The TechFest In September Programme will be searchable online this week, for booking information please see the booking pages.
Presentations are offered to schools at no cost and at a day and time convenient to you.
Unless otherwise stated, they will be available throughout September
• Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making
bookings will be willing, if space is available, to act as hosts to groups from other schools.
• All presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated.
• Booking details from Yashka Manning 01224 274193 email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk (unless otherwise stated)
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Art & Design |
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Can Computers Create Art? |
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New for 2010
In this workshop participants will look at some art created by computers and have a chance to discuss this, before creating their own domino portrait.
A computing lab with an internet connection is essential.
Curricular Areas : Art & Design, Computing, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Workshop
Presented By : Dr Karen Pirie, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Biology |
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Evolution in a Test-tube: Role of the Wrinkly Spreader |
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The evolution of bacteria can take a matter of days rather than millennia. This talk will present the rise of the Wrinkly Spreader in artificial microcosms and discuss the underlying molecular biology and ecological success of this novel evolved genotype.
Curricular Areas : Biology,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Andrew Spiers, SIMBIOS Centre, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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When I Grow Up I Want to be a Cancer Cell |
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"So you want to be a cancer cell? That's easy. You need to grow uncontrollably, knock out DNA repair systems, avoid suicidal cell death and build your own blood vessels. Oh, you also need to become immortal." How do we get cancer? Why do we get cancer? Can we blame genes or should we blame the environment?
Curricular Areas : Biology,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Andy Schofield - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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The Magnificent Mould, the Frightening Fungus |
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From yeasts to mushrooms, fungi affect our daily lives and are vitally important in nature. From single microbes to huge colonies the size of villages that have survived for a thousand years, they represent one of the most fascinating groups of life. We harvest their many amazing properties for our own good but we also struggle to keep them in check as they become more common agents of disease. Most people turn up their noses at the humble fungus – if only they knew what they have to offer. This lecture will introduce you to these surprising and wonderful microbes.
Curricular Areas : Biology,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Neil Gow - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Pest-resistant Genetically Modified Crops versus Pesticides: How to Choose the Best Options |
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Pest-resistant GM crops offer the potential to control pests with greatly reduced use of current pesticides. How can we weigh up the pros and cons of GM crops versus pesticides and decide which pest control strategy will be most effective, ecologically acceptable and sustainable in the long term?
Curricular Areas : Biology,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Nick Birch, Scottish Crop Research Institute
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Forensic Science Today |
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This talk will take you into the life of a modern day forensic laboratory. It will briefly describe the science behind the techniques used, before explaining the role of the forensic scientist within criminal investigations, collecting these factors together with the use of casework examples. Necessary qualifications for the available roles will also be discussed.
Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire only
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Andrew Gibb, Grampian Police Forensic Science Laboratory
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Ultra-sound Science |
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The frequency of human speech is around 200Hz and 18kHz is called ULTRASOUND. This lecture/demonstration will link bats, colliding submarines, welding Speedos, measuring babies, making mayonnaise, computer games, parking cars, music and much more. Ultra-Sounds good!
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor David Bremner, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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History and Philosophy of Science |
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Topics include:
The epistemological status of scientific knowledge – how our ideas have developed (minimum 1 hour)
Is the current search for a "theory of everything" a realistic project or an unattainable chimera? (1 hour)
How can we explain what Eugene Wigner called "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics"? (1 hour)
Is there any real conflict between science and religion? If so, can this ever be resolved? (minimum 1 hour, preferably whole morning or whole afternoon)
Does the "neo-Darwinian synthesis" still give a satisfactory explanation of evolution as we currently understand it? (1 hour)
Has our understanding of the "mind/body problem" made any real advances since the time of Descartes? (1 hour)
How can we protect and preserve the environment without giving up our comfortable lifestyles? (1 hour)
How will we meet our future energy needs? Should we be taking a fresh look at the "nuclear option"? (1 hour)
How has our picture of the structure of the universe evolved over the past 3000 years and how has this influenced our ideas regarding our place in the universe? (1 hour)
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Henry Ellington, Emeritus Professor, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Plants as Drugs |
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This talk will give examples of anticancer drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, antimicrobial drugs and recreational drugs of plant origin – their mode of action and any adverse effects. It will also include discussion of how drugs are discovered and developed, why some drugs have been withdrawn from the market and the role of pharmacologists in drug discovery and development.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Gabrielle Hawksworth - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Drugs from the Deep |
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More than 60% of the drugs used today, such as penicillin, are derived from natural sources or are based on molecules found in nature. The oceans provide a rich source of new organisms, such as sponges and soft corals, which can be explored for their potential to produce compounds which can fight diseases.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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From the Deepest to the Driest Place on Earth |
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New for 2010
Organisms from extreme environments seem to produce the best drugs. Why is this? This talk will explore extreme environments from the deepest ocean trenches to the driest deserts and explain why they are such excellent sources of chemical diversity and possible new drugs.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 3,4,5
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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How Our Health Depends on Biodiversity |
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New for 2010
Our fascination with things we can see may be affecting our relationship with those we can't. Buried, deepsea and microscopic creatures have a profound impact on life as we know it, from cleaning water, removing carbon dioxide and making the next wonderdrug. We are losing biodiversity of all kinds before it is even identified. Can this be rectified? Do we even know what we are losing? This talk will explain how humans are affecting biodiversity in many unintended ways and what could be lost.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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The Science of Sport |
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New for 2010
