BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Leamington Cafe Scientifique - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Leamington Cafe Scientifique
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Leamington Cafe Scientifique
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/London
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20210328T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20211031T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20220327T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20221030T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20230326T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20231029T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20240331T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20241027T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20250330T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20251026T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20260329T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20261025T010000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250120T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250120T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240820T180221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250102T193151Z
UID:1528-1737401400-1737406800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Artificial intelligence for pre-screening of insomnia
DESCRIPTION:Prof Maia Angelova\, Aston Digital Futures Institute (ADFI)\, Aston University. \n\n\n\nInsomnia is increasingly recognised as presenting a significant public health problem and has been associated with increased risk for a diverse range of health-related problems and reduced quality of life. While this condition affects more than one third of the adults in Western countries\, it is underdiagnosed as individuals are unaware that their sleep is unhealthy. This justifies a pre-screening system for stratifying the risk of insomnia\, however such a system does not exist yet. \n\n\n\nWearable devices provide non-invasive means for continuous monitoring of patients\, which produce vast amounts of complex data\, well suited for artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and patient-centred care. Physical activity data have been used as complimentary means to improve accuracy of insomnia assessment and have shown potential for screening insomnia in the home environment. \n\n\n\nIn this talk\, Maia will consider the potential of AI to classify acute and chronic insomnia from healthy sleep through the use of wearable data.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/artificial-intelligence-for-pre-screening-of-insomnia/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20241118T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20241118T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240610T181326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241111T190907Z
UID:1515-1731958200-1731963600@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:The miracle of our limbs –  a practical session exploring the anatomy of the upper and lower limb
DESCRIPTION:Dr Cornelia Juengst\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nHow many bones are in one hand? What is the carpal tunnel? Where exactly is the meniscus? What is arthritis? How can blood flow upwards from the foot back to the heart?   \n\n\n\nOur limbs are a wonder of engineering that we daily take for granted. Come and explore the mechanical and physiological processes in the arm and leg\, the hand and the foot\, presented by a GP\, medical educator and former anatomy tutor at Warwick Medical School.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/science-in-the-gp-surgery-2/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20241021T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20241021T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240820T180502Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240820T180533Z
UID:1530-1729539000-1729544400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Investing in nature. Is it the key to addressing the challenges we face?
DESCRIPTION:Ian Jelley\,Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/investing-in-nature-is-it-the-key-to-addressing-the-challenges-we-face/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240916T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240916T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240820T182830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240902T201453Z
UID:1534-1726515000-1726520400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Nothing to fear but fear itself - a study of anxiety and fear
DESCRIPTION:Dr Dawn Collins\, Warwick Medical School\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nIn the ICD11\, Anxiety- and fear-related disorders contain a range of generalised (generalised anxiety disorder\, social anxiety disorder) and specific conditions (specific phobias) all characterised by significant and debilitating symptom presentation in response to a real\, or perceived\, threat. In many sufferers of these disorders there is often no direct exposure to the trigger\, or threat from the trigger\, prior to onset of the disorder\, distinguishing them from stress-related disorders (such as post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and grief disorder)\, which all have identifiable triggers; so how do these conditions develop? The amygdala is a key region of the brain associated with the perception and response to conditioned fear behaviours\, so what plastic changes occur within this area that might account for our response to triggers? The amygdala also plays a role in determining the saliency of experiences\, so is this the point at which our normal or abnormal experiences become fearful? We’ll discuss and investigate whether fear is the result of our innate (inherited?) survival mechanisms\, experience\, or whether fear can be a learned behaviour; and if so\, whether FDR (or Michel de Montaigne\, depending on your viewpoint) was correct in that we really do have ‘nothing to fear\, but fear itself.’
