Dr Aniko Ekart, Reader in Computer Science, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University The quest for machines capable of performing creative activities began with the invention of the computer. Producing aesthetically pleasing visual art is certainly one such creative activity.... Continue Reading →

Inspiration from nature can lead to innovative solutions to design problems. Learn how observing natural forms has led to the design of faster Olympic swimwear, solved problems with the windshields of high speed trains and allows us to draw water... Continue Reading →

Café Scientifique member John Stott looks at evidence for the relationship between the climate problem and money. As an engineer, his initial reaction to the climate problem was to see it as problem about carbon pollution, so the way to... Continue Reading →

Dr Rebecca Broadbent, Teaching Fellow, College of Engineering and Physical Science, Aston University Engineers have the power to shape the world and improve people’s lives, however engineering firms continue to warn of a shortage of engineers that poses a threat... Continue Reading →

Matija Pretnar, University of Ljubljana We often read in the media that quantum computers are fast because quantum superposition allows them to be in multiple states at once, enabling them to explore all the possible solutions in a single step.... Continue Reading →

Dr. Sebastian D. Pike, Royal Society University Research Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick Dr Pike cover the background of photoexcitation, the challenges of the process, current state-of-the-art materials and devices and how his group at Warwick are developing... Continue Reading →

Jon Bishop, Senior Biostatistician, Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham Clinical trials play a key role in advancing medicine and this has been reinforced during recent times due to the COVID19 pandemic. This talk will give the audience an... Continue Reading →

Dr Phil Gould, Associate Head of School Enterprise and Innovation, School of Life Sciences, Coventry University Vaccines save millions of lives per year. Unquestionably, the current COVID-19 pandemic is a timely reminder of what can happen in a population that... Continue Reading →

Dr Rebecca Drummond, Birmingham Fellow, Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham Dr Drummond covers the size and scope of fungal species on Earth and how we use them in day-to-day life (e.g. production of alcohol, food and antibiotics),... Continue Reading →

Dr Katie Reilly, Research Fellow, University of Birmingham Microplastics 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... Continue Reading →

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,... Continue Reading →

 Dr Roger Beadle, Consultant Cardiologist