Science is a very exciting subject that covers so many elements of sport, from what we eat to how we train our bodies and minds. These are all important factors to sports performers who need to understand scientific ideas to have the perfect golf swing, score that important goal or deliver the fastest tennis serve. Sports professionals and those that support them need to understand science to help achieve the best results possible.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Emma Lyons, University of Stirling
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Skeletons out of the Closet |
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Although we may think of the skeleton as an inactive scaffold, in reality our bones undergo continual repair through a process known as remodelling. When this goes wrong, bones become weak and fracture easily, for example in the disease osteoporosis. This presentation will use microscopic images and animations to illustrate these concepts and demonstrate how we can potentially improve the treatment of osteoporosis by studying bone structure and remodelling in the laboratory.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Fraser Coxon - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Sun Cream and Icebergs: Reconstructing Past Climates |
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New for 2010
The world's climate has changed dramatically over the past 200,000 years from the grip of ice ages to temperatures warmer than today. Why did this happen and how do we know this? This interactive lecture explores how we can reconstruct past climatic conditions, what Scotland and the rest of the world would have looked like and why the climate is continually changing.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Geography, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Lizzie Molyneux, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Yeast and Biotechnology – from Bread to BSE |
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Yeast is man's oldest microbial friend used for baking and brewing for thousands of years. Now, yeast is a modern biology research tool, helping researchers understand more about cancer, BSE (mad cow disease) and ageing. This talk describes our view of yeast today, its use both in research into human disease and in modern and traditional biotechnologies.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Ian Stansfield - University of Abedeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Adapted to suit for S1-S6. Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Presenters have given dates on which they can offer their presentations during September. Most are available during the week 14th – 18th September, others more widely. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to groups from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentation details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Kitty Massie on 01224 274193 or email k.f.massie@abdn.ac.uk
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The Development and Use of Forensic Evidence |
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New for 2010
What is forensic evidence? Fingerprints, DNA and footprints - all are important in solving crimes. This lecture will explain about different types of forensic evidence and how it may be recovered from scenes of crime. The processes which are in place to deal with the recovered evidence will be explained. Emphasis will be placed on the attention to detail and the teamwork required to make best use of any forensic evidence recovered. The importance of forensic evidence in solving crimes as varied as vandalism, house breaking, fire-raising and murder will be discussed.
Grampian Police Area only
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Bruce Duncan, Scottish Police Services Authority, Forensic Services
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Death Stab from Cutie |
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New for 2010
Insects, particularly blood suckers, kill millions of people every year; but are they a force for good?
Estimates suggest that insects have caused the deaths of half of all people who have ever lived. Yet without insects we may all be dead. Monstrous and cute, deadly yet life-giving, insects really are the most remarkable animals on the planet.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr John Baird, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
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Fingerprint Identification |
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New for 2010
Learn how police investigators use their sense of sight to identify fingerprint patterns. We all have them, and they are all different! Pupils will have a go at dusting for fingerprints and make copies of their own fingerprints to take home.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dundee Science Centre
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Nutrition - From Caves to Campaigns |
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New for 2010
Nowadays, food and food issues are more important for us than ever. This talk covers under-nutrition and over-nutrition, taking a historic (and prehistoric!) look at human food consumption.
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
S1-6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Home Economics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Fiona Comrie, Food Standards Agency In Scotland
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Keep Smiling |
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What makes a good smile and what do we need to keep smiling? This workshop investigates a holistic view of a smile, integrating the social, cultural and historic aspects of a smile together with biological and medical issues necessary to keep us smiling.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Other, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Morag McFadyen and Dr Lesley Diack, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Careers |
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Forensic Science Today |
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This talk will take you into the life of a modern day forensic laboratory. It will briefly describe the science behind the techniques used, before explaining the role of the forensic scientist within criminal investigations, collecting these factors together with the use of casework examples. Necessary qualifications for the available roles will also be discussed.
Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire only
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Andrew Gibb, Grampian Police Forensic Science Laboratory
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Chemistry |
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Paraffin Young |
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Dr James "Paraffin" Young enlightens each class with his in-depth knowledge of geological formation of oil, fractional distillation, alkanes, alkenes and the modern petroleum industry, providing a memorable and unique insight to fuels and hydrocarbons.
Curricular Areas : Chemistry,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Live Wire Productions
Secondary Years : 3,4
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Studying the Atmosphere One Particle at a Time: Trapping Aerosols with Light |
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What is the atmosphere made of, and where does this stuff come from? Students will make a cloud and then see how we can trap cloud 'particles' using laser beams in order to understand how atmospheric processes work.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Geography, Maths, Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Soap Enterprise |
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An engaging and hands-on enterprise challenge in which pupils will learn more about the chemistry behind the beauty industry. Pupilscreate their own soap product design and make a bar to take awaywith them. Other curricular areas: Enterprise
Chemistry, Science, OCA
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Enterprising, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Free Travel • All local authority secondary schools are eligible for reimbursement of their travel costs. Free Outreach Visits • Free outreach visits- limited numbers available Free Admission • Dundee City Council Secondary schools are eligible for free admission to Sensation, Dundee Science Centre. Sign up to our e-mailing list to find out first about these offers. Contact Shabnam Wasim, Secondary School Education Officer, Sensation: Dundee Science Centre, Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB. Telephone: 01382 868609 Fax: 01382 868602 Email: shabnam.wasim@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Ultra-sound Science |
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The frequency of human speech is around 200Hz and 18kHz is called ULTRASOUND. This lecture/demonstration will link bats, colliding submarines, welding Speedos, measuring babies, making mayonnaise, computer games, parking cars, music and much more. Ultra-Sounds good!
