#scienceandtechnologymeeting — Public Fediverse posts

The Power of Hydraulics

🗓️ Start: Wed 14 Oct 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 14 Oct 2026 12:00 pm

As a technology, hydraulic fluid power has been around since the Industrial Revolution, more than 200 years ago. And in industries as diverse as transport, manufacturing, construction and waste disposal, this instant and precisely controllable source of power, generated by a pressurised liquid in a confined space, continues to shape the modern world. In this light-hearted presentation, guest speaker Steve Skinner, with the aid of some eye-catching animations, will reveal some of its many applications, past and present. From the familiarity of London’s iconic Tower Bridge to the surreal alternative reality of taking 700 intrepid Victorians on a simulated sea voyage in the centre of Paris, hydraulic fluid power has been one of our most versatile technologies, and remains so today.

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-power-of-hydraulics/

The Wonder of Water

🗓️ Start: Wed 9 Sep 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 9 Sep 2026 12:00 pm

Water is the most abundant molecule on the surface of the Earth, and essential for life as we know it. It makes up around 60% of the human body, and up to 90% in other organisms. But this ubiquity is no coincidence, because chemical reactions of the kind necessary for supporting life are only possible because of water’s unique physicochemical characteristics. In this wide-ranging presentation, Carol Barrett, from Cardiff u3a, will explain how these remarkable properties can explain observations as diverse as the shapes of raindrops and snowflakes, why some insects can literally ‘walk’ on water, and how plants – even the tallest trees – are able to lift it up from the ground to every single leaf. 

To view the recording, click here… “The Wonder of Water”
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-wonder-of-water/

Before Penicillin: Treating Infections in the ‘Olden Days’

🗓️ Start: Wed 8 Jul 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 8 Jul 2026 12:00 pm

Few would argue that the discovery of penicillin, and the antibiotics revolution that followed, was one of the most far-reaching breakthroughs of twentieth-century medical science. But infection treatment itself has a much longer pedigree, stretching back hundreds or even thousands of years. And it’s that story – of mysterious moulds and improbable potions (some of which even worked!) – that Mike Trevethick of Thanet u3a will be sharing with us this month. It’s a tale of daring over dogma – and some lucky breaks along the way – so why not join us for this fascinating trawl through the history books.

To view the recording, click here… “Before Penicillin”
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/before-penicillin-treating-infections-in-the-olden-days/

‘Forever’ Chemicals

🗓️ Start: Wed 10 Jun 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 10 Jun 2026 12:00 pm

‘Forever’ Chemicals, otherwise known as PFAs, are a large group of synthetic organic compounds that have been around – literally – since the 1930s, when they were discovered, quite by accident, to be useful raw materials in the manufacture of plastics. Today, the problem of plastic pollution is a familiar one, but the PFAs themselves pose an even more insidious environmental threat: not only are they almost indestructible, but they’ve been found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil we grow crops on, and even inside living organisms – including us! In this thought-provoking talk, David McLellan from Torridge u3a will describe the history, the chemistry, the risks we face, and what – if anything – we can now do about it.

To view the recording, click here… “Forever Chemicals”
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch 

https://u3acommunities.org/event/forever-chemicals/

Rosalind Franklin: The Triumph and the Tragedy

🗓️ Start: Wed 13 May 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 13 May 2026 12:00 pm

In 1953, the scientific world was abuzz with the discovery of the structure of DNA by James Watson & Francis Crick, but back then, few were aware that it was only made possible by the painstaking work of another, equally brilliant scientist who, as a woman in what was still largely a man’s world, had long struggled to be taken seriously. She would go on to make ground-breaking discoveries in the study of viruses, until, in 1958, she was tragically cut down in her prime by cancer. She was just 37. Had she lived, who knows what else she might have accomplished, but her moving story – told here by Barry Zussman (Torridge u3a) – would become her greatest legacy, and an inspiration for women in science everywhere.