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/nothing-to-fear-but-fear-itself-a-study-of-anxiety-and-fear/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240715T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240715T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240624T215905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240702T213131Z
UID:1519-1721071800-1721077200@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Waste and the Circular Economy - the battle against entropy
DESCRIPTION:Dr Stephen Burnley\, retired\, formerly School of Engineering and Innovation\, Open University \n\n\n\nAll life is a battle to keep living organisms and\, in the case of humans the things we use\, in a chemically unstable state. For example\, we need food to maintain our metabolism\, and society consumes vast amounts of energy and produces mountains of waste to transform stable mineral ores into useful metals and atmospheric nitrogen into chemical fertilisers. In short\, we are constantly trying to reverse the inevitable forward march of entropy or disorder. Climate change and material shortages have forced Governments to realise that ultimately\, we cannot win. However\, we can slow the progress of disorder by moving towards what is known as a “Circular Economy” based on the consumption of recycled and biological materials fuelled by non-fossil energy sources. \n\n\n\nThe amount of solid waste that society produces is one measure of how far we have to go to make our economy circular. We all generate wastes\, some of this is essential\, some might be called a lifestyle choice and some is the result of decisions taken by governments on our behalf. Stephen looks at how much waste England produces\, what happens to it and what it costs us all. He then considers the circular economy from a waste perspective considering how far we can go and the limits to achieving circularity.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/waste-and-the-circular-economy-the-battle-against-entropy/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240617T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240617T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240127T193231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240609T160548Z
UID:1473-1718652600-1718658000@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Gut Microbiota
DESCRIPTION:Prof Lindsay J Hall\, Institute of Microbiology and Infection\, University of Birmingham \n\n\n\nIn this talk\, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of the gut microbiota\, the diverse community of microorganisms living in our digestive tracts. These tiny inhabitants play a crucial role in our overall health\, aiding in digestion\, synthesising essential nutrients\, and bolstering our immune system. However\, when this microbial balance is disrupted\, it can be linked to a variety of diseases\, including inflammatory bowel disease\, allergies\, and even mental health disorders. Lindsay will provide background on the microbiota and explore the differences between health and disease states. Finally\, she’ll share an exciting vignette about one of her team’s projects focused on the gut microbiota of fragile preterm infants and how they are harnessing the potential of probiotics – beneficial bacteria – to help populate their guts and give them an extra healthy start in life.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/gut-microbiota/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240520T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240520T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240327T214746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240424T212456Z
UID:1491-1716233400-1716238800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Gesture and Speech Recognition in Human Computer Interaction 
DESCRIPTION:Prof Manolya Kavakli-Thorne\, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences\, Aston University \n\n\n\nThe rapid evolution and adoption of Mixed Reality technology and the integration of AI intoour lives have fundamentally transformed how we interact with computers today. We caneven talk to AI agents to have a conversation using speech and gestures. Technologicaldevelopments impact our daily routines and shape the future of human-computer interaction(HCI). In this talk\, we will look at the differences in human information processing in variouscultures and genders\, and explore how closely related these are to multi-modal interfacedesign. \n\n\n\nTechnology can be perceived as gendered in many ways. Technological change isshaped and structured according to societal norms and relations\, which are in turninfluenced by technological transformations. The design of technology used in differenthistorical\, political and cultural contexts reflect pre-existing gender norms and sometimesinequalities. By offering different tools and methodologies to address various demographics\,and analysing human information processing\, we can evaluate the ways to improve not onlythe joint performance of man and machine systems\, but also the user acceptance oftechnology.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/gesture-and-speech-recognition-gender-of-technology/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240415T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240415T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20240102T215507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240404T194257Z
UID:1466-1713209400-1713214800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Sleep Apnoea: A universal comorbidity
DESCRIPTION:Rob Huckstepp\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nSleep apnoea is a silent and often overlooked disorder. Though for many years its effects were thought to be benign\, we now know that it contributes to the generation and progression of many of the world’s leading killers and most debilitating diseases. This talk and discussion will focus on the relationship between sleep apnoea neurological disorders.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/sleep-apnoea-a-universal-comorbidity/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240318T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240318T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20231022T121156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240227T205717Z
UID:1450-1710790200-1710795600@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Reconstructing the pleniglacial environment of Doggerland - the disappeared land that connected us to Europe
