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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260616T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260616T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20260410T143816Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T143816Z
UID:3846-1781638200-1781643600@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:June 2026\, Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Jane Sellwood - Water\, how we use it and abuse it
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Tuesday 16th June\, 7.30pm – 9pm\, Cornerstone Arts Centre \nWater – How we use it and abuse it \nThe talk will cover wastewater treatment\, drinking water treatment and the current national and global water issues and impact of the climate crisis. \nWater\, whether too much or too little around the globe is at the forefront of how the changing climate is affecting communities. \nHow we use this precious resource is also impacted by the effects of weather to the extent of risking significant harm to our infrastructure systems. \nDr Jane Sellwood is a retired Clinical Scientist\, previously employed by the Health Protection Agency (now called UK Health Security Agency) and was based at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. She was consultant Clinical Virologist for the diagnostic virology laboratory and also led research in the national Water Virology Unit. During the last few years she has taken a renewed interest in viral respiratory diseases and river water quality
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/june-2026-didcot-cafe-scientifique-jane-sellwood-water-how-we-use-it-and-abuse-it/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Water-3853492.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260519T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260519T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20260410T142458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260410T142653Z
UID:3839-1779219000-1779224400@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:May 2026\, Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Victoria Robinson - The Day the Dinosaurs Died
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Tuesday 19th May 2026\, 7.30pm – 9pm\, Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot \nThe Day the Dinosaur Died \nDinosaurs were the most successful group of animals to have walked the planet\, thriving on every continent for 165 million years. Until one day\, they didn’t. This talk explores what happened on that day\, the causes of the mass extinction\, the local and global impacts and what it reveals about life on Earth today. \nVictoria is an Environmental Consultant working in a high-hazard industry\, helping to deliver high standards of environmental protection on complex projects.  Away from work\, her focus shifts from present-day environmental challenges to the deep history of our planet\, with a particular passion for all things dinosaur.  She can often be found exploring the Natural History Museums in London and Oxford\, reading palaeontology papers or attending lectures – a habit which contributes to an ever-groaning bookshelf. \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/may-2026-didcot-cafe-scientifique-victoria-robinson-the-day-the-dinosaurs-died/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dinosaur_museum-367730.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260421T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260421T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250903T200836Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T214437Z
UID:3616-1776799800-1776805200@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:April 2026\, Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Janet High - Cancer\, its causes\, growth\, spread and classification
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Tuesday 21st April 2026\, \n7.30pm\, Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot \nCancer\, its causes\, growth\, spread and classification \nThe talk will give an overview of the events leading to the formation of cancer\, describing the environmental and other factors leading to genetic damage; it will describe the genetic damage\, the growth & spread of cancers and will outline the ways in which cancer is classified & described. \nJanet High \nI worked as a clinical radiotherapeutic radiographer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London for a number of years before becoming\, successively\, a tutor at The Middlesex\, the Royal London and Hammersmith Hospitals. In the 1990s all NHS education and training was moved to HEI and I spent the last 15 years of my career at the University of Hertfordshire.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/april-2026-didcot-cafe-scientifique-janet-high/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/microscope-275984_1280.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260120T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260120T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250903T151833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T152157Z
UID:3606-1768937400-1768942800@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:January 2026 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Tim Coulson\, A Little History of Everything from the Big Bang to You
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique – talk on A little History of Everything from the Big Bang to You \nTuesday 20th January 2026 \nCornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot \nHave you ever wondered why you exist? After a brush with death in my early 20s I decided my life’s ambition would to try to find out whether science could answer this question. I started reading widely\, while developing my career as a biologist\, eventually ending up at Oxford. Thirty-five years after decided I wanted to try to answer this rather overly ambitious question\, I had an enough knowledge to write a popular science book on the topic\, which was published by Penguin. In this talk\, I’ll tell you what I’ve learned after researching physics\, chemistry\, earth science\, biology and psychology. Science does not have all the answers\, but it has revealed a lot. If you want to know what science can tell you about your existence\, and whether you were inevitable at the birth of the universe or have instead just won the cosmic lottery\, come along. \n \nTim Coulson has been a science junky from a young age. He was brought up by drug-dealing parents – they ran a chain of pharmacy stores – in a small village outside Cambridge\, eventually scraping through his O and A-levels. After a formative year spent teaching (and growing up a little) in Africa\, he studied Biology at York\, before doing his PhD at Imperial College. After jobs at the Zoological Society of London\, the University of Cambridge\, back at Imperial\, and Stanford\, he finally settled at Oxford where he is Professor of Zoology. His research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary roles that predators have on ecosystems\, but he also writes popular science books and co-hosts the Science of the Times podcast produced by Streaming Spires podcasts. \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/january-2026-didcot-cafe-scientifique-tim-coulson-a-little-history-of-everything-from-the-big-bang-to-you/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Big-Bang-universe-8689740_1280.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251216T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251216T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250903T145641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T101814Z
UID:3601-1765913400-1765918800@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:December 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Christmas quiz\, Festive refreshments and talk from Ian Adsley
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique \nTuesday 16th December 2025 | 7.30pm – 9pm | Cornerstone Arts Centre \nThis month’s Café Sci will be a look back over the history of Didcot Café Scientifique since it started in 2010. The original organiser will give an introduction about its foundation and then we will look at some of the speakers over the years – the difficult times of COVID – and the range of topics. As it is Christmas there will be the usual quiz with prizes and mince pies and mulled wine. \nThe topic of the quiz this year will be Oscar winning films with common themes. \nThe quiz will be handed out at the start\, but you will have 10 minutes or so to complete after the talk has finished. \nIf you remember last year\, we had pictures which gave the names of partnerships. For example\, a picture of Diane Abbot and Elvis Costello which together gave Abbot and Costello. \nIt was pointed out to me afterwards by a friend that I had missed out on one brilliant combination and as a taster I’ve included pictures of them. I will give the answer on the night. \nFestive Attire welcome!