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor David Bremner, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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History and Philosophy of Science |
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Topics include:
The epistemological status of scientific knowledge – how our ideas have developed (minimum 1 hour)
Is the current search for a "theory of everything" a realistic project or an unattainable chimera? (1 hour)
How can we explain what Eugene Wigner called "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics"? (1 hour)
Is there any real conflict between science and religion? If so, can this ever be resolved? (minimum 1 hour, preferably whole morning or whole afternoon)
Does the "neo-Darwinian synthesis" still give a satisfactory explanation of evolution as we currently understand it? (1 hour)
Has our understanding of the "mind/body problem" made any real advances since the time of Descartes? (1 hour)
How can we protect and preserve the environment without giving up our comfortable lifestyles? (1 hour)
How will we meet our future energy needs? Should we be taking a fresh look at the "nuclear option"? (1 hour)
How has our picture of the structure of the universe evolved over the past 3000 years and how has this influenced our ideas regarding our place in the universe? (1 hour)
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Henry Ellington, Emeritus Professor, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Plants as Drugs |
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This talk will give examples of anticancer drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, antimicrobial drugs and recreational drugs of plant origin – their mode of action and any adverse effects. It will also include discussion of how drugs are discovered and developed, why some drugs have been withdrawn from the market and the role of pharmacologists in drug discovery and development.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Gabrielle Hawksworth - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Drugs from the Deep |
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More than 60% of the drugs used today, such as penicillin, are derived from natural sources or are based on molecules found in nature. The oceans provide a rich source of new organisms, such as sponges and soft corals, which can be explored for their potential to produce compounds which can fight diseases.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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From the Deepest to the Driest Place on Earth |
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New for 2010
Organisms from extreme environments seem to produce the best drugs. Why is this? This talk will explore extreme environments from the deepest ocean trenches to the driest deserts and explain why they are such excellent sources of chemical diversity and possible new drugs.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 3,4,5
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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How Our Health Depends on Biodiversity |
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New for 2010
Our fascination with things we can see may be affecting our relationship with those we can't. Buried, deepsea and microscopic creatures have a profound impact on life as we know it, from cleaning water, removing carbon dioxide and making the next wonderdrug. We are losing biodiversity of all kinds before it is even identified. Can this be rectified? Do we even know what we are losing? This talk will explain how humans are affecting biodiversity in many unintended ways and what could be lost.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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The Science of Sport |
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New for 2010
Science is a very exciting subject that covers so many elements of sport, from what we eat to how we train our bodies and minds. These are all important factors to sports performers who need to understand scientific ideas to have the perfect golf swing, score that important goal or deliver the fastest tennis serve. Sports professionals and those that support them need to understand science to help achieve the best results possible.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Emma Lyons, University of Stirling
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Computing |
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Lasing Down the Internet |
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New for 2010
We all love to surf the internet, play on-line computer games and chat with people at the other end of the world. But how does it all work? What is the physics behind the internet revolution? This talk will explore how fibre-optics work, how information is transmitted from telephones and computers using lasers and how scientists at the cutting-edge ensure that the communications capacity will continue to increase.
Supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th September
Curricular Areas : Computing, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Thomas Krauss - University of St. Andrews
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Can Computers Create Art? |
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New for 2010
In this workshop participants will look at some art created by computers and have a chance to discuss this, before creating their own domino portrait.
A computing lab with an internet connection is essential.
Curricular Areas : Art & Design, Computing, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Workshop
Presented By : Dr Karen Pirie, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Geography |
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Studying the Atmosphere One Particle at a Time: Trapping Aerosols with Light |
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What is the atmosphere made of, and where does this stuff come from? Students will make a cloud and then see how we can trap cloud 'particles' using laser beams in order to understand how atmospheric processes work.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Geography, Maths, Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Climate Change, Space Weather and Cosmic Rays |
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The activities of the Earth's atmosphere are predominantly powered by the radiation energy from the sun. However, the resulting climate depends on a number of factors, some of which determine the re-radiation of energy from the Earth back to space leading to an average temperature. In this talk, we will take a look at how the sun's condition and wider space weather play a role in influencing climate change in order to better understand the physical origin of global warming. Sunspot activities have a direct link to climate. This talk will also cover topics in astronomy and cosmology such as solar wind, cosmic rays, dark energy and black holes, highlighting their remarkable origins, evolutions and observational effects.
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Charles Wang, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Antarctica: You Can go Far with Physics |
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The Antarctic is a remarkable continent – remote, hostile, and uninhabited yet it is of key importance to our understanding of how the world works. For early explorers Antarctica was the ultimate survival contest. For scientists it remains a place of intellectual challenge. Find out what kind of science is carried out in the Antarctic. Meet a physicist and meteorologist and find out how physics took her to Antarctica and what life there is like.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Alison McLure, Institute of Physics
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What’s Going on up There? Imaging Volcanoes with a Portable Radar |
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New for 2010
How can you predict when a volcano is going to erupt if you can't even see it? Learn about the St Andrews AVTIS volcano imager, a portable radar and thermal imager designed to peer through cloud and smoke to record volcanic activity in any weather. This talk can be accompanied by a fast-scanning, high resolution radar that maps the venue and audience in real time.