DESCRIPTION:Professor Robin Allaby\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nPrior to the formation of the present-day North Sea during the mid-Holocene\, North-Western Europe was connected through the Doggerland landmass. Whilst it has been known for the past century that forests grew in Doggerland\, it has not been clear how this environment compares to the surrounding European areas. Despite the long time periods involved\, the DNA of these environments still persists in marine sediments. Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) is at the forefront of research in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction\, although much remains unknown about the taphonomy of DNA in the environment. \n\n\n\nIn this talk Robin will describe the reconstruction of the palaeoecology of a river system from the Late Pleistocene to the late Holocene using sedaDNA from cores spanning the length of the river system and headwater area. The data allow the construction of a taphonomic model for DNA which allows us to determine which sediments are secure representing the original depositional environment. Secure sediments reveal the presence of several tree species such as Alnus\, Quercus\, Ulmus and Corylus over 16000 years ago\, and thermal indicator tree species like Tilia several thousand years earlier than has been recorded for surrounding European areas. In this area we also detect the presence of Pterocarya\, previously considered extinct since the Hoxnian. These observations are consistent with colonization from glacial refugia closer than the classic southern Europe refugia.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/surprising-revelations-in-reconstructing-doggerland-with-ancient-dna/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240219T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240219T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20231022T123326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240127T193338Z
UID:1453-1708371000-1708376400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:On track for Net-Zero? The development of hydrogen-powered trains in the UK
DESCRIPTION:With the UK Government having set climate goals to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050\, the need to move away from diesel as fuel is critical. In all sectors\, the challenge of clean\, efficient energy storage is increasingly present\, from electric cars and buses\, to powering towns and cities. I will describe the motivation behind developing a hydrogen-powered train\, and the benefits and potential drawbacks of hydrogen fuel. I will track the development of the technology across prototype vehicles of increasing size and power developed by the University of Birmingham\, culminating with the demonstration of a full-scale passenger train to the (then) Prime Minister and (then) Prince of Wales at the United Nations COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow. I will give a brief look into the future; When are we likely to see a hydrogen-powered train in service? Is it safe? Why does energy storage matter? \n\n\n\nCallum is a Master’s student at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education\, and a Project Engineer at Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/on-track-for-net-zero-the-development-of-hydrogen-powered-trains-in-the-uk/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240115T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240115T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20231022T121040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240108T174409Z
UID:1447-1705347000-1705352400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:The amazing world of bacteria: why it matters!
DESCRIPTION:Professor Stephen Busby\, University of Birmingham \n\n\n\nBacteria generally receive a ‘bad press’\, and most folk only think about them when they or a familymember suffers from an infection. Surveys find that people are unaware that the vast majority ofbacteria are completely harmless\, and that many are positively beneficial to human life. The bestexplanation for this apathy is that the general public doesn’t grasp that bacteria were present onearth long before humans\, and that humans evolved in a ‘sea’ of bacteria. Hence\, in the first part ofmy presentation\, I will give a very brief overview of how life on earth is thought to have evolved\,and the essential role of microbes in general\, and bacteria in particular. Bioscientists arefascinated by how molecules act together to generate life\, and I will explain how bacteria makegreat case studies\, and argue that humans today may well need help from bacteria to resolvecurrent intractable problems. \n\n\n\nIn the second part of the presentation\, I will focus on the small number of bacteria that areharmful to human health and explain why they evolved. Over the past century\, antibiotics havegiven humans the ‘upper hand’ in their struggle against these bacteria\, but we now know that thebacteria are fighting back with the spread of genes that encode resistance. I will explain why thisis to be expected in the context of evolution\, and tell you about some alternatives for fightingbacterial infections that don’t rely on the use of antibiotics.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/the-amazing-world-of-bacteria-why-it-matters/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231120T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231120T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230709T174542Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231022T121546Z
UID:1420-1700508600-1700514000@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:The science of sourdough
DESCRIPTION:Sophie Turigel\, Dietitian at SWGP Federation \n\n\n\nSophie is a gut-specialist Dietitian at the South Warwickshire GP Federation\, who is keeping up to date with the latest research on sourdough breads and other baked goods. She loves to share this with anyone interested in how these delicious foods can not only be tasty but good for our health. Find out how wheat products can be enjoyed again\, depending on the way that they’re prepared. We’ll be talking about gluten\, minerals\, glucose absorption and FODMAPs.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/the-science-of-sourdough/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231016T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231016T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230608T165704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231011T172838Z
UID:1412-1697484600-1697490000@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Uncovering microbial diversity in a local freshwater ecosystem
DESCRIPTION:Dr Sarah Duxbury\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nMicrobes frequently exist together as communities across environments as diverse as the human body to natural environments. What drives microbial diversity in the natural world? How can we study microbial ecosystems in the lab? Although some microbes cause disease\, many others are important in sustaining life on Planet Earth. Photosynthesising cyanobacteria were the first oxygen-generating organisms and account for approximately 50% of global primary production. Cyanobacteria\, whilst technically unicellular\, can build multi-cellular structures such as sticky balls and mats\, home also to a variety of other types of bacteria. How do microbes communicate with each other and cycle nutrients? This talk will present findings from a laboratory-maintained microbial macro-structure\, cultured from the local freshwater reservoir Draycote Water. \n\n\n\nSarah Duxbury is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Life Sciences at University of Warwick\, with a background in the ecology and evolution of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes\, their antimicrobial resistance and formation of multi-species communities.  