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/december-2025-didcot-cafe-scientifique-christmas-quiz-festive-refreshments-and-talk-from-ian-adsley/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Christmas-cafe-sci-qiuz-e1762862798386.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251118T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251118T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250903T074524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T132337Z
UID:3559-1763494200-1763499600@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:November 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Dr Geof Haigh\, Data Protection & Privacy
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique – talk on Data Protection and Privacy\, Dr Geof Haigh \nTuesday 18th November 2025 \nThis presentation focuses on the issue of privacy for your personal information. It describes the value of this information for criminals and the ways in which criminals can use this personal information to commit identity fraud (and various other crimes). It explains the importance of legislation to ensure privacy\, notably GDPR. It also notes how easy it is for politicians to bypass this legislation\, especially when applied to travellers. \nGeof Haigh has spent over 40 years working in telecoms & IT\, all of it in industry\, and most of it working on fixed and mobile communications. Geof lives in Goring.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/november-2025-didcot-cafe-scientifique-dr-geof-haigh-data-protection-privacy/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stock-photo-for-data-privacy-internet-4521076_1280.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250916T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250916T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250204T125924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T203817Z
UID:2880-1758051000-1758056400@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:September 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique - Dr Chris Pearson "The Life of an Atom”
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique – ” The Life of an Atom”  Dr Chris Pearson\, Head of Astronomy at RAL Space\, Harwell Campus \nTuesday 16th September 2025 \nThe Auditorium at Cornerstone Arts Centre \nThis will be a ticketed event. Please book your tickets in person at the Cornerstone box office or online here  \n7.30-9.00pm \nHave you ever wondered where the carbon in our bodies\, the oxygen in the air or the gold in your jewellery come from? \nThe people and things we see around us such as our friends\, our food and our phones mark the end of a long journey of constant recycling and reincarnation. Everyone has probably seen the new-age car bumper sticker “We are all made of Stardust” and it is true that at some point in the past of cosmic history\, our atoms were forged in the hearts of stars. However\, that isn’t quite the origin story and this talk will take us on a journey from the earliest cosmic times to the present. Everything we see around us was originally created in its simplest form\, a Hydrogen atom\,  in the creation event\, the Big Bang\, at the start of the Universe at the beginning of time. From this point\, these simple particles have journeyed through space and time\, undergoing a metamorphosis that has resulted in the world that we see around us and human beings themselves. We are the Universe manifest\, trying to figure itself out. \nBiography: \nDr Chris Pearson is head of Astrophysics at RAL Space on the Harwell campus. His PhD was in “Galaxy Evolution and Cosmology” with Prof. Michael Rowan-Robinson at Imperial\, London and has worked on large galaxy surveys for both ground based telescopes and space borne missions. He worked for 7 years in Japan on the AKARI space telescope before moving to the UK to RAL Space to work on the Herschel Space Observatory where he led the team that produced all the nice images from the mission. He now works on the ARIEL mission searching for alien worlds and the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope\, the largest scientific facility ever to be built.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/didcot-cafe-scientifique-dr-chris-pearson/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/LifeOfAtom-TalkHeader-sept25.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250715T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250715T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250312T215515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250624T190217Z
UID:3345-1752607800-1752613200@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:July 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique - Elisabete Pires\, Foetal Mummy Misidentified as a Hawk Unlocks Medical Mysteries of Ancient Egypt
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th July 2025  – 7.30pm\, Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot \nFoetal Mummy Misidentified as a Hawk Unlocks Medical Mysteries of Ancient Egypt \nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic\, a surprising opportunity took me from cancer research into the realm of ancient archaeology. In this talk\, I will share how a tiny Egyptian mummy\, originally misidentified as a bird\, revealed extraordinary medical and historical secrets through modern scientific analysis. By employing cutting-edge techniques in proteomics\, metabolomics\, and imaging\, we uncovered evidence of ancient embalming practices\, maternal-foetal health\, possible congenital malaria\, and clues that may aid our understanding of disease evolution — including antibiotic resistance and congenital disorders — spanning thousands of years. This journey bridges ancient and modern medicine in unexpected ways. \n  \nElisabete Pires was born in France and earned her Master’s degree in Portugal before beginning a research career spanning over 20 years in cancer research. She has worked at the University of Oxford since 2015 and contributed to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine project. Diagnosed later in life with dyslexia and ADHD\, Elisabete embraces her neurodiversity as a source of creativity and resilience. During the pandemic\, a chance opportunity to analyse archaeological materials opened a new chapter in her research\, combining molecular biology and ancient history. Her first breakthrough study on a 3\,100-year-old golden funerary mask received international press coverage and an award at an international conference. Currently\, she is in the final stages of defending her PhD\, continuing to explore the fascinating intersection of ancient biomolecules\, disease evolution\, and modern medicine. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/july-2025-didcot-cafe-scientifique-speaker-tbc/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/sphinx-7105523_1280.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250415T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250415T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250128T170757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2865-1744745400-1744750800@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:April 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique - John Broadbent\, The Science of the Honey Bee
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th April 2025 | Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot | 7.30pm – 9pm \nJohn Broadbent\, The Science of the Honey Bee \nAlthough we share some similarities in sight\, smell and touch\, honey bees have evolved these and other senses beyond human capabilities.  These optimisations are vital in helping it find\, collect and store food as well as successfully reproducing the colony. \nThis is not a talk on beekeeping (although questions on this are welcome at the end) but instead covers: \n\nHow bees see\, including measuring distance and angle for navigation\nHow bees communicate the source and quality of food and potential nesting sites\nHow intelligent are honey bees? Counting and the ‘Travelling salesman’ problem\nThe role of epigenetics on queen and worker development\nA final section on the threat of the Asian Hornet\n\nBiography \nAfter completing a career in the RAF as a Navigator and in Flight Test\, John retired in 2015 and became a beekeeper in 2016.  He is Vice Chair of the local Vale & Downland Beekeeping Association\, as well as the Education lead. After 7 theory and 3 practical exams\, he is now a British Beekeeping Association Qualified Beekeeper as well as a ‘Basic’ assessor and exam tutor.  He is quite passionate about beekeeping!