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Millimetre Waves: Vision for the Future |
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New for 2010
Millimetre waves are a form of light that few people have heard of, yet they are used in many diverse applications ranging from everyday experiences through to cutting-edge research topics: collision-avoidance radar in cars, security imaging, monitoring active volcanoes, aircraft safety, probing the structure of proteins, looking inside clouds and even taking pictures of the entire universe! Learn about how we view the world with mm-waves and see some of the latest research imagery.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Urban Water and Urban Ecosystems – Global and Local Perspectives on Water and Ecology in Cities |
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50% of the world's population now live in cities; in the UK nearly 90% of people live in cities. Urban populations make large demands on water resources and other ecosystem services. This talk will focus on water as an ecosystem resource, explore the human impacts on the urban water environment, flooding and climate change, and discuss ways that we can manage water in cities more sustainably.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Rebecca Wade, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Sun Cream and Icebergs: Reconstructing Past Climates |
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New for 2010
The world's climate has changed dramatically over the past 200,000 years from the grip of ice ages to temperatures warmer than today. Why did this happen and how do we know this? This interactive lecture explores how we can reconstruct past climatic conditions, what Scotland and the rest of the world would have looked like and why the climate is continually changing.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Geography, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Lizzie Molyneux, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Home Economics |
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Nutrition - From Caves to Campaigns |
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New for 2010
Nowadays, food and food issues are more important for us than ever. This talk covers under-nutrition and over-nutrition, taking a historic (and prehistoric!) look at human food consumption.
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
S1-6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Home Economics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Fiona Comrie, Food Standards Agency In Scotland
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Maths |
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Studying the Atmosphere One Particle at a Time: Trapping Aerosols with Light |
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What is the atmosphere made of, and where does this stuff come from? Students will make a cloud and then see how we can trap cloud 'particles' using laser beams in order to understand how atmospheric processes work.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Geography, Maths, Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Physical Education |
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The Science of Sport |
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New for 2010
Science is a very exciting subject that covers so many elements of sport, from what we eat to how we train our bodies and minds. These are all important factors to sports performers who need to understand scientific ideas to have the perfect golf swing, score that important goal or deliver the fastest tennis serve. Sports professionals and those that support them need to understand science to help achieve the best results possible.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Emma Lyons, University of Stirling
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Physics |
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Studying the Atmosphere One Particle at a Time: Trapping Aerosols with Light |
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What is the atmosphere made of, and where does this stuff come from? Students will make a cloud and then see how we can trap cloud 'particles' using laser beams in order to understand how atmospheric processes work.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Geography, Maths, Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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How to Explore the Universe: A tale of telescopes, time travel and extra-terrestrials |
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2009 is the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) celebrating the 400th anniversary of Galileo's use of the telescope to study the night sky. The Institute's Schools and Colleges Lecture Tour for 2009 will show how, due to progress in technology, astronomers can now observe things further and further away and therefore further back in time; astronomical observations can be used to learn more about the origins and future of the universe; modern telescopes can be used by astronomers to look at the universe in ever greater detail.
The show will involve hands-on demonstrations, giving students the opportunity to try some astronomy themselves using some of the most advanced telescopes in the world.
Curricular Areas : Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Andrew Newsam, Liverpool John Moores University, Director of the National Schools Observatory
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : New for 2009 Dates: 1st to 4th September Booking is essential. Details of Scottish venues and contacts can be found on the IoP website - http://www.iop.org/activity/education/Events/Schools_and_College_%20Lecture_Series/page_27036.html
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Waves: From Ultrasound to Ultraviolet |
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This talk will help the audience to understand the many different waves which affect our everyday lives and appreciate how many of these waves have been harnessed for our benefit in applications such as musical instruments, ultrasound scanners, DVD and CD players, optical communications, security monitoring of banknotes and more.
Curricular Areas : Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Nigel Langford - University of Strathclyde
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Powering the Future – The Physics of Fusion |
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New for 2010
This exciting and inspiring lecture combines everyday physics and ground-breaking topical research to show how the reaction which powers the sun could provide a clean energy source for the future. With hands-on demonstrations this lecture will explore the challenges of creating facilities that can withstand the high temperatures of the sun in order to create the fusion reaction on earth.
6th – 9th September
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness consecutively
Booking is essential: Details of the venues and booking can be found on the IOP website
http://www.iop.org./activity/education/index.html
Curricular Areas : Physics,
Event Type : The Institute of Physics Schools Lecture
Presented By : Dr Melanie Windridge
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Guided Tour of the Universe |
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This highly popular lecture takes pupils on a fascinating journey that starts in the Solar System, then moves to the stars and the Milky Way of which they form a part, and finishes up in the furthest reaches of the extra-galactic universe. The presentation has been completely revised and updated, incorporating the latest Hubble Telescope images and being delivered via PowerPoint, so that it is now even more spectacular and exciting.