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/uncovering-microbial-diversity-in-a-local-freshwater-ecosystem/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230918T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230918T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230119T204029Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230826T171458Z
UID:1342-1695065400-1695070800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Is Net zero worth fighting for? Climate change in the age of emergency
DESCRIPTION:Dr Graeme Hayes\, School of Social Sciences and Humanities\, Aston University \n\n\n\nNet zero is everywhere. The UK has pledged to reach net zero by 2050; the NHS\, by 2040; Birmingham City Council’s ‘route to zero’\, by 2030; Birmingham Airport’s ‘flight to net zero’\, by 2033. Extinction Rebellion demands the UK reach it by 2025. In contrast\, the Net Zero Scrutiny Group of backbench Conservative MPs (along with others on the political right) wants the government to abandon the target\, claiming it makes the UK uncompetitive. Recent decisions by the Sunak government over oil and gas leases in the North Sea\, decisions which are also supported by the opposition\, suggest that either net zero is heavily contested\, is on the verge of being abandoned\, or perhaps never meant very much anyway. Meanwhile\, as individual citizens\, we are encouraged to make our own carbon footprint calculations\, and change our behaviours and choices so that we too can reduce or ‘offset’ our emissions. \n\n\n\nIn this talk\, Graeme will discuss competing narratives of supply and demand\, resource use and keeping it in the ground\, time and emergency. He’ll talk about what net zero means and what it doesn’t mean\, what it tells us about climate change and what it leaves unsaid\, why calculating carbon footprints is helpful and also why it isn’t\, and argue that net zero is a terrible idea which could probably only be made worse by abandoning net zero. \n\n\n\nHe’ll end by asking exactly where this leaves us – and what the role of protest and collective citizen action might be.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/is-net-zero-worth-fighting-for-climate-change-in-the-age-of-emergency/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230717T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230717T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230205T215651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230717T164559Z
UID:1349-1689622200-1689627600@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Using trees for energy and materials: unpacking sustainability concerns
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Patricia Thornley\, Director\, Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute\, Aston University \n\n\n\nA is for apple … T is for Tree \n\n\n\nFrom our earliest years we are introduced to trees: in the classroom; in fairy stories of magic treesand deep dark woods; in the natural world around us (climbing\, swinging\, gathering leaves andconkers). They are deeply ingrained in our landscape\, our heritage\, our lives. \n\n\n\nSo when people suggest that we cut down trees or use them differently we rightly get annoyed.Something inside tells us that it “just isn’t right” …. Or is it? Climate change is a huge global problemand trees can be a key part of our response to and adaptation for climate change. Smart use of treescould help us achieve lower global temperatures in the long term\, but the problem (and solution)are dynamic and some of the scientific insights around carbon can be counter-intuitive. \n\n\n\nPatricia Thornley has been studying the role of trees and plants in combatting climate change forlonger than she would like to remember and will share the latest scientific knowledge on how treesinterface with climate change and what the carbon consequences really are of cutting trees down. \n\n\n\nBut there is more to life than carbon and we will also discuss the wider environmental\, economicand social impacts of our sometimes fragile co-existence with the trees that are likely to outlive usand possibly outpace our efforts to mitigate carbon emissions.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/uk-government-biomass-strategy/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230619T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230619T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230104T190753Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230709T174108Z
UID:1314-1687203000-1687208400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Lab-based meat
DESCRIPTION:Dr Eirini Theodosiou\, Senior Lecturer\, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences\, Aston University \n\n\n\nJason Thomas\, Senior lecturer\, School of Psychology\, Aston University \n\n\n\nThe demand for animal-based foods will increase by 70% in 2050 to feed the predicted 9.8 billion people. Yet currently\, 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger and malnutrition\, the livestock industry is responsible for 12-18% of the total greenhouse gas emissions and the leading direct driver for deforestation\, and increased meat production and factory farming are the top most likely causes of the next pandemic due to the extensive use of antibiotics and increasing emergence of zoonotic diseases. \n\n\n\nCultivated or lab grown meat offers a safer\, more sustainable and animal cruelty-free alternative for consumers. It is a relatively new food technology and much work still needs to be done to make it affordable and on a massive scale. Cultivated meat research at Aston University focuses on the ‘scaffolds’ needed for the animal cells to attach to in order to create the meat mass\, as well as the psychological and practical barriers to its acceptance and consumption. Dr Eirini Theodosiou and Dr Jason Thomas explore what is cultivated – or lab-produced – meat and what factors can influence consumers on buying it and eating it.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/lab-based-meat/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230515T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230515T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20221218T141908Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230709T174104Z
UID:1309-1684179000-1684184400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Increasing diversity in research participation: recruitment and retention strategies