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/april-2025-didcot-cafe-scientifique-speaker-tbc/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/bees-326337_1280.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250318T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250318T203000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250127T172907Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2860-1742324400-1742329800@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:March 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Dr Margarida Ruas\, Breakthroughs in Alzheimers Treatment
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Tuesday 18th March 2025 \n**The Lightbox Cafe\, Harwell Campus\, 7.00pm – 8.30pm** \nDr Margarida Ruas – Breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s treatment: a path to hope and progress \nDementia\, with Alzheimer’s disease as its leading cause\, is the leading cause of death in the UK. Significant efforts have been made to understand its underlying mechanisms\, leading to numerous therapeutic trials. In the past two years\, we have witnessed a breakthrough with the approval of drugs that target the disease’s root cause rather than merely alleviating symptoms. While this marks a long-awaited step forward\, it also highlights the urgent need for improved early diagnosis and the development of more effective treatment strategies that could transform millions of lives. \n  \nMargarida received her PhD from Imperial College London\, where she conducted cancer research at the CRUK LIF Institute. She then continued her work in the field with a postdoctoral research position at the John Gurdon Institute\, University of Cambridge. \nSince 2002\, her research has focused on understanding how cells break down and recycle materials\, working at the Department of Pharmacology in Oxford. During this time\, she was a Junior Research Fellow in Biochemistry at New College\, Oxford. \nIn 2021\, Margarida joined the Oxford Drug Discovery Institute\, supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK\, to lead a team studying how disruptions in these recycling processes contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. Their goal is to identify new drug targets and advance early-stage treatments that could help combat conditions like Alzheimer’s.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/march-2025-didcot-cafe-scientifique-dr-margarida-ruas-breakthroughs-in-alzheimers-treatment/
LOCATION:The Lightbox Cafe\, Harwell Campus\, ox11 0df
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/microscope-275984_1280.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250218T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250218T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20250127T153200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2857-1739907000-1739912400@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:February 2025 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Julian Gold\, Glyphosate Friend or Foe?
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Tuesday 18th February 2025 \nCornerstone Arts Centre\, 7.30pm-9pm \n  \nGlyphosate – Friend or Foe?  \nGlyphosate is an indispensable herbicide in modern Agricultural systems but is also the subject of multiple lawsuits against manufacturer Bayer claiming that exposure to glyphosate has caused cancers in operators using the chemical. \nThis talk looks at the issues surrounding Glyphosate use but is also a cautionary tale reminding of the need to carefully assess evidence rather than blindly accepting “ facts “ as presented. \n  \nJulian Gold is a local Farm Manager with a particular interest in Regenerative and Sustainable Agricultural systems. \nAreas of Expertise: All aspects of mainly arable farm management from a very practical level through to strategic business management .Particular interests are agronomy\,crop nutrition\, soil health and building resilient\, sustainable\, planet friendly farming systems. \nBiography: \nFarmers son\, Graduated from Harper Adams College with a HND in Agriculture. After a short spell on the family farm have spent the last 34 years managing farms and estates; initially with farm management companies involving short periods on different farms and latterly  a longer tenure on a privately owned estate. \nAm a FACTS and BASIS trained Farm Manager and have a commitment to continuing to improve cropping performance but in a sustainable manner.In 2012 we implemented a 10m controlled traffic system across the estate which has given us a leap forwards in soil health management. Was one of the first tranche of AHDB monitor Farms from 2014-17.( farmer to farmer knowledge exchange programme )Am on the committee of SEESOIL ( South east England branch of the British Society of Soil Scientists ) and am keen to help improve flow of knowledge between Farmers and the Scientific community.Was awarded Soil Farmer of the Year in 2019. \nOutside farming I am a keen motorcyclist and Paraglider pilot  but unfortunately the good weather that they require is also good for farming so do not get to indulge often enough!