To view the recording, click here… ‘Rosalind Franklin: The Triumph & The Tragedy’
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/rosalind-franklin-the-triumph-and-the-tragedy/

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

🗓️ Start: Wed 8 Apr 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 8 Apr 2026 12:00 pm

Over the next decade, AI is set to transform healthcare by introducing machines with human-like intelligence that operate with greater speed and cost-efficiency than traditional methods. This technological shift spans from wearable hardware, such as AI-powered hearing-aids and spectacles, to core functions like diagnosing medical conditions, discovering new drugs, and tailoring personalised treatment plans. Beyond patient care, AI will streamline NHS administration and enhance public health screening initiatives, supported by significant financial backing such as the government’s £10bn AI Investment Programme commitment through 2028/29. In this wide-ranging presentation, Ian Hawker (East Suffolk u3a) will explore just some of these exciting opportunities.

To view the recording, click here… ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare’
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

https://u3acommunities.org/event/artificial-intelligence-in-healthcare/

The Man Who Caught a Million Criminals: The Invention of DNA Fingerprinting

🗓️ Start: Wed 11 Mar 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 11 Mar 2026 12:00 pm

This month, we welcome guest speaker Dr Ian Goodall, to talk to us about the invention of DNA fingerprinting, and the British scientist who pioneered the technique, back in the 1980’s. It was first used to solve a notorious double murder/rape case in Leicestershire, where the culprit’s devious attempts to avoid detection were thwarted by the new technology, and he’s still in jail today. Ian will also take a look at other high-profile investigations where DNA fingerprinting played a vital part, such as the OJ Simpson trial, the fate of Russia’s last royal family, and – closer to home – the celebrated ‘King in the car-park’ mystery. It should be fascinating, so why not join us!

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-man-who-caught-a-million-criminals-the-invention-of-dna-fingerprinting/

Mysteries of Memory

🗓️ Start: Wed 11 Feb 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 11 Feb 2026 12:00 pm

Memory: What and where is it, how does it work, what can we do to improve it, and why is it sometimes so tantalisingly elusive? In this intriguing, interactive presentation, Sue Foy (Chester u3a) will reveal the answers.

To view the recording, click here… ‘Mysteries of Memory’
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/mysteries-of-memory/

Was there a Big Bang?

🗓️ Start: Wed 14 Jan 2026 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 14 Jan 2026 12:00 pm

In 1929, Edwin Hubble established a correlation between galactic redshift and distance. For nearly a century, the prevailing scientific consensus has attributed this redshift to cosmic expansion, forming the foundation of the Big Bang theory. However, recent data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has introduced observations that challenge standard cosmological models. In this presentation, David Youll (Basingstoke u3a) reviews the historical dominance of the Big Bang theory, examines the anomalies identified by the JWST, and explores whether a “Tired Light” model offers a more accurate framework for these new findings.

To view the recording, click here… ‘Was there a Big Bang?’
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/was-there-a-big-bang/

The Ig Nobel Prizes: 2025 edition

🗓️ Start: Wed 10 Dec 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 10 Dec 2025 12:00 pm

For over a century, the ultimate recognition of ground-breaking scientific research has been the award of a Nobel Prize. But there’s another series of annual awards, less prestigious but no less cherished, which honour, not the greatest achievements in science, but the funniest. They’re called the ‘Ig’ Nobel Prizes, and, since their launch in 1991, they’ve provided a humorous insight into the quirky side of scientific research. In this light-hearted presentation, Barry Zussman, from Torridge u3a, will spill the beans (and much else besides!) on the wackiest prize-winners of 2025.

To view the recording, click here… ‘Ig Nobel Prizes (2025)’

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-ig-nobel-prizes-2025-edition/

Tackling the Challenge of Antibiotic Resistance, One Step at a Time

🗓️ Start: Wed 12 Nov 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 12 Nov 2025 12:00 pm

Armed with a deeper understanding of the drivers of antibiotic resistance, covered at last month’s meeting*, Beryl Oppenheim (York u3a) will now explore the challenges faced in preventing it or minimising its impact, including the roles played by societal factors, human & medical behaviour, and economic & political factors. Advances in rapid diagnostic testing for infectious disease and antibiotic resistance could provide a unique opportunity, however, these may face similar barriers to those encountered in the development of novel antimicrobials.  All of which means that, despite all the other pressing challenges facing our world today, this is one that we really cannot afford to ignore.

To view the recording, click here… ‘Antibiotic Resistance (part 2)’
(recordings are for personal/private use only – please do not share this link)

*if you missed Part 1, you can catch up by watching this recording:  Antibiotic Resistance (Part 1)

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/tackling-the-challenge-of-antibiotic-resistance-one-step-at-a-time/

Understanding Antibiotic Resistance: Background, bugs, biomes and biofilms

🗓️ Start: Wed 8 Oct 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 8 Oct 2025 12:00 pm

While most people are aware of the huge concerns about antibiotic resistance, there are often misunderstandings regarding what it means and how it works. In this talk – the first of two on this important topic – Beryl Oppenheim (York u3a) will explain the background to the problem, before delving a little deeper into the science behind antibiotic resistance: how and why it occurs, the genetic basis for the development of resistance, where it happens – both in nature and the human body – and what this all means in terms of risks to individuals and vulnerable populations.

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/understanding-antibiotic-resistance-background-bugs-biomes-and-biofilms/

Wonders of Evolution

🗓️ Start: Wed 10 Sep 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: Wed 10 Sep 2025 12:00 pm

When, exactly 200 years ago in 1825, the young Charles Darwin arrived in Edinburgh to train to be a doctor, little could he have imagined that, just six years later, he’d be setting out on the epic voyage that would not only make him famous, but also change our understanding of the natural world forever. In this illustrated talk, Barry Zussman (Torridge u3a) will begin with an overview of how Darwin arrived at the theory of evolution by natural selection, followed by some fascinating examples of evolution in action, and in particular, the ingenious ways that certain insects have evolved to outwit their enemies, and some amazing plants that have evolved to outwit them.

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/wonders-of-evolution/

The History of Timekeeping: From Stonehenge to Strontium

🗓️ Start: 9 July 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 9 July 2025 12:00 pm

Ever since the advent of agriculture, our ancestors needed a way to measure the passing of time; not just the time of day but, more importantly, the time of year as well. Nowadays, we are inundated with gadgets in our homes and workplaces which do this for us, but back then they had to work it all out for themselves. In this talk, John Cosier, of Bognor Regis u3a, will take a look back at the development of calendars and clocks over the last 10,000 years, and along the way he’ll also explain the origins of the seven-day week, the 24-hour day, the 60-minute hour, and the 60-second minute. I’m sure you’ll want to make ‘time’ for this fascinating story!

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-history-of-timekeeping-from-stonehenge-to-strontium/

Schrodinger’s Paradox, Intelligent Design and the Origin of Life

🗓️ Start: 11 June 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 11 June 2025 12:00 pm

In 1943, the great Erwin Schrodinger gave a lecture in Dublin (where he’d fled from Nazi Germany), entitled ‘What is Life?’, in which he approached the question from a physicist’s standpoint. At today’s meeting, Claudio Elgueta (Abingdon u3a), will revisit that famous occasion, beginning with the paradox arising from the Second Law of Thermodynamics, specifically, how is it that life creates order in the world, when disorder – or entropy, as it’s known – should (if the Law is correct) be the result of every physical interaction in nature? Next he’ll explain various theories of the origins of life, divided into two main groups: panspermia (i.e. extraterrestrial) and endospermia (i.e. emerging from within). He’ll then expose the pseudo-scientific character of the theory of Intelligent Design, founded as it is on the flawed concept of ‘irreducible complexity’, and still popular in the US despite a humiliating defeat in the courts in 2005. Finally, he’ll explain Richard Dawkins’ concept of ‘Mount Improbable’ which – although we still can’t be sure exactly where life originally began – nevertheless provides a robust, evidence-based scientific explanation of how complex life evolved naturally from simple molecules.

https://u3acommunities.org/event/schrodingers-paradox-intelligent-design-and-the-origin-of-life/

The Environmental Impact of the Textile Industry

🗓️ Start: 14 May 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 14 May 2025 12:00 pm

‘Fast Fashion Fuelling Global Waste Crisis, UN Chief Warns’ was the shocking headline of a recent UN report. But that’s only part of the story. In reality, the clothing industry is damaging to people and places in many different ways, from how textiles and other raw materials are produced, manufactured into garments, packaged, distributed and sold, to how we care for them, and finally, how we dispose of those we no longer want. In this thought-provoking presentation, Helen Howard of Canterbury u3a will introduce us to some of the main issues that we should be concerned about.

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-environmental-impact-of-the-textile-industry/