DESCRIPTION:Professor Petra Wark and Funmi Ladeinde of the Centre for Healthcare and Communities\, Research Institute for Health & Wellbeing at the University of Coventry. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nMany human research studies lack diversity\, which limits our understanding of the factors that contribute to disease in groups who don’t usually participate. As a result\, it becomes difficult to apply research findings to develop effective disease prevention strategies and public health policies that benefit everyone. \n\n\n\nWe need to include everyone in our research efforts to help in formulating more effective disease prevention strategies\, creating fair health policies\, and better identifying the care\, service\, and health needs of different groups. \n\n\n\nPetra and Funmi will talk about ways to involve groups that are generally not represented in research that require people to engage with researchers over time.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/increasing-diversity-in-research-participation-recruitment-and-retention-strategies-2/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230417T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230417T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230320T180707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230709T174057Z
UID:1371-1681759800-1681765200@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:The Media spinning of nutrition science plates - Can we believe the stories we read?
DESCRIPTION:Dr Duane Mellor\, Senior Lecturer\, Aston Medical school \n\n\n\nNutrition is an area of apparent disagreement among the public and experts. It is also an area which has seen a rapid increase in the number of publications in the past 40 years. With the advent of online media and social media platforms\, the volume of news has also increased. Duane considers five types of nutrition research and how press releases linked to publications might be reported by the media. We will explore examples taken from nutrition-related articles published in the areas of in vitro work\, animal data\, epidemiology\, clinical trials and data modelling publications which had press releases deposited in online repositories (EurekAlert! and AlphaGalileo).
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/the-media-spinning-of-nutrition-science-plates-can-we-believe-the-stories-we-read/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230320T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230320T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230205T220744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230709T174042Z
UID:1351-1679340600-1679346000@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Sustainable cooling and the cold chain for food and vaccines
DESCRIPTION:Cooling accounts for over 7% of global GHG emissions and is the fastest growing GHG contributor in the world. Globally\, 12% of the total food produced is lost due to the lack of cold chain. Likewise\, 20% of temperature-sensitive vaccine products are damaged due to broken cold chains. The cold chain is also a key player in ensuring food quality and safety. Temperature-controlled processing\, distribution and storage\, often based on inefficient equipment and protocols\, have a significant environmental impact. Conventional cold chains are energy intensive and often use high-GWP refrigerants. To achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation globally\, a resilient and low-carbon food and pharma cold chain is needed. How it could be achieved has significant implication for the economy\, industry\, social wellbeing\, and energy system resilience. It is essential to combine techno-economic\, environmental\, social and policy aspects in an integrated approach for the design and evaluation of decarbonisation solutions for the cold chain for food (from farm to fork) and vaccine (from manufacture to arm). \n\n\n\nIn this talk\, Dr Xinfang Wang of the University of Birmingham will present the work undertaken by the team of the Centre for Sustainable Cooling at the University of Birmingham\, including a whole-systems framework to assess the demand of food cold chain up to 2050\, considering the technology\, infrastructure\, environment\, policy\, behaviour\, finance and business models.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/sustainable-cooling-and-the-cold-chain-for-food-and-vaccines/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230220T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230220T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220929T194627Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221115T093857Z
UID:1272-1676921400-1676926800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:From Pharaohs to Fairer Health – A rapid exploration of lateral flow diagnostics
DESCRIPTION:Dr Alex Baker of University of Warwick will consider the role of lateral flow testing. The talk will include: \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nLooking at how people diagnosed pregnancy before modern medicine\n\n\n\nDiagnosing COVID-19\n\n\n\nHow LFDs work and the science behind current LFDs\n\n\n\nThe problem with this approach and our alternative
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/from-pharaohs-to-fairer-health/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230116T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230116T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20230107T213459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230108T221235Z
UID:1316-1673897400-1673902800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:The Opioid Crisis - how a small pharmaceutical company fuelled a health emergency
DESCRIPTION:The Pharmaceutical industry has made a huge contribution to improving the quality of many lives with advances continuing to be made in tackling diseases that were once considered incurable. However\, the industry often attracts criticism over the profits that it makes\, and the adverse reactions that occur in some patients. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nJohn worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 35 years. During the time that he lived in Connecticut in the United States\, a company from that state\, Purdue Pharmaceuticals\, were responsible for fuelling the opioid crisis\, which has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the US from the misuse of pain killing drugs. What happened\, and could it happen again?
