Science
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The next Science Group Meeting is on Wednesday 19th February at 09:30 in the downstairs room at Holy Trinity Parish Centre, Culliford Road.
The Topic is:- Recent Nobel Physics and Chemistry Prize Winning Discoveries and their Potential for Research and Diagnostic Applications Alfred Nobel was a Swedish inventor and business man and he hoped each Alfred Nobel was a Swedish inventor and business man and he hopedprize would be awarded to those whose work ”has conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 and the categories since then have included Physics, Chemistry and Medicine. We will be looking at three YouTube films describing the work of the winners of the 2023 and 2024 Physics Prizes and the 2024 Chemistry Prize, which all have huge potential for research and diagnostic applications. The first film describes the application of attosecond laser pulses for the study of electron dynamics in matter, the second film is about the use of physics to find patterns in information which enables machine learning with artificial neural networks. The third film looks at the use of AI in the determination of the structure of proteins. Proteins drive the chemical reactions of life and the prize winners have managed to predict the structure of proteins which could be used for vaccines, pharmaceuticals,etc At the end there should be time for discussion about these exciting topics and about the value (or otherwise?) of awards such as the Nobel Prize. Pat Murdoch Our U3A Science Group meet on the third Wednesday of most months between 9.30 and 11.00 am in the Holy Trinity Centre – click here to find this location.
(then use your browser's back button to return to this page) Meetings are in the lower classroom behind the Main Hall. We usually have a talk or presentation given by one of our members or visitors for about 45 minutes, followed by questions and discussion. If there is time, we have coffee and biscuits. Any ideas for future meetings are invited from members.
Contact Ron Marsh to discuss. (Details in Newsletter) We plan to structure many meetings around DVDs from TV or elsewhere. We do appreciate the commitment of all our speakers. Presenting the talk could be a little daunting at first, although no-one expects the speaker to be a total expert.
Contributions from other members have often led to a lively discussion. It would be encouraging if more members could find the time to develop talks. |
The U3A Science group has a broad remit. As well as revisiting topics that people will have experienced at school or later in life, from a modern perspective, we also aim to keep abreast of recent subjects of contemporary interest. The tantalising possibilities of life on exoplanets or of satellite landings on comets or on the moons of the outer planets of the solar system, may be looked at. Closer to home, scientific issues here on Earth - for instance the problem of how to tackle drug resistant bacteria or the knotty concern facing us all with global warming - may be examples we consider.
The British Science Association has the objective of "Making science a fundamental part of culture and society"_
These Links will open in a new window or tab Other venues for science talks/lectures
The Royal Institution in London The Royal Society in London Weymouth U3A Science Group MOOC courses and Future Learn from your home via a computer The items in brown above should be links to the relevant web sites. If you click on them the site should open in a new window or tab.
More information is also available from the National U3A. You need to be a member to log in to some parts. |
This page was updated by Doug Lazenby for the Science Group.