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/february-2025-didcot-cafe-scientifique-julian-gold-glyphosate-friend-or-foe/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jan23-food-and-farming.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240116T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240116T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20231108T210617Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2347-1705433400-1705438800@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:January 2024 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Adela Garcia - Talk on 'Living with sight loss in the UK and Oxfordshire'
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique \nTuesday 16th January 2024 at 7.30pm \nTaking place in Nourish Cafe at Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot. \nLiving with sight loss in the UK and Oxfordshire. What are the leading causes of low vision and what resources are available to those who become blind or visually impaired in our area? \nAbout our speaker Adela Garcia –  I am a Dispensing Optician  and Retail Director in a local Specsavers Opticians. I have worked in optics for 18 years and I am a fellow of the British Dispensing Opticians. My day to day job involves a lot of problem solving\, from providing vision aids to patients with low vision\, children and adults with learning difficulties\, patients with facial disfigurement and dementia \, to providing more common solutions to customers with presbyopia\, myopia\, astigmatism and general eye conditions. I do not diagnose eye diseases or prescribe \, but help carry out tests to diagnose and provide optical solutions after diagnosis. As part of the NHS Enhance Optical Services it is also my job to advice and refer those that come to us with minor eye care conditions and DVLA tests. \nBeing an Optician in the UK means we have to commit to follow guidelines established by the General Optical Council and the NHS \,and to obtain a certain amount of points per year in advanced education to ensure we are up to date with all the new technology and changes in the world of optics\, making this career ever changing and very rewarding.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/january-2024-didcot-cafe-scientifique-adela-garcia-talk-on-op/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Optomotry-Jan24.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230620T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230620T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20230205T152621Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2131-1687289400-1687294800@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:June 2023 Didcot Cafe Scientifique - Alex Louat -  What is the next revolution after the semiconductors? Emerging electronic behaviors
DESCRIPTION:Didcot Cafe Scientifique – Tuesday 20th June 2023 at Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot \n7.30pm \nWhat is the next revolution after the semiconductors? Emerging electronic behaviours \nIn the distant past\, “scientists” began to rationalise\, discover\, and use different phases of matter. Nowadays\, one of the most widely used materials are semiconductors\, which have dramatically transformed everyone’s lifestyle through the creation of transistors and LEDs leading to computers\, the internet\, etc. \nIn this presentation\, I aim to convince you that the properties of objects around us\, such as colour\, stiffness\, magnetism\, and conductivity\, all originate from the behaviour of small particles known as electrons. Although a single electron may seem simple\, the interaction between billions of billions of them creates emergent behaviour and strange properties. Physicists strive to understand these properties and create even more exotic ones\, which I will showcase as a glimpse into future technology. \n \nAlex Louat is a postdoctoral researcher at Diamond Light Source. He uses angle-resolved photoemission on “quantum” material to study their electronic properties such as Mott-insulator transition\, superconductor or quantum spin liquid. \nDuring his Bachelor and Master\, Alex explored plasma physics\, atomic clock and condensed matter through internships. He continued in condensed matter physics with a PhD at Université Paris-Sud XI\, Orsay in France using angle-resolved photoemission\, muon spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance to probe a Mott insulator-metal transition. From 2019 to 2021\, Alex was postdoctoral researcher at the Technion in Israel\, using magnetic force microscopy to study superconducting vortices and skyrmions. \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/june-2023-didcot-cafe-scientifique-online-speaker-tbc/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/alex_louat-photo-for-background-website.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230418T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230418T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20230205T144647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2122-1681846200-1681851600@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:April 2023 - Didcot Cafe Scientifique\, Gea van de Kerkhof\, Advanced microscopy: studying glittery bacteria
DESCRIPTION:18th April 2023 \n7.30pm \nIn the cafe bar at Cornerstone Arts Centre\, Didcot \nAdvanced microscopy: studying glittery bacteria \nFrom the first reveal of “tiny animals”\, the microbes that are too small to be seen by the naked eye\, through to images of the molecules that make up the world around us\, the development of different microscopy techniques has enabled many of the world’s greatest scientific breakthroughs. In this talk we will explore how combining such complementary microscopy methods can facilitate new insights in the fascinating world of structurally coloured bacteria. These harmless bacteria create sparkling iridescent colours by organising themselves in highly ordered patterns\, without using pigmentation. But how does the organisation of these bacteria relate to the colours we see? \n  \nGea van de  Kerkhof is a postdoctoral researcher at the Diamond Light Source\, in a combined role with Johnson Matthey. Here\, she develops and uses new sample environments to study dynamics of various systems using a combination of X-ray and electron microscopy. \nGea did her Bachelor and Master of Science at Wageningen University in The Netherlands\, and then continued with a PhD at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Over time\, she became fascinated with imaging and visualising the invisible microscopic world around us. During her PhD she started studying structurally coloured bacteria in collaboration with the company Hoekmine BV. For this work she received a PhD prize from the Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/april-2023-didcot-cafe-scientifique-gea-van-de-kerkhof-talk-on-advanced-imaging-techniques/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Advanced-Microscopy-April23.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230117T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230117T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20221010T210644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:2066-1673983800-1673989200@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:January 2023 Didcot Cafe Scientifique Julian Gold\, Food and Farming in the 21st Century: System Shortcomings\,Staying Solvent\,Societal Scrutiny\, Soil \,Science and Sustainable Solutions