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/the-opioid-crisis-how-a-small-pharmaceutical-company-fuelled-a-health-emergency/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20221121T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20221121T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220929T194906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221102T224604Z
UID:1274-1669059000-1669064400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Science in the GP Surgery
DESCRIPTION:Dr Cornelia Juengst\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nHave you ever wondered what your doctor hears when listening to your chest? \n\n\n\nHow does a diseased heart sound different from a healthy heart? And why? \n\n\n\nWhat does your doctor see when they look into your ear – and what does it mean? \n\n\n\nHow does sound get transmitted from the air around us to the auditory systems in the brain? And how can your GP assess hearing problems? \n\n\n\nIf you want to find out more about the beauty of human anatomy and physiology as it presents in the GP practice\, then please join us for this interactive presentation by Cornelia Juengst\, a GP of 15 years and a Senior Clinical Teaching Fellow at Warwick Medical School.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/clinical-examination/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20221017T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20221017T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220929T195310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20221012T152536Z
UID:1276-1666035000-1666040400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Searching through the stars: finding Earth 2.0
DESCRIPTION:Dr Marina Lafarga-Magro of the University of Warwick will discuss her work searching for habitable exoplanets\, and why it matters. \n\n\n\nAre we alone? The idea of life beyond Earth has fascinated and inspired humanity for millenia. However\, it was only three decades ago that the first planets outside of our own solar system were discovered. Since then\, the number of these extra-solar planets\, more commonly known as exoplanets\, has increased to over 5000. All these exoplanets that are found orbiting stars other than our Sun are extremely diverse. We have found extremely hot planets where it rains iron\, puffy planets with very low densities\, and frozen icy planets. So far\, we have not found anything resembling our own solar system. \n\n\n\nDespite having found and studied over 5000 of them\, exoplanets can rarely be observed directly. Their host stars are too bright and outshine any light coming from the planet itself. Moreover\, most of them are too far for our telescopes to resolve them. Therefore\, to detect these exoplanets\, we rely on looking for changes in the light coming from their host stars. In this talk\, I will explain how we are able to find and characterise exoplanets indirectly. I will focus on the two most successful methods used so far\, namely\, the transit photometry and the Doppler spectroscopy methods. After going through the basic concepts behind these two techniques\, I will explain how we are getting close to finding an Earth 2.0\, and why this matters.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/exoplanets-and-habitability/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220926T203000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220926T220000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220322T162850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220914T205948Z
UID:1204-1664224200-1664229600@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Extracting useful products from toxic blue-green algae
DESCRIPTION:Dr Aneika Leney\, School of Biosciences\, University of Birmingham \n\n\n\nLake slime\, or blue-green algae\, is found in many lakes/rivers/oceans worldwide. It is increasing due to global warming and causing huge problems\, as it can produce toxins that kill fish and wildlife. Dr Leney’s team are taking this algae and extracting proteins from it. These proteins are blue and are used as natural food colorants. The proteins also transmit low levels of light efficiently so have potential uses in applications such as more efficient solar panels.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/extracting-useful-products-from-toxic-blue-green-algae/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220718T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220718T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220106T213642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220510T210540Z
UID:1168-1658172600-1658178000@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Air Pollution- A Global Emergency
DESCRIPTION:Dr Om P. Kurmi\, Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Healthcare Research at Coventry University will present a talk on how air pollution is affecting both children and adults\, being responsible for over 8 million deaths annually.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/air-pollution-a-global-emergency/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220620T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220620T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220320T100329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220515T190257Z
