A list of all SciBar events in reverse chronological order

  • 11th November 2024 – Chromatography and Aspects of Purification

    On the 20th Anniversary of the inaugural Knutsford SciBar, we welcome Colin Banks, whose name may be familiar to many of you as Knutsford’s Town Mayor. Colin’s talk will address the subject of chromatography purification as it was practiced and continue reading

  • 14th October 2024 – Hispaniolan Parakeets in the Urban Environment

    We welcome Dr. Matt Geary, a Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology at the University of Chester, who will be describing his research into the behaviour of the urban population of Hispaniolan parakeets to understand how they survive in the city. continue reading

  • 9th September 2024 – Cosmic Rays

    We welcome back Dr. Steve Barrett from the University of Liverpool for another of his mind-blowing and fascinating talks. High-energy charged particles are continually raining down on the Earth. Where do they come from and how do they gain so continue reading

  • 8th July 2024 – From Black to White…

    … where a second can last an eternity Mark Holmes from High Legh Community Observatory will bring us the story of Black and White Holes, possibly one of the greatest of mysteries in our Universe. By profession and training, Mark continue reading

  • 10th June 2024 – Electric Flight

    Are fans the solution to fuel-free flight? With flight responsible for 2% of global emissions and rising, solutions that can help air travel meet net zero are needed.  Doctor Robert Bolam from Wrexham University will talk about his research into continue reading

  • 13th May 2024 – Acoustic Aberrations

    Playing with Physics and Perception Professor Trevor Cox comes to us from the University of Salford department of Acoustic Engineering where his research areas are architectural acoustics, signal processing and audio perception. Trevor is also an author and radio broadcaster continue reading

  • 8th April 2024 – The Science of Peatbogs

    Simon Caporn, Emeritus Professor of Ecology and Environment, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University has been teaching and researching plants, soils and their environments for 30 years. Simon offers the following description of his talk: Dark, peaty soils cover continue reading

  • 11th March 2024 – Heat in Homes

    In March, our speaker will be Mark Thompson. Mark is an energy efficiency expert who is passionate about engaging the public in energy, and “de-mything and de-fearing” it and the changes that decarbonisation will bring. After studying physics and electronics continue reading

  • 12th February 2024 – Solar Flares: The Most Powerful Explosions in the Solar System

    Philippa Browning is Professor of Astrophysics in the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. She specialises in the mathematical modelling of fusion plasmas. Solar flares are dramatic explosions in the outer atmosphere of the Sun – continue reading

  • 8th January 2024 – Stretched to Breaking Point – When is this a Good Thing for Polymer Materials?

    Our first speaker of the New Year is Dr. Niamh Fox, a lecturer in Polymer Science in the Department of Materials at Manchester University. Her talk ‘Stretched to breaking point – when is this a good thing for polymer materials?’ continue reading

  • 11th December 2023 – Radiation: the good, the bad and the ugly

    Catharine West is Emerita Professor of Radiation Biology at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on trying to predict how cancer patients respond to radiotherapy with a particular interest in measuring radiosensitivity and hypoxia. continue reading

  • 13th November 2023 – Diagnosing the scent of Parkinson’s with Mass Spectrometry and Joy

    The speaker for this meeting will be Professor Monty Silverdale, who is a consultant Neurologist at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences and a Professor of Neurology at the University of Manchester. This is Professor Silverdale’s summary of his talk: continue reading