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 17th January 2023\, Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 7pm for 7.30pm start \nJulian Gold –  Food and Farming in the 21st Century: System Shortcomings\, Staying Solvent\, Societal Scrutiny\, Soil \, Science and Sustainable Solutions \nA personal overview of our food system from Field to Fork and a look at how we are tackling some of the important current challenges in Agriculture on the Hendred Estate . \nJulian Gold is the Farm Manager for the Hendred Estate \, Oxfordshire. His expertise is in all aspects of mainly arable farm management from a very practical level through to strategic business management .Particular interests are agronomy\, crop nutrition\, soil health and building resilient\, sustainable\, planet friendly farming systems.  \n A farmers son\, Julian graduated from Harper Adams College with a HND in Agriculture. After a short spell on the family farm\, Julian has spent the last 34 years managing farms and estates; initially with farm management companies involving short periods on different farms and latterly  a longer tenure on a privately owned estate. \n Am a FACTS and BASIS trained Farm Manager and have a commitment to continuing to improve cropping performance but in a sustainable manner. In 2012 we implemented a 10m controlled traffic system across the estate which has given us a leap forwards in soil health management. Was one of the first tranche of AHDB monitor Farms from 2014-17.( farmer to farmer knowledge exchange programme )Am on the committee of SEESOIL ( South east England branch of the British Society of Soil Scientists ) and am keen to help improve flow of knowledge between Farmers and the Scientific community. Was awarded Soil Farmer of the Year in 2019.  Outside farming I am a keen motorcyclist and Paraglider pilot  but unfortunately\, the good weather that they require is also good for farming so do not get to indulge often enough! \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/january-2023-didcot-cafe-scientifique-julian-gold-food-and-farming-in-the-21st-century-system-shortcomingsstaying-solventsocietal-scrutiny-soil-science-and-sustainable-solutions/
LOCATION:Cornerstone Arts Centre\, 25 Station Rd\,\, Didcot\, Oxfordshire\, OX11 7NE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://didcotfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jan23-food-and-farming.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220621T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220621T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20220511T213811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1855-1655839800-1655845200@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:June 2022 - Roselle Chapman\, Why Wild Bees Matter
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 21 June 2022 – Why Wild Bees Matter \nOur wild bees and other pollinators are so important\, but they are still the unsung heroes of the environment\, gardens and countryside and continue to decline in number and range. The talk will identify what we can all do to help wild bees. Many of the actions we take to protect one pollinator species\, such as flower rich habitat creation and reduction in pesticide use\, will assist biodiversity as a whole. \n\nRoselle’s fascination for wildlife was developed whilst growing up on a farm in Norfolk. A BSc Hons in Marine Biology led to an eventful five years in Mauritius and the Seychelles working on predator control and species reintroductions for island restoration projects.  Following a PhD in bumblebee ecology and genetics at UCL and the Institute of Zoology\, she went on to work for CEH and ZSL before joining the Wild Oxfordshire team in 2017 as Community Ecologist. \nDonation to Wild Oxfordshire: https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900001hOe0KAAS \n  \nPlease email cafesci@didcotfirst.org to be added to the mailing list and receive the zoom joining instructions (sent by email on the morning of the talk)
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/june-2022-roselle-chapman-bees/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220522T000000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220522T000000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20210812T113409Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1853-1653177600-1653177600@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:August 2021 - Adela Garcia\, A Routine Eye Test? The technology helping us look after our general health through the eyes.
DESCRIPTION:A routine eye test? The technology helping us look after our general health through the eyes. \nMost of us take for granted our sight and only book an eye test when we struggle with vision. What we don’t realise is that through a routine eye examination we can detect a number of eye and general health diseases that otherwise go unnoticed until it’s almost too late; from diabetic retinopathy\, macular degeneration\, glaucoma to brain tumours and strokes. We will look into the different technology used in your high street Optician during a standard or enhanced sight test and how different machines give us different information about the patients’ general and eye health. \nI am a Dispensing Optician and Retail Director in a local Specsavers Opticians. I have worked in optics for 16 years and I am a fellow of the British Dispensing Opticians. My day-to-day job involves a lot of problem-solving\, from providing vision aids to patients with low vision\, children and adults with learning difficulties\, patients with facial disfigurement and dementia\, to providing more common solutions to customers with presbyopia\, myopia\, astigmatism\, and general eye conditions. I do not diagnose eye diseases or prescribe\, but help carry out tests to diagnose and provide optical solutions after diagnosis. As part of the NHS Enhance Optical Services it is also my job to advice and refer those that come to us with minor eye care conditions and DVLA tests. \nBeing an Optician in the UK means we have to commit to follow guidelines established by the General Optical Council and the NHS \,and to obtain a certain amount of points per year in advanced education to ensure we are up to date with all the new technology and changes in the world of optics\, making this career ever changing and very rewarding.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/august-2021-adela-garcia-a-routine-eye-test-the-technology-helping-us-look-after-our-general-health-through-the-eyes/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220517T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220517T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20220511T211731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1854-1652815800-1652821200@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:17th May 2022 - Dr Yashna Lekhai - How the world of the very small can help us tackle big problems
