Oriel Science Cafe Previous Talks
Previous Talks
2005
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
2006
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
2007
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
2008
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
2009
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
2010
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
2011
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
2012
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
2013
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
2014
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
2015
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
2016
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
2017
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
2018
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
2019
FameLab - Swansea Heats
(in association with Swansea University Public Engagement Forum)
January 2019
FameLab - Wales Finale
(in association with Swansea University Public Engagement Forum)
February 2019
Cefn Coed Remembered: creating a legacy
Martin Thomas, ABMU (NHS)
March 2019
Inner space: the hidden architecture of nature
Prof Richard Johnston (Swansea University)
April 2019
Citizen Science & plastic pollution & marine biology
Lauren Eyles
May 2019
Profiling online groomer language
Professors Nuria Lorenzo-Dus (Swansea University) and Adeline Paiement (University of Toulon)
June 2019
Bones of the warship Mary Rose: what they tell us and where they lead us
Dr Nick Owen (Swansea University)
September 2019
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Dr Chris Pak (Swansea University)
October 2019
How to Make a Simple Oil (or Gas) Reservoir in Five Steps
Ian Prothero
November 2019
Royal Institution Christmas Lecture Live Streaming!
December 2019