New for 2009
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Henry Ellington - formerly of The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Adjusted appropriately for S1-S4 Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Presenters have given dates on which they can offer their presentations during September. Most are available during the week 14th – 18th September, others more widely. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to groups from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentation details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Kitty Massie on 01224 274193 or email k.f.massie@abdn.ac.uk
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What have Scottish Physicists Done for Us? |
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An informal review of the impact of Scottish scientists on everyday life through the ages.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Nigel Langford - University of Strathclyde
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Understanding Wind Energy |
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The UK has over 2700 wind turbines installed, generating enough electricity to supply over 2 million homes. This presentation will introduce the idea of wind energy, explain how a wind turbine works and demonstrate how this resource can contribute to our energy needs.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Mr Colin Bothwell, Mr Malcolm MAcDonald, Mr Johnny Flowers, Mr Euan George and Mr Kieran Seery, Renewable Energy Systems
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Lasers and their Applications |
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This talk will demonstrate just what makes lasers work, what makes them so special and what applications they have around us, from optical communications to medical diagnostics.
Curricular Areas : Physics, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Nigel Langford - University of Strathclyde
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Climate Change, Space Weather and Cosmic Rays |
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The activities of the Earth's atmosphere are predominantly powered by the radiation energy from the sun. However, the resulting climate depends on a number of factors, some of which determine the re-radiation of energy from the Earth back to space leading to an average temperature. In this talk, we will take a look at how the sun's condition and wider space weather play a role in influencing climate change in order to better understand the physical origin of global warming. Sunspot activities have a direct link to climate. This talk will also cover topics in astronomy and cosmology such as solar wind, cosmic rays, dark energy and black holes, highlighting their remarkable origins, evolutions and observational effects.
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Charles Wang, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Antarctica: You Can go Far with Physics |
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The Antarctic is a remarkable continent – remote, hostile, and uninhabited yet it is of key importance to our understanding of how the world works. For early explorers Antarctica was the ultimate survival contest. For scientists it remains a place of intellectual challenge. Find out what kind of science is carried out in the Antarctic. Meet a physicist and meteorologist and find out how physics took her to Antarctica and what life there is like.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Alison McLure, Institute of Physics
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What’s Going on up There? Imaging Volcanoes with a Portable Radar |
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New for 2010
How can you predict when a volcano is going to erupt if you can't even see it? Learn about the St Andrews AVTIS volcano imager, a portable radar and thermal imager designed to peer through cloud and smoke to record volcanic activity in any weather. This talk can be accompanied by a fast-scanning, high resolution radar that maps the venue and audience in real time.
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Millimetre Waves: Vision for the Future |
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New for 2010
Millimetre waves are a form of light that few people have heard of, yet they are used in many diverse applications ranging from everyday experiences through to cutting-edge research topics: collision-avoidance radar in cars, security imaging, monitoring active volcanoes, aircraft safety, probing the structure of proteins, looking inside clouds and even taking pictures of the entire universe! Learn about how we view the world with mm-waves and see some of the latest research imagery.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Lasing Down the Internet |
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New for 2010
We all love to surf the internet, play on-line computer games and chat with people at the other end of the world. But how does it all work? What is the physics behind the internet revolution? This talk will explore how fibre-optics work, how information is transmitted from telephones and computers using lasers and how scientists at the cutting-edge ensure that the communications capacity will continue to increase.
Supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th September
Curricular Areas : Computing, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Thomas Krauss - University of St. Andrews
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Ultra-sound Science |
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The frequency of human speech is around 200Hz and 18kHz is called ULTRASOUND. This lecture/demonstration will link bats, colliding submarines, welding Speedos, measuring babies, making mayonnaise, computer games, parking cars, music and much more. Ultra-Sounds good!
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor David Bremner, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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History and Philosophy of Science |
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Topics include:
The epistemological status of scientific knowledge – how our ideas have developed (minimum 1 hour)
Is the current search for a "theory of everything" a realistic project or an unattainable chimera? (1 hour)
How can we explain what Eugene Wigner called "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics"? (1 hour)
Is there any real conflict between science and religion? If so, can this ever be resolved? (minimum 1 hour, preferably whole morning or whole afternoon)
Does the "neo-Darwinian synthesis" still give a satisfactory explanation of evolution as we currently understand it? (1 hour)
Has our understanding of the "mind/body problem" made any real advances since the time of Descartes? (1 hour)
How can we protect and preserve the environment without giving up our comfortable lifestyles? (1 hour)
How will we meet our future energy needs? Should we be taking a fresh look at the "nuclear option"? (1 hour)
How has our picture of the structure of the universe evolved over the past 3000 years and how has this influenced our ideas regarding our place in the universe? (1 hour)
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Henry Ellington, Emeritus Professor, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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The Science of Sport |
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New for 2010
Science is a very exciting subject that covers so many elements of sport, from what we eat to how we train our bodies and minds. These are all important factors to sports performers who need to understand scientific ideas to have the perfect golf swing, score that important goal or deliver the fastest tennis serve. Sports professionals and those that support them need to understand science to help achieve the best results possible.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Emma Lyons, University of Stirling
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Skeletons out of the Closet |
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Although we may think of the skeleton as an inactive scaffold, in reality our bones undergo continual repair through a process known as remodelling. When this goes wrong, bones become weak and fracture easily, for example in the disease osteoporosis. This presentation will use microscopic images and animations to illustrate these concepts and demonstrate how we can potentially improve the treatment of osteoporosis by studying bone structure and remodelling in the laboratory.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Fraser Coxon - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies |
