[POPULAR Science]

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BlueSci organises a series of talks entitled [POPULAR Science], which explores the importance of direct communication between the academic community and the general public in modern society. Topics for discussion will include: What should scientific reporting offer the public? How strictly should scientific commentary be regulated? How important is art in spreading the news about science? And, most importantly, how can we become better science journalists?

Talks are open to everyone, entry costs £2.

Upcoming Talks

[POPULAR Science] – Niall Mansfield

Last modified on 2012-03-31 21:16:36 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

BlueSci would like to invite you along to our next talk, the first of the Easter term. We are happy to welcome Niall Mansfield, editor of UIT Cambridge.

UIT is a small and successful independent publisher based in Cambridge, publishing books that explain complex and important issues (especially in the sciences) to the intelligent layman. The first of these titles was the very successful Sustainable Energy – without the hot air ® by Professor David JC MacKay. Niall will talk about the challenges of communicating scientific ideas clearly to the public, and the work that goes behind publishing some of the most successful popular science books.

Admission £2

Previous Talks

[POPULAR Science] – Gareth Mitchell (23rd January 2012)

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BlueSci is glad to welcome BBC radio presenter and science communication lecturer, Gareth Mitchell who will be giving our first talk of Lent term.

Gareth Mitchell is the presenter of the BBC World Service’s Digital Planet
and is a regular reporter for other science programs on BBC Radio 4. Gareth is also a lecturer in broadcast and written journalism for the Science Communication and Science Media Production MScs at Imperial College, London. Gareth will be talking about what makes a good science journalist and the successes of his career.

Admission £2

[POPULAR Science] – Greg Foot (21st November 2011)

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A BlueSci alumnus, Greg has worked his way up the TV ladder, both in front of and behind the camera. He has been labelled a science junkie, hosting live shows and bringing extreme science to the online community.

 

The title of this event is to be confirmed.

[POPULAR Science] – Sylvia Rowley (Monday 14th November)

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This event has been postponed until further notice.

Award-winning freelance journalist, policy advisor and editor of the Green-Living Blog. Sylvia is an expert in all things environmental. She will be discussing her experiences in the field of science communication.

 

The title of this talk is to be confirmed.

[POPULAR Science] with CUPS – Prof. Frank Close OBE (9th November 2011)

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This event is a collaboration between BlueSci and CUPS

Frank Close is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford and a best-selling author. He will be talking about his latest book Neutrino and his career.

Neutrinos are ghostly particles that can travel through the Earth as easily as a bullet through a bank of fog.They are so shy that half a century after their discovery, we know less about them than all other forms of matter ever seen. The sun and stars produce vast numbers of them – billions of solar neutrinos are passing through your eyeballs unseen as you read this. If we could see with neutrino eyes, night would be as bright as day as solar neutrinos pass up through our beds at night and down on our heads by day. Now we are beginning to seek neutrinos from supernovae, remote galaxies and even from The Big Bang. Their story spans 80 years since Wolfgang Pauli said “I have predicted a particle that cannot be detected” and wagered a crate of champagne to that effect. (He paid up 25 years later when the neutrino was detected). Understanding what the neutrino is and why it exists is one of the frontier puzzles in particle physics; it is the tool of a new way of doing astronomy, which is beginning right now, and is the hero of a scientific adventure story spanning 80 years.

See here for more information.

Copies of Neutrino will be available to purchase at this event.

[POPULAR Science] – Vivienne Parry (31st October 2011)

Last modified on 2011-11-06 11:27:46 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

This event is a collaboration between BlueSci and CSAR

 

CSAR membership is free to members of the University of Cambridge and permits free entry to this event. Organising membership in advance is strongly recommended to save time. Find out more here.

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In a provocative presentation, writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry considers science’s often troubled relationship with the media and gives her top tips for a successful and happy marriage. Warning: may include audience participation.

About the speaker:
Vivienne Parry is a writer and broadcaster. Science trained, she presents many programmes for Radio 4 including ‘Am I Normal?’ and is a regular contributor for the Times and Guardian. In the past she has presented the iconic BBC TV show ‘Tomorrow’s World’, reported for Panorama and been the lead columnist on the News of the World. She is also a council member of the MRC and is Vice Chair of Council at UCL.

The CSAR Lectures are open to all; CSAR members are admitted free. Non-members are asked to make a nominal donation of £3.00. Students of Cambridge are entitled to free CSAR membership and therefore free admittance.

This event will be preceded by drinks and biscuits from 7pm.

 

[POPULAR Science] – Dr Stuart Clark (10th October 2011)

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Dr Stuart Clark is one of the UK’s most widely read astronomy journalists and an acclaimed author, Stuart will be talking about the Universe’s big questions and why fiction can sometimes be just as good as fact.

 

This event will include a stall selling a range of Dr Clark’s books.

[POPULAR Science] – Sylvia Rowley (Monday 14th November)

Last modified on 2011-12-21 20:02:10 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

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This event has been postponed until further notice.

Award-winning freelance journalist, policy advisor and editor of the Green-Living Blog. Sylvia is an expert in all things environmental. She will be discussing her experiences in the field of science communication.

 

The title of this talk is to be confirmed.