Didsbury SciBar – Science in a Bar

Didsbury SciBar - Science In A Bar

Didsbury SciBar is a bunch of people with a passing interest in science meeting since 2008 on the 3rd Monday of the month at The Albert Club, Old Lansdowne Road, West Didsbury. The speaker varies each month. Entry is FREE and new members are always welcome. The SciBar is run by volunteers who have the clout to get top researchers to come and give an informal chat on what they do. It's not a lecture, its a short talk between the speaker and the audience, then an interactive discussion usually follows until the questions are exhausted. Come along and banish those Monday blues, have a chat and a drink and, weather permitting, a bowl on the green.

17th August – Psychedelic Medicine: past, present and future – Prof Jo Neill

Prof Jo Neill will discuss psychedelic medicine. She will focus on psilocybin (the active component of magic mushrooms). Together we will explore the history of its use, the drug laws that impede research at all levels, how and why this research was stopped, and recent re-emergence of this work. We will investigate the pharmacology of Read more about 17th August – Psychedelic Medicine: past, present and future – Prof Jo Neill[…]

20th July – Cosmological and Biological Evolution – Andrew Planet

Evolution has become a byword ever since its inception into the scientific paradigm after Charles Darwin informed us of the concept through his phrase “descent with modification” when in 1859 he published On the Origin of Species. That entails biological evolution through natural selection on our home planet. All life on Earth, the Earth itself Read more about 20th July – Cosmological and Biological Evolution – Andrew Planet[…]

15th June – Alzheimer’s Disease – What goes wrong in the brain? – Dr Michael Harte

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a physical disease that affects the brain. It is named after Alois Alzheimer, the doctor who first described it in 1906. AD is a chronic neurodegenerative (loss of brain cells) disease that usually starts slowly and gradually worsens over time. With current treatments for AD only providing temporary symptomatic benefits, disease Read more about 15th June – Alzheimer’s Disease – What goes wrong in the brain? – Dr Michael Harte[…]

18th May – Did The Universe Really Start With A Big Bang? – Kieran Finn

WHY ARE WE HERE? This question has been argued about by people in pubs throughout history. But now, thanks to cutting-edge telescopes, we can start to address it in a rigorous, scientific way. In this talk Kieran Finn from the University of Manchester will discuss the Big Bang Theory, which is the leading scientific theory Read more about 18th May – Did The Universe Really Start With A Big Bang? – Kieran Finn[…]

20th April – How Do You Observe 1.33 Billion Km3 of Ocean? – Dr Matt Donnelly

This question will be asked by Dr Matt Donnelly, Lead Data Scientist, UK Argo Programme. The oceans play a key role in the climate and provide a habitat for a wide range of marine life, but with an average depth of 3.7km and a surface area of 360 million km2, how on earth do you collect the Read more about 20th April – How Do You Observe 1.33 Billion Km3 of Ocean? – Dr Matt Donnelly[…]

16th March – Upgrading Technically Challenging Grass Clippings for Power Generation through Additives Addition – Mubashra Latif

Approximately one third of the world`s population still lacks access to electricity due to the unavailability of fossil fuels locally, the rise in their costs on the international market and the lack of a suitable infrastructure. The utilisation of small-scale biomass downdraft gasification CHP units which are relatively cheap and portable seems a viable option Read more about 16th March – Upgrading Technically Challenging Grass Clippings for Power Generation through Additives Addition – Mubashra Latif[…]

17th February – Is It A Crime To Love Contrails? – Dr Vladimir Jankovic

What happens when contrails – airplane condensation trails – appear in the works of art? What happens when artists paint or photograph contrails and how does this act affect the status of contrails as environmental phenomena? Do contrails count as aesthetic phenomena in the same way as ‘other’ clouds? Can we enjoy the sight of Read more about 17th February – Is It A Crime To Love Contrails? – Dr Vladimir Jankovic[…]

20th January – Weaponising the Immune System in the Battle Against Cancer – Prof Richard Edmondson & Caitlin Waddell

It’s often talked about as the “battle against cancer” but how does the body actually fight back against this disease and more importantly how can we help it do better. At last we understand at least part of this process and so, as we engage in major clinical trials of immunotherapy in Greater Manchester and Read more about 20th January – Weaponising the Immune System in the Battle Against Cancer – Prof Richard Edmondson & Caitlin Waddell[…]

16th December – The behaviour, biology, ecology, and conservation of Pelagic thresher sharks in the Philippines – Dr. Simon Oliver

Pelagic sharks are poorly understood because of limitations inherent in studying them in situ. Knowledge that pelagic thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus) regularly visit specific locations in the Philippines presented an unique opportunity to study new aspects of their behaviour and biology, and promote their conservation in the region. Post-mortem examinations were conducted on 11 dead Read more about 16th December – The behaviour, biology, ecology, and conservation of Pelagic thresher sharks in the Philippines – Dr. Simon Oliver[…]

18th November – Now You’re Talking – Prof. Trevor Cox

Talking and singing comes naturally to most of us so it is easy to overlook how truly remarkable the voice is. Mixing biology, physics and psychology, Trevor will explore the workings of the voice looking at accents and different singing styles. The human voice has always been in flux, but over the last hundred years Read more about 18th November – Now You’re Talking – Prof. Trevor Cox[…]

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