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History and Philosophy of Science |
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Topics include:
The epistemological status of scientific knowledge – how our ideas have developed (minimum 1 hour)
Is the current search for a "theory of everything" a realistic project or an unattainable chimera? (1 hour)
How can we explain what Eugene Wigner called "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics"? (1 hour)
Is there any real conflict between science and religion? If so, can this ever be resolved? (minimum 1 hour, preferably whole morning or whole afternoon)
Does the "neo-Darwinian synthesis" still give a satisfactory explanation of evolution as we currently understand it? (1 hour)
Has our understanding of the "mind/body problem" made any real advances since the time of Descartes? (1 hour)
How can we protect and preserve the environment without giving up our comfortable lifestyles? (1 hour)
How will we meet our future energy needs? Should we be taking a fresh look at the "nuclear option"? (1 hour)
How has our picture of the structure of the universe evolved over the past 3000 years and how has this influenced our ideas regarding our place in the universe? (1 hour)
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Henry Ellington, Emeritus Professor, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Keep Smiling |
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What makes a good smile and what do we need to keep smiling? This workshop investigates a holistic view of a smile, integrating the social, cultural and historic aspects of a smile together with biological and medical issues necessary to keep us smiling.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Other, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Morag McFadyen and Dr Lesley Diack, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Science |
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Soap Enterprise |
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An engaging and hands-on enterprise challenge in which pupils will learn more about the chemistry behind the beauty industry. Pupilscreate their own soap product design and make a bar to take awaywith them. Other curricular areas: Enterprise
Chemistry, Science, OCA
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Enterprising, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Free Travel • All local authority secondary schools are eligible for reimbursement of their travel costs. Free Outreach Visits • Free outreach visits- limited numbers available Free Admission • Dundee City Council Secondary schools are eligible for free admission to Sensation, Dundee Science Centre. Sign up to our e-mailing list to find out first about these offers. Contact Shabnam Wasim, Secondary School Education Officer, Sensation: Dundee Science Centre, Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB. Telephone: 01382 868609 Fax: 01382 868602 Email: shabnam.wasim@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk
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Guided Tour of the Universe |
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This highly popular lecture takes pupils on a fascinating journey that starts in the Solar System, then moves to the stars and the Milky Way of which they form a part, and finishes up in the furthest reaches of the extra-galactic universe. The presentation has been completely revised and updated, incorporating the latest Hubble Telescope images and being delivered via PowerPoint, so that it is now even more spectacular and exciting.
New for 2009
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Henry Ellington - formerly of The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Adjusted appropriately for S1-S4 Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Presenters have given dates on which they can offer their presentations during September. Most are available during the week 14th – 18th September, others more widely. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to groups from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentation details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Kitty Massie on 01224 274193 or email k.f.massie@abdn.ac.uk
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What have Scottish Physicists Done for Us? |
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An informal review of the impact of Scottish scientists on everyday life through the ages.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Nigel Langford - University of Strathclyde
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Understanding Wind Energy |
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The UK has over 2700 wind turbines installed, generating enough electricity to supply over 2 million homes. This presentation will introduce the idea of wind energy, explain how a wind turbine works and demonstrate how this resource can contribute to our energy needs.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Mr Colin Bothwell, Mr Malcolm MAcDonald, Mr Johnny Flowers, Mr Euan George and Mr Kieran Seery, Renewable Energy Systems
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Antarctica: You Can go Far with Physics |
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The Antarctic is a remarkable continent – remote, hostile, and uninhabited yet it is of key importance to our understanding of how the world works. For early explorers Antarctica was the ultimate survival contest. For scientists it remains a place of intellectual challenge. Find out what kind of science is carried out in the Antarctic. Meet a physicist and meteorologist and find out how physics took her to Antarctica and what life there is like.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Alison McLure, Institute of Physics
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What’s Going on up There? Imaging Volcanoes with a Portable Radar |
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New for 2010
How can you predict when a volcano is going to erupt if you can't even see it? Learn about the St Andrews AVTIS volcano imager, a portable radar and thermal imager designed to peer through cloud and smoke to record volcanic activity in any weather. This talk can be accompanied by a fast-scanning, high resolution radar that maps the venue and audience in real time.
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Millimetre Waves: Vision for the Future |
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New for 2010
Millimetre waves are a form of light that few people have heard of, yet they are used in many diverse applications ranging from everyday experiences through to cutting-edge research topics: collision-avoidance radar in cars, security imaging, monitoring active volcanoes, aircraft safety, probing the structure of proteins, looking inside clouds and even taking pictures of the entire universe! Learn about how we view the world with mm-waves and see some of the latest research imagery.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Urban Water and Urban Ecosystems – Global and Local Perspectives on Water and Ecology in Cities |
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50% of the world's population now live in cities; in the UK nearly 90% of people live in cities. Urban populations make large demands on water resources and other ecosystem services. This talk will focus on water as an ecosystem resource, explore the human impacts on the urban water environment, flooding and climate change, and discuss ways that we can manage water in cities more sustainably.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Rebecca Wade, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Lasing Down the Internet |
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New for 2010
We all love to surf the internet, play on-line computer games and chat with people at the other end of the world. But how does it all work? What is the physics behind the internet revolution? This talk will explore how fibre-optics work, how information is transmitted from telephones and computers using lasers and how scientists at the cutting-edge ensure that the communications capacity will continue to increase.
Supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th September
Curricular Areas : Computing, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Thomas Krauss - University of St. Andrews
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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“Where Did my Dinner Go!” |
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New for 2010
'Where did my dinner go!' is a curricular based guide through the human digestive system as an anecdotal, up-beat fashion show with the insides of the body worn on the outside!
Curricular Areas : Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Live Wire Productions
Secondary Years : 1
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Forensic Science Today |
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This talk will take you into the life of a modern day forensic laboratory. It will briefly describe the science behind the techniques used, before explaining the role of the forensic scientist within criminal investigations, collecting these factors together with the use of casework examples. Necessary qualifications for the available roles will also be discussed.
Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire only
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Andrew Gibb, Grampian Police Forensic Science Laboratory
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Ultra-sound Science |
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The frequency of human speech is around 200Hz and 18kHz is called ULTRASOUND. This lecture/demonstration will link bats, colliding submarines, welding Speedos, measuring babies, making mayonnaise, computer games, parking cars, music and much more. Ultra-Sounds good!
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor David Bremner, University of Abertay Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Plants as Drugs |
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This talk will give examples of anticancer drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, antimicrobial drugs and recreational drugs of plant origin – their mode of action and any adverse effects. It will also include discussion of how drugs are discovered and developed, why some drugs have been withdrawn from the market and the role of pharmacologists in drug discovery and development.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Gabrielle Hawksworth - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Drugs from the Deep |
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More than 60% of the drugs used today, such as penicillin, are derived from natural sources or are based on molecules found in nature. The oceans provide a rich source of new organisms, such as sponges and soft corals, which can be explored for their potential to produce compounds which can fight diseases.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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From the Deepest to the Driest Place on Earth |
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New for 2010
Organisms from extreme environments seem to produce the best drugs. Why is this? This talk will explore extreme environments from the deepest ocean trenches to the driest deserts and explain why they are such excellent sources of chemical diversity and possible new drugs.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 3,4,5
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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How Our Health Depends on Biodiversity |
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New for 2010
Our fascination with things we can see may be affecting our relationship with those we can't. Buried, deepsea and microscopic creatures have a profound impact on life as we know it, from cleaning water, removing carbon dioxide and making the next wonderdrug. We are losing biodiversity of all kinds before it is even identified. Can this be rectified? Do we even know what we are losing? This talk will explain how humans are affecting biodiversity in many unintended ways and what could be lost.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Marcel Jaspars - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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The Science of Sport |
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New for 2010
Science is a very exciting subject that covers so many elements of sport, from what we eat to how we train our bodies and minds. These are all important factors to sports performers who need to understand scientific ideas to have the perfect golf swing, score that important goal or deliver the fastest tennis serve. Sports professionals and those that support them need to understand science to help achieve the best results possible.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Emma Lyons, University of Stirling
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Skeletons out of the Closet |
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Although we may think of the skeleton as an inactive scaffold, in reality our bones undergo continual repair through a process known as remodelling. When this goes wrong, bones become weak and fracture easily, for example in the disease osteoporosis. This presentation will use microscopic images and animations to illustrate these concepts and demonstrate how we can potentially improve the treatment of osteoporosis by studying bone structure and remodelling in the laboratory.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Physics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Fraser Coxon - University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Sun Cream and Icebergs: Reconstructing Past Climates |
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New for 2010
The world's climate has changed dramatically over the past 200,000 years from the grip of ice ages to temperatures warmer than today. Why did this happen and how do we know this? This interactive lecture explores how we can reconstruct past climatic conditions, what Scotland and the rest of the world would have looked like and why the climate is continually changing.
S3-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Geography, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Lizzie Molyneux, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Yeast and Biotechnology – from Bread to BSE |
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Yeast is man's oldest microbial friend used for baking and brewing for thousands of years. Now, yeast is a modern biology research tool, helping researchers understand more about cancer, BSE (mad cow disease) and ageing. This talk describes our view of yeast today, its use both in research into human disease and in modern and traditional biotechnologies.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Ian Stansfield - University of Abedeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Adapted to suit for S1-S6. Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Presenters have given dates on which they can offer their presentations during September. Most are available during the week 14th – 18th September, others more widely. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to groups from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentation details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Kitty Massie on 01224 274193 or email k.f.massie@abdn.ac.uk
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The Development and Use of Forensic Evidence |
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New for 2010
What is forensic evidence? Fingerprints, DNA and footprints - all are important in solving crimes. This lecture will explain about different types of forensic evidence and how it may be recovered from scenes of crime. The processes which are in place to deal with the recovered evidence will be explained. Emphasis will be placed on the attention to detail and the teamwork required to make best use of any forensic evidence recovered. The importance of forensic evidence in solving crimes as varied as vandalism, house breaking, fire-raising and murder will be discussed.
Grampian Police Area only
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Bruce Duncan, Scottish Police Services Authority, Forensic Services
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Death Stab from Cutie |
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New for 2010
Insects, particularly blood suckers, kill millions of people every year; but are they a force for good?
Estimates suggest that insects have caused the deaths of half of all people who have ever lived. Yet without insects we may all be dead. Monstrous and cute, deadly yet life-giving, insects really are the most remarkable animals on the planet.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr John Baird, University of Aberdeen
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
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Fingerprint Identification |
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New for 2010
Learn how police investigators use their sense of sight to identify fingerprint patterns. We all have them, and they are all different! Pupils will have a go at dusting for fingerprints and make copies of their own fingerprints to take home.
