evans, Swansea University
February 2009

Life in Cold Blood - The Cold Blooded Truth
Miles Barton, Series Producer Life in Cold Blood, BBC Natural History Unit
March 2009

The Death Ray - The Secret Life of Harry Grindell Matthews
Jonathan Foster, Author and Science Teacher
April 2009

Low Impact Development: High Impact Responses to Climate Change and Sustainability
Larch Maxey, Swansea University
May 2009

Better Looking, Better Living, Better Loving
John Emsley, University of Cambridge
October 2009

Badgers, Cattle and TB: Opening Up the Debate
Dan Forman, Swansea University
November 2009

Diet and Behaviour Throughout Life
David Benton, Professor of Psychology, Swansea University
January 2010

Avoiding Death by Computer
Harold Thimbleby, Swansea University
February 2010

Natural Prawn Killers: Shrimp Vaccination, Why Bother?
Adam Powell, Swansea University
March 2010

The Large Hadron Collider And The Much Smaller Antiproton Decelerator - What Do We Hope To Find
Prof Graham Shore, Swansea University
April 2010

The Deadly 2009 Wildfires near Melbourne: Unpredictable Catastrophe or Foreseeable Event?
Stefan Doerr, Swansea University
May 2010

Marine Renewables – A Drop in the Ocean
Miles Willis, Swansea University
September 2010

Antimatter Matters
Mike Charlton, Swansea University
October 2010

The Police DNA Database
Steve Bain, Swansea University
November 2010

Clocking on: The timing of your life!
Dr. Sarah Forbes-Robertson (Swansea University)
January 2011

Poisons from the sea – or when to avoid the fish course!
Jim Ballantine (Swansea University)
February 2011

Brain death and organ transplantation
Prof. Steve Edwards (Swansea University)
March 2011

Beer and Health; 7000 Years of History
Prof. David Williams (Cardiff University)
April 2011

Algae: Scum of the Earth
Dr. Adam Powell (Swansea University)
May 2011

Particle Physics and a bit of String Theory
Carlos Nunez (Swansea University)
September 2011

Using stem cells to make food: Understanding 'In Vitro Meat'
Dr Neil Stephens (Cardiff University)
October 2011

Life, death and the carotenoids
Prof. George Truscott (Keele University)
November 2011

The science of sleep and dreaming
Prof. Mark Blagrove (Swansea University)
January 2012

Exobiology: Is anyone out there?
Prof. Mike Edmunds (Cardiff University) organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry
February 2012

Molecular Gastronomy: the science of taste and flavour
Prof. Peter Barham, Bristol University
March 2012

The Fermi Paradox
Prof. David Skibinski, Swansea University
April 2012

Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant
Derek Sheehan (EDF)
May 2012

The Large Hadron Collider at CERN 
Prof Lyn Evans (CERN) 
September 2012
See here for a video of this lecture.

Adventures with oxygen; a "radical" perspective 
Prof Damian Bailey (University of Glamorgan) 
October 2012

The Chemistry of Light
Dr Peter Douglas (Swansea University)
November 2012

Things that go bump in the night; Approaches for getting to grip on enigmatic animals
Prof Rory Wilson (Swansea University)
January 2013

The last man standing: How to take years off your life
Dr Kelly Mackintosh (Swansea University)
February 2013

Ig Nobel Prizes
Marc Abrahams (Master of Ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prizes, and editor of The Annals of Improbable Research)
See here for a video of this lecture.
March 2013

Taking your breath away: Lung disease and the development of an artificial lung
Dr Melitta McNarry (Swansea University) 
April 2013

Restoration Ecology or Applied Ecology in the Real World
Dr Geoff Proffitt (Swansea University) 
May 2013

Collective Behaviour in Humans and Other Animals
Dr Andrew King (Swansea University)
September 2013

Nanotechnology: are we there yet?
Dr Richard Cobley (Swansea University)
October 2013

The Severn Barrage: Europe's Largest Proposed Marine Renewable Energy Project
Prof Roger Falconer (Cardiff University)
November 2013

Ash Ice Mud: tephras and rapid climate change
Prof Siwan Davies (Swansea University)
January 2014

"We are Scientists" - Or Are We? Science and International Law
Dr Richard Caddell (Swansea University)
February 2014

High-tech in Greenland: glimpse the future of the Greenland ice sheet
Prof Tavi Murray (Swansea University)
March 2014