DESCRIPTION:The foundations of quantum physics were laid out 100 years ago and initiated a Quantum Revolution. The First Quantum Revolution saw scientists such as Albert Einstein\, Niels Bohr\, and Erwin Schrödinger uncover the counterintuitive laws governing the world of the very small\, of individual quantum particles such as atoms\, photons\, and electrons. Nowadays\, we are witnessing a Second Quantum Revolution: quantum technologies are entering our everyday life. Among them\, Quantum Computers are expected to have a transformative and disruptive impact. \nIn this talk\, we will take a closer look at what it means to “compute” and how computers are helping us run our everyday activities. Enter quantum computers\, a totally new kind of computers which may help us tackle problems which have no solution today.” \nDr. Yashna Lekhai has worked in the quantum technologies sector for the past 5 years\,  starting with her PhD in quantum computing\, focussing on nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond\, and switching to ion traps to work at the National Quantum Computing Centre here at Harwell. Yashna enjoys taking an active role in outreach and engagement\, aiming to inspire a wide variety of people. \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/may-2022-chiara-de-caroli-quantum-physics/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210921T223000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210921T223000
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20210921T213026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1876-1632263400-1632263400@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:September 2021 - Prof Chris Lintott - Where\, what and who: Progress in Astronomy’s Big Questions
DESCRIPTION:To be added to the mailing list and receive the online joining instructions please email CafeSci@didcotfirst.org \nTuesday 21st September 2021 \nProfessor Chris Lintott \nWhere\, what and who: Progress in Astronomy’s Big Questions \nIn this talk\, Chris Lintott (BBC Sky at Night\, University of Oxford) takes a fresh look at the Universe around us\, using the latest data and discoveries to explore how we’re doing in the biggest questions of all – what did the Earth come to be\, how did the Universe begin…and is there anyone out there? \nProfessor Chris Lintott is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford\, where he is also a research fellow at New College\, working on topics from galaxy evolution\, transient detection and machine learning. As Principal Investigator of the Zooniverse\, he leads a team who run the world’s most successful citizen science projects\, allowing more than a million people to discover planets\, transcribe ancient papyri or explore the Serengeti. A passionate advocate of the public understanding of science\, he is best known as co-presenter of the BBC’s long running Sky at Night program. His book\, ‘The Crowd and the Cosmos’\, is now available from Oxford University Press.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/september-2021-prof-chris-lintott-where-what-and-who-progress-in-astronomys-big-questions/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220419T221103
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220419T221103
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20220419T211103Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1883-1650406263-1650406263@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:April 2022 - Tim Littlewood\, The Natural History Museum London\, the Harwell connection
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 19 April 2022 \nTim Littlewood \nNatural History Museum London – The Harwell Connection \nFurther details to follow
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/april-2022-tim-littlewood-the-natural-history-museum-london-the-harwell-connection/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220315T230818
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220315T230818
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20220315T230818Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1882-1647385698-1647385698@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:March 2022 - Rhiannon Foster-Davies\, Dentistry for dummies!
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th March 2022 \nRhiannon Foster – Davies\, Dentistry \nDentistry for dummies! \nA whistle stop tour of modern dentistry and how we got here. The vast majority of the population have visited a dentist at least once in their lifetimes. Hopefully this has largely been for a pain free routine check-up\, but for those who have succumbed to some form of dental disease\, this talk should enlighten you as to what is going on when we dramatically invade your personal space! It will cover routine procedures and materials and where dentistry may be going in the future.  \nRhiannon is a general dental practitioner and enjoys helping patients who are anxious about dentistry feel relaxed and even enjoy their appointments. She decided to become a dentist after suffering her own dental trauma as a child and wanted to help others receive the same excellent care she did. Rhiannon graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2015 and subsequently completed her dental foundation training in St Ives in Cambridgeshire. Rhiannon then moved to Oxfordshire providing general dentistry on the National Health Service before going to Australia to practice dentistry for a year. On returning to the UK in 2019\, Rhiannon took a position in Banbury providing private general dentistry\, before relocating to Berkshire in 2021. \nRhiannon is part of a local netball team and enjoys being active and doing outdoor pursuits. She’s keen on travelling and spending time with friends and family especially when there is cooking and eating involved!
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/march-2022-rhiannon-foster-davies-dentistry-for-dummies/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220215T235647
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220215T235647
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20220215T235647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1881-1644969407-1644969407@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:February 2022 - Dr Rachel Ward\, GP -  General Practice in Covid Times
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th February 2022 – Dr Rachel Ward\, GP – General Practice in Covid Times” \nLong gone are the days of crowded waiting rooms at your local GP Practice where an elderly person sat next to a child with a fever and a pregnant woman. Though services may appear different on the surface\, our patients continue to have the same health needs that we must meet while overcoming the challenge of Covid. In addition to keeping services going over the last 21 months\, we have vaccinated the UK in the most efficient vaccine programme ever seen.  I look forward to shedding some light on what the last 21 months has been like working in primary care. \nDr Rachel Ward\, MBChB MA (Cantab) MRCS MRCGP \nRachel is an NHS GP Partner in Didcot\, Oxfordshire who is passionate about empowering people to take control of their health.  She is the lead for Social Prescribing in Didcot. In addition to clinical work\, Rachel is a medical educator\, working as a tutor at University of Oxford\, Medical School and a lecturer at St Catherine’s College\, Oxford. \nRachel is a media doctor and one of the BBC Breakfast GP team. In addition to this\, she is one of the resident doctors on BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Berkshire where she does frequent\, live phone-ins about Coronavirus and other general health and wellbeing matters. \nSocial media @DrRachelWardGP
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/february-2022-dr-rachel-ward-gp-general-practice-in-covid-times/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220118T234825
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220118T234825
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20220118T234825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1880-1642549705-1642549705@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:January 2022 - Sally Povolotsky\, Plants Saving the Planet and Living Wall Carbon Sequestering. 