Curricular Areas : Biology, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dundee Science Centre
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Nutrition - From Caves to Campaigns |
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New for 2010
Nowadays, food and food issues are more important for us than ever. This talk covers under-nutrition and over-nutrition, taking a historic (and prehistoric!) look at human food consumption.
Available in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
S1-6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Home Economics, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Fiona Comrie, Food Standards Agency In Scotland
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Keep Smiling |
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What makes a good smile and what do we need to keep smiling? This workshop investigates a holistic view of a smile, integrating the social, cultural and historic aspects of a smile together with biological and medical issues necessary to keep us smiling.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Other, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Morag McFadyen and Dr Lesley Diack, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Technological Studies |
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Understanding Wind Energy |
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The UK has over 2700 wind turbines installed, generating enough electricity to supply over 2 million homes. This presentation will introduce the idea of wind energy, explain how a wind turbine works and demonstrate how this resource can contribute to our energy needs.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Mr Colin Bothwell, Mr Malcolm MAcDonald, Mr Johnny Flowers, Mr Euan George and Mr Kieran Seery, Renewable Energy Systems
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Lasers and their Applications |
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This talk will demonstrate just what makes lasers work, what makes them so special and what applications they have around us, from optical communications to medical diagnostics.
Curricular Areas : Physics, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Nigel Langford - University of Strathclyde
Secondary Years : 5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What’s Going on up There? Imaging Volcanoes with a Portable Radar |
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New for 2010
How can you predict when a volcano is going to erupt if you can't even see it? Learn about the St Andrews AVTIS volcano imager, a portable radar and thermal imager designed to peer through cloud and smoke to record volcanic activity in any weather. This talk can be accompanied by a fast-scanning, high resolution radar that maps the venue and audience in real time.
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Millimetre Waves: Vision for the Future |
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New for 2010
Millimetre waves are a form of light that few people have heard of, yet they are used in many diverse applications ranging from everyday experiences through to cutting-edge research topics: collision-avoidance radar in cars, security imaging, monitoring active volcanoes, aircraft safety, probing the structure of proteins, looking inside clouds and even taking pictures of the entire universe! Learn about how we view the world with mm-waves and see some of the latest research imagery.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Geography, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David Macfarlane, University of St Andrews
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Lasing Down the Internet |
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New for 2010
We all love to surf the internet, play on-line computer games and chat with people at the other end of the world. But how does it all work? What is the physics behind the internet revolution? This talk will explore how fibre-optics work, how information is transmitted from telephones and computers using lasers and how scientists at the cutting-edge ensure that the communications capacity will continue to increase.
Supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th September
Curricular Areas : Computing, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Professor Thomas Krauss - University of St. Andrews
Secondary Years : 3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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What do Scientists do? Why Science at School is Important and Careers in Science |
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This talk is aimed at highlighting what science actually is and what professional scientists do. It aims to indicate why school science is important even if you end up not pursuing a career in science. It will make use of real world examples and try to give a feel for scientific career options.
S2-S6 (tailored to suit. May be of most use for pupils choosing school subjects or university courses)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Careers, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, Science, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr David McGloin, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Can Computers Create Art? |
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New for 2010
In this workshop participants will look at some art created by computers and have a chance to discuss this, before creating their own domino portrait.
A computing lab with an internet connection is essential.
Curricular Areas : Art & Design, Computing, Technological Studies,
Event Type : Workshop
Presented By : Dr Karen Pirie, University of Dundee
Secondary Years : 1,2
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Other |
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Keep Smiling |
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What makes a good smile and what do we need to keep smiling? This workshop investigates a holistic view of a smile, integrating the social, cultural and historic aspects of a smile together with biological and medical issues necessary to keep us smiling.
S1-S6 (tailored to suit)
Curricular Areas : Biology, Other, Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Presented By : Dr Morag McFadyen and Dr Lesley Diack, The Robert Gordon University
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4,5,6
Esential Information : Presentations will be offered in your school at NO COST and on a day and time convenient to you. Most are available during the week 13th - 17th September, others more widely throughout the month. Some popular presentations have limited availability and we hope that schools making bookings will be willing to act as hosts to group from other schools. Presentations are 45 - 60 minutes unless otherwise stated. Presentations details can be viewed in subject or year order on our website www.techfestsetpoint.org.uk For booking details (including dates) contact Yashka Manning on 01224 274193 or email y.manning@abdn.ac.uk
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Enterprising |
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Soap Enterprise |
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An engaging and hands-on enterprise challenge in which pupils will learn more about the chemistry behind the beauty industry. Pupilscreate their own soap product design and make a bar to take awaywith them. Other curricular areas: Enterprise
Chemistry, Science, OCA
Curricular Areas : Chemistry, Enterprising, Science,
Event Type : Presentations
Secondary Years : 1,2,3,4
Esential Information : Free Travel • All local authority secondary schools are eligible for reimbursement of their travel costs. Free Outreach Visits • Free outreach visits- limited numbers available Free Admission • Dundee City Council Secondary schools are eligible for free admission to Sensation, Dundee Science Centre. Sign up to our e-mailing list to find out first about these offers. Contact Shabnam Wasim, Secondary School Education Officer, Sensation: Dundee Science Centre, Greenmarket, Dundee, DD1 4QB. Telephone: 01382 868609 Fax: 01382 868602 Email: shabnam.wasim@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk
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