Tuberculosis epidemiology
Dr Angharad Davies (Swansea University)
April 2014

Education and the Brain - what can neuroscience tell us about how and why we learnt?
Dr Phil Newton (Swansea University)
May 2014

How to get the best out of your image: Feature extraction and image processing
Dr Elaine Crooks (Swansea University)
September 2014

Fungi: notes from a forgotten kingdom
Dr Dan Eastwood (Swansea University)
October 2014

Antimatter - Science and Applications
Prof Mike Charlton (Swansea University)
December 2014

Science Cafe does FameLab!
Swansea heat of FameLab - the UK's biggest search for the new voices of Science and Engineering
January 2015

Nutrition and the aging brain
Prof David Benton (Swansea University)
February 2015

The Fukushima Nuclear disaster - 4 years on
Brian Jones
March 2015

Finding the floodgates - Assessing the risk posed by a new climate to an old industry
Chris O'Brien (Tata Steel UK)
April 2015

Free as a bird? A life ruled by fickle airscapes
Dr Emily Shepard (Swansea University)
May 2015

The Power of Light
Prof Alan Shore (Bangor University)
September 2015

Some Unsung Heroes and Heroines of Science (in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry)
Prof Charles Stirling (Sheffield University)
September 2015

A scenic tour around the circle
Dr Jeffrey Giansiracusa (Swansea University)
October 2015

The Theory of Everything
Prof Timothy Hollowood (Swansea University)
November 2015

Science Cafe does FameLab
(in association with Swansea University Public Engagement Forum)
January 2016

Robotics in the Future of our Society
A British Science Association Future Debates Event
co-sponsored by The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
February 2016

Brain doping? Relieving stress through neurostimulation
Dr Fred Boy (Swansea University)
March 2016

The Science of Dr Who
Dr Edward Gomez (Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network)
April 2016

Cooperation, Altruism, Game Theory and Evolution
Prof Alexander Bird (University of Bristol)
May 2016

Advances in Cancer Research
Dr Lee Campbell (Cancer Research Wales)
September 2016

How quantum physcs democratized music: a meditation on physics and technology
Prof Sir Michael Berry (University of Bristol)
October 2016

Long-term ecology of the Galápagos Islands: giant tortoises, pirates, fossil pollen and conservation
Dr Cindy Froyd (Swansea University)
November 2016

Science Cafe does FameLab
(in association with Swansea University Public Engagement Forum)
January 2017

Assessing the stability of one of Antartica's largest ice shelves
Prof Adrian Luckman (Swansea University)
February 2017

Best of both worlds: sex, parasites and genetic diversity
Prof Sofia Consuegra (Swansea University)
March 2017

Alternative facts, fake news and the role of science
Panel Discussion: Kevin Williams, Ed Pope, Mary Gagen and Chris Allton
April 2017

Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring: Can we make red blood cells work for us? 
Prof Ken Meissner (Swansea University)
May 2017

The Face of Swansea
Dr Alex Jones (Swansea University)
September 2017

Bowel Cancer in Wales - Challenges and Opportunities
Dr Lee Campbell (Cancer Research Wales)
October 2017

Maggots: A New Hope...
Dr Yamni Nigam (Swansea University) 
November 2017

CERN’s proton smasher, the Large Hadron Collider
Prof Lyn Evans (Project Leader, Large Hadron Collider, during its construction and commissioning)
December 2017

FameLab - Swansea Heats
(in association with Swansea University Public Engagement Forum)
January 2018

FameLab - Wales Finale
(in association with Swansea University Public Engagement Forum)
February 2018

Death from the Stars
Dr Sarah Roberts, Swansea University
March 2018

Coming of Age of Science in Wales: Swansea 1848
Prof John Tucker (Swansea University)
April 2018

Carbon Dioxide as a Fuel of the Future
Dr Jennifer Rudd (Swansea University)
May 2018

Organ on a Chip
Dr Sofia Texeira (Swansea University)
June 2018

The wicked and difficult world of animal gambling; the tale of two penguins
Prof Rory Wilson (Swansea University)
September 2018

Frankenstein and Science
Iwan Morus (Aberystwyth University)
October 2018

Saving Pollenators at the National Botanic Garden of Wales
Dr Natasha de Vere (National Botanic Gardens of Wales)
November 2018

Climate Challenge: the facts and the effects
Prof Siwan Davies (Swansea University)
December 2018