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 18th January 2022 \nSally Povolotsky  – Plants Saving the Planet and Living Wall Carbon Sequestering \nSally is the Director of Oxfordshires Living Laboratory ‘Living Oxford’ based in East Hendred and recently elected County Councillor for Hendreds & Harwell Division \nShe is passionate about the natural world and how if allowed the space to ‘breathe’ that nature can recover human destruction. \nRecently Sally and her team have developed a series of plant based solutions to carbon sequestering and will discuss the power of plants in saving the planet!
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/january-2022-sally-povolotsky-plants-saving-the-planet-and-living-wall-carbon-sequestering/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20211214T234036
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20211214T234036
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20211214T234036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1879-1639525236-1639525236@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:December 2021 - Bill David - Real-zero – embracing ubiquitous resources and solutions
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 14th December 2021 \nReal-zero – embracing ubiquitous resources and solutions” \nWas COP26 a good COP or a bad COP? There is some consensus that the Glasgow conference offered practical solutions and good pledges but\, in counterbalance\, there are significant concerns that future action will be protracted. \nOf course\, politics does not provide the solutions; this is the domain of engineers\, scientists\, and technologists. Unfortunately\, they were few in number at COP26 but for the significant presence of incumbent technologies. At present\, there may be too many potential options that are future carbon cul-de-sacs and too many future roadmaps that show promise but are\, at best\, improbable. \nIn this talk\, I will briefly touch on cul-de-sacs full of fossil fuels and roadmaps that cannot provide global-scale solutions. Despite this doom and gloom\, there may be good-news routes that can lead us not just to net-zero but towards real-zero. Building upon appropriate ubiquitous resources\, our global future has the potential to not only be sustainable but also more equitable and just. All these views\, of course\, are my own! \nBill David is STFC Senior Fellow at the ISIS Neutron Source at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory\, Professor of Energy Materials Chemistry at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His interests are principally centred around sustainable carbon-free renewable energy storage.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/december-2021-bill-david-real-zero-embracing-ubiquitous-resources-and-solutions/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20211116T233221
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20211116T233221
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20211116T233221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1878-1637105541-1637105541@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:November 2021 - Hannah Gray - Hearing and Audiology
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 16th November 2021\, \nHearing and Audiology – Hannah Gray \n \nHearing is often a sense which we take for granted until something starts going wrong. For a person born with hearing\, it is essential for everyday life. Most of our relationships\, both personal and professional\, rely in some way on our ability to hear. When I tell someone I work as an audiologist\, I often get asked “a what?” (often with no pun intended)! A lot of people haven’t heard of “audiologists” but we play a huge role in assessing people’s hearing\, providing assistance for those with hearing challenges\, giving advice about hearing protection\, helping people to manage tinnitus and in some cases helping with balance problems as well. In this talk I will guide you through how our auditory systems work\, what can sometimes go wrong with them and how these issues can be managed. I’ll touch on hearing\, tinnitus and balance to give you an insight into the world of Audiology. \nHannah Gray is an audiologist at Tripp Hearing in Oxfordshire. She studied Audiology at Southampton University and has worked in both the NHS and the private sector. She specialises in providing hearing care and auditory rehabilitation for adults; providing advice about hearing protection; performing aural care and wax removal services and giving advice about tinnitus management. She also enjoys playing music in a folk and ceilidh band. As you might imagine\, her fellow band mates have the best in musician’s hearing protection! \nFurther details to follow
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/november-2021-hannah-gray-hearing-and-audiology/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20211019T223605
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20211019T223605
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20211019T213605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1877-1634682965-1634682965@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:October 2021 - Mike Landy - COP26: humanity’s moment of truth?’
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 19th October 2021 \n\n\nMike Landy \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nCOP26: humanity’s moment of truth?’ \n\n\n\n“Code red for humanity” declared the Secretary General of the UN following publication in August of the latest IPCC report on the status of climate science\, which drew from over 14\,000 peer-reviewed studies. Its verdict: human influence is “unequivocal”\, resulting in widespread and significant impacts. One need only follow the daily news for evidence of its increasing toll. \n\n\n\nThis November\, Glasgow hosts the 26th annual meeting of the almost 200 countries seeking to agree how to limit the resulting global warming and adapt to its impacts. Known as COP26\, this crucial meeting has already been delayed by a year due to the pandemic. The Paris Accord in 2015 (COP21) agreed that countries would seek to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2°C above pre-industrial\, and preferably to within 1.5°C. However the voluntary emission reduction pledges made so far by countries fall well short of what is required to achieve that. The scientific evidence says that the world must halve carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve “net zero” by 2050. COP26 is crunch time – humanity’s last real chance to agree how to reverse the remorseless rise in temperature and achieve the Paris goals.   \n\n\n\nMike’s presentation will summarise the current position and explain COP26’s pivotal role\, with the UK chairing the process. Can countries summon the political will in what often seems like a high-stakes poker game? Can humanity wean itself off its addiction for fossil fuels? Can it happen soon enough to avert runaway global warming? Who bears the costs of adaptation? There is no doubt now that the fate of future generations depends on it. \n\n\n\nMike Landy \n\n\n\nFollowing a chemistry degree from Bristol University\, Mike spent five years with the British Antarctic Survey as a glaciologist\, working on the continent’s climate and pollution history. After four years in the aluminium and chemicals industry he took an MSc in Energy Studies and spent the remainder of his career working on the energy sector’s transition to low carbon. Most of that time was in support of government renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes\, based at Harwell with the UKAEA and then AEA Technology. The last five years of his career were with renewable energy trade associations in London\, focusing on achieving a supportive policy framework for renewable energy technologies\, in particular solar energy. Since retiring in 2016\, Mike has closely followed the climate debate and indulged his love of the great outdoors.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/october-2021-mike-landy-cop26-humanitys-moment-of-truth/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210817T224327
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210817T224327
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20210817T214327Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1875-1629240207-1629240207@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:August 2021 - Adela Garcia - A routine eye test? The technology helping us look after our general health through the eyes.