UID:1202-1655753400-1655758800@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Bioengineering: building physiologically relevant tissue models to investigate diseases
DESCRIPTION:Dr. Pranav Vasanthi Bathrinarayanan\, who is a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham School of Chemical Engineering will cover the different organ/tissue models that he has built. These include the respiratory tract\, blood vessels\, bone mineralisation and some immune system work. Pranav will discuss how different natural and synthetic materials can be used to investigate biological diseases and how engineering/computational work has become infused with biology.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/bioengineering-building-physiologically-relevant-tissue-models-to-investigate-diseases/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220418T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220418T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20211221T110808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220413T182007Z
UID:1157-1650310200-1650315600@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Machine Learning for Smart Manufacturing of Lithium-ion Batteries
DESCRIPTION:Mona Faraji-Niri\, Research Fellow\, University of Warwick \n\n\n\nLithium-ion batteries are the key component of many portable devices in our daily lives\, they play asignificant role in electrification of transportation systems such as electric vehicles\, e-bikes\, and e-scooters. The manufacturing of Lithium-ion batteries particularly for electric vehicles is very time andresource consuming due to the large number of parameters involved in each step of the manufacturingprocess. Mona\, who is an Assistant Professor in WMG\, University of Warwick will cover the details ofthe battery manufacturing processes in her presentation and address some of the currentchallenges. She’ll show how an in-depth understanding of manufacturing parameters obtained via AIcan help reducing the production time\, cost\, and carbon footprint.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/machine-learning-and-optimisation-of-battery-manufacturing-processes/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220321T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220321T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20211204T152531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211204T152554Z
UID:1142-1647891000-1647896400@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Innovations in Cardiac Pacing
DESCRIPTION: Dr Roger Beadle\, Consultant Cardiologist
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/innovations-in-cardiac-pacing/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220221T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220221T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20220106T211438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220106T211459Z
UID:1161-1645471800-1645477200@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Failing to Succeed
DESCRIPTION:The vital role of testing and failure in the development of products. How have famous and infamous failures enabled the development of new products and even new sciences. From the failure of the Comet aircraft to the wobbly Millennium bridge\, what are the lessons we can learn from failure and why should we be encouraging more failure. Presented by Dr Brian Price\, College of Engineering & Physical Sciences\, Aston University.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/failing-to-succeed/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220117T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220117T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T224311
CREATED:20211204T153026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220114T213900Z
UID:1145-1642447800-1642453200@www.leamingtoncafesci.org
SUMMARY:Microplastic Pollution and its Detection
DESCRIPTION:Dr Katie Reilly\, Research Fellow\, University of Birmingham \n\n\n\nMicroplastics are a pervasive pollutant globally\, and have been found in all environments studied to date. However\, the available data for microplastic ingestion and interaction with organisms in the environment is varied and a lot of work has focused on larger animals such as marine mammals or birds to understand how these plastics could be having an effect. To further our understanding of individual and ecosystem level risks\, laboratory exposures can be undertaken to understand how microplastics can be affecting key species\, and how they are being impacted. Daphnia\, or water fleas\, are a great model species for this as they have historically been used to test other key pollutants such as chemicals to understand risk. In addition\, they are a keystone species for freshwater ecosystems\, and provide a key trophic link between algae and higher-level organism\, such as fish. Exploring some of the current research at the University of Birmingham\, we can use Daphnia to look at the environmental risk of plastics\, and some of the ways that the field of research is developing and growing as we understand more of the underpinning principles of the problem.
URL:https://www.leamingtoncafesci.org/event/microplastic-pollution-and-its-detection/
LOCATION:St Patricks Irish Club\, 4 Adelaide Road\, Leamington Spa\, CV31 3PW
CATEGORIES:Monthly meeting
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR