A list of all SciBar events in reverse chronological order

  • 2nd July 2012 – Why Do We Need To Find That Pesky Higgs Particle?

    We are expecting news in early July about the discovery (or NOT) of the Higgs particle. It would seem a good time to look where science is up to prior to the event and thus be prepared to be able continue reading

  • 11th June 2012 – The Brain’s Roles in Memory

    Dr. Penny Lewis from Manchester NARU (Neuroscience of Aphasia Research Unit) will talk about memory and the brain. What role does sleep play and what does the brain do when it is neither storing nor retrieving memories?      continue reading

  • 14th May 2012 – Water: Weird or What?

    Dr Jichen Li from Manchester will talk to us about the strange properties of one of the most common materials we see around us (particularly in the Manchester area). Liquid water has importance as a solvent, a solute, a reactant continue reading

  • 2nd April 2012 – The Brain: the Impact of Tea and Coffee

    The Brain – the impact of tea and coffee + plasticity: “What shall I be today?” It’s not just Quantum Mechanics which is complicated, is it? The human brain is probably the most complex object in the universe. Come and continue reading

  • 5th March 2012 – The Quantum Universe

    Quantum Mechanics is complicated, isn’t it? Before you answer that question, come and listen to Professor Geoff Forshaw from Manchester University tell you about it in English – no maths (well, very little). You may still not believe it but continue reading

  • 6th February 2012 – Stem Cells and Embryology

    How can a single cell contain the instructions on how to make a whole human being and how does each cell decide whether it should be a toenail or a brain cell? Looking around you can probably see where they continue reading

  • 9th January 2012 – Neuronal Analysis is just Modern Phrenology

    Is MRI brain scanning any more useful than phrenology was? We’ll have a quick look at both techniques and compare the data available from each. Professor Raymond Tallis of Manchester University will explain his view on Neuronal Analysis. Is it akin continue reading

  • 5th December 2011 – Patterns and Randomness

    What is randomness? Where is it? How can we spot it and should we care? Human beings generally think they have an intuitive grasp of randomness – or at least what isn’t random. But what should random actually look like continue reading

  • 7th November 2011 – Magnetic Pole Reversals

    When’s the next one?  Is it dangerous? How do I avoid ending up at the South Pole?  Is this the cause of mass extinctions?  Will I have to wear a sunhat all the time? All valid questions if the North continue reading

  • 3rd October 2011 – Fukushima

    What happened? Could it happen here? What does it mean for nuclear power? The events at Fukushima in March 2011 didn’t just send a literal shockwave across Northern Japan, they sent a metaphorical shockwave around the global nuclear industry. Six continue reading

  • 5th September 2011 – Personalised Medicine

    The impact of medicines is different on different patients or patient conditions. It is very important to get the right medicine to the patient to produce the best outcome. Some patients’ conditions may be more critical than others and may continue reading

  • 4th July 2011 – Camouflage: How it Works and Why

    There has to be a signal, a receiver and, very importantly, a processor. This aspect will be explored using the story of the Peppered Moth. How did camouflage evolve and how do complicated patterns it sometimes needs get created? Professor continue reading