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 17th August 2021 – Cafe Scientifique online \n\nA routine eye test? The technology helping us look after our general health through the eyes.\n\nMost of us take for granted our sight and only book an eye test when we struggle with vision. What we don’t realise is that through a routine eye examination we can detect a number of eye and general health diseases that otherwise go unnoticed until it’s almost too late; from diabetic retinopathy\, macular degeneration\, glaucoma to brain tumours and strokes. We will look into the different technology used in your high street Optician during a standard or enhanced sight test and how different machines give us different information about the patients’ general and eye health.\n\nAdela Garcia\nI am a Dispensing Optician and Retail Director in a local Specsavers Opticians. I have worked in optics for 16 years and I am a fellow of the British Dispensing Opticians. My day to day job involves a lot of problem solving\, from providing vision aids to patients with low vision\, children and adults with learning difficulties\, patients with facial disfigurement and dementia \, to providing more common solutions to customers with presbyopia\, myopia\, astigmatism and general eye conditions. I do not diagnose eye diseases or prescribe \, but help carry out tests to diagnose and provide optical solutions after diagnosis. As part of the NHS Enhance Optical Services it is also my job to advice and refer those that come to us with minor eye care conditions and DVLA tests.\nBeing an Optician in the UK means we have to commit to follow guidelines established by the General Optical Council and the NHS \,and to obtain a certain amount of points per year in advanced education to ensure we are up to date with all the new technology and changes in the world of optics\, making this career ever changing and very rewarding.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/august-2021-adela-garcia-a-routine-eye-test-the-technology-helping-us-look-after-our-general-health-through-the-eyes-2/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210720T221705
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210720T221705
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20210720T211705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1874-1626819425-1626819425@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:July 2021 - Ian Adsley\, My Nuclear Life
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 20th July 2021 \nMy Nuclear Life\, Ian Adsley  \nI think many of you will know I organise most of the speakers for the Didcot Cafe Sci. I’ve always kept a reserve talk in the event that for some reason we ‘lose’ a speaker. This month we have ended up with such a gap and as a result\, it seems opportune to for me to present a reserve talk. \nIn the past\, I’ve focussed presentations on one particular element of my work and so have produced at least three talks – in fact\, many more – but recent events have made me package them all into one. The reason for this new talk is that my son ‘volunteered’ me to be interviewed in a podcast series entitled\, ‘My Nuclear Life’ and as I have to produce all of this information for this event I’ve just adapted it into a Powerpoint presentation as well. \nItems of interest are Marie Curie’s radium spoil tip\, the clean-up of the Olympic park site prior to the 2012 Olympics\, the purest gold ever produced\, surveying a sunken Russian submarine off Murmansk and of course Chernobyl and Fukushima. I have dealt with some of these in previous talks – but there is a lot of new information in this overall presentation as well \nI hope you enjoy the talk \n \nIan Adsley  \nI retired six years ago having undertaken research and development in nucleonic (nuclear) measurement methods. During my working career\, I worked on three main topics – coal industry research\, nuclear decommissioning\, and land remediation – based at the Harwell Nuclear Site\, and finally as a consultant on projects regarding the clean-up of the Cold War nuclear legacy issues in the Former Soviet Union.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/july-2021-ian-adsley-my-nuclear-life/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210615T100351
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210615T100351
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20210615T090351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1873-1623751431-1623751431@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:June 2021\,  Peter Allen - Black Holes
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th June 2021  \n\n\n\nPeter Allen – Black Holes \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr Peter Allan is a space scientist and astronomer working at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). He did a PhD at Manchester University on the subject of black hole models of quasars and subsequently held research positions in astronomy at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and at Kitt Peak National Observatory in the USA. He has worked at RAL since 1990 on astronomical software systems\, Earth observation data systems\, satellite control systems and international standards for space data systems
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/june-2021-peter-allen-black-holes/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210518T220100
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210518T220100
DTSTAMP:20260830T112629
CREATED:20210518T210100Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1872-1621375260-1621375260@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:May 2021\, Paul Steadman - Magnetic Attraction: a History and Description of Magnetism
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 18th May 2021 \nMagnetic Attraction: a History and Description of Magnetism \n  \nFrom prehistory to the modern day magnetism has fascinated mankind. Since Thales first written discovery of the properties of lodestone\, the Chinese invention of the compass needle to magnetic recording magnetism has played an important role in technology. Despite this importance\, a theory that explains fully magnetism requires the complexities of not just an understanding of electromagnetism but in addition the complexities of the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics\, both of which were only discovered in the twentieth century. \nThe first half of this talk will be devoted to the history of magnetism from the ancients right up to the present day. Following this will be an informative but easy-to-follow description of what magnetism actually is which will include some examples from technology.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/may-2021-paul-steadman-magnetic-attraction-a-history-and-description-of-magnetism/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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