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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230620T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230620T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
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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:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230117T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230117T210000
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220522T000000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220522T000000
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210921T223000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210921T223000
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220419T221103
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220419T221103
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220315T230818
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220315T230818
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20220118T234825
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20220118T234825
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210615T100351
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210615T100351
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210518T220100
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210518T220100
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210420T114413
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210420T114413
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20210420T104413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1871-1618919053-1618919053@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:April 2021 - Dr Chris Pearson\,  ARIEL and ALIEN Worlds: Enabling planetary science across light-years
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 20th April 2021\nDr Chris Pearson\nARIEL and ALIEN Worlds: Enabling planetary science across light-years\n\n\nLess than 30 years ago the only planets known to exist were those found within our own Solar System. From the first confirmed discovery in 1992 – of a pair of exotic planets orbiting around a dead star – the field of exoplanetary science has undergone nothing short of a revolution. Currently\, we stand at a staggering 4000+ confirmed discoveries of planets outside our Solar System. What we have found is that\, as usual\, our Universe is more diverse than we could possibly imagine\, throwing up a menagerie of weird and wonderful planets such as Jupiter sized worlds orbiting ridiculously close to their parent stars\, worlds made of ice\, lave\, and even diamond\, to rogue planets drifting alone in the vastness of space. With such a treasure trove of discovery\, the next logical step is to characterise the properties of these systems. We are at the dawn of a new age in exoplanet research where for the first time large samples of 1000+ exoplanets are not only being detected but also characterised by analysing the composition of their atmospheres. The European Space Agency’s ARIEL mission\, due for launch in 2028\, will become the leading facility in this characterisation process.\n\nDr Chris PearsomMy PhD was in “Galaxy Evolution and Cosmology” with Prof. Michael Rowan-Robinson Imperial College\, London. I have worked on cosmological galaxy surveys at infrared wavelengths for both ground based telesco\npes and space-borne missions. I worked for 7 years in Japan on the AKARI space telescope before moving to the UK to RAL Space to work on the SPIRE instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory where I led the team that produced all the nice maps from SPIRE. I now work on the ARIEL mission searching for exoplanets and the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope\, the largest scientific facility ever to be built.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/april-2021-dr-chris-pearson-ariel-and-alien-worlds-enabling-planetary-science-across-light-years/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210316T231900
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210316T231900
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20210316T231900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1861-1615936740-1615936740@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:March 2021 -  Hugh Warwick - Hedgehogs - why we should worry\, and what we can do
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 16th March 2021 \nHugh Warwick\nHedgehogs – why we should worry\, and what we can do\nThe nation’s favourite wild mammal\, nature icon\, animal – the hedgehog always tops the polls – is under threat. Startling population declines have been recorded. This illustrated talk will explore the reasons why the hedgehog has suffered so badly and explore some of the ways in which we can help.  \nSpeaker – Hugh Warwick  \nHugh Warwick is an ecologist and writer with a particular fondness for hedgehogs. The first of three books (so far!) about hedgehogs was\, A Prickly Affair\, and this remains unique for having accolades from both Jeanette Winterson and Ann Widdecombe on the cover. The second hedgehog book was called … Hedgehog\, published in April 2014 by Reaktion Books. It is a monograph on the iconography of the hedgehog – niche\, yes\, but also full of fun and beautiful illustrations. Most recently\, in September 2020\, The Hedgehog Book – published by Graffeg. This looks at the hedgehog from both the scientific and the less scientific points of view – illustrated with oodles of gorgeous photographs. \nIn addition to writing\, Hugh also does a lot of public speaking (from primary schools to postgraduate research groups via the WI and Wildlife Trusts).  He runs day-long courses on hedgehog conservation and also lectures in creative writing. He is the spokesperson for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Thanks to his singing-son he became the photographer for Magdalen College Choir – which has now resulted in him covering many different choirs in Oxford and Cambridge\, as well as concerts\, plays\, weddings\, and bar/bat mitzvah.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/march-2021-hugh-warwick-hedgehogs-why-we-should-worry-and-what-we-can-do/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210216T230330
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210216T230330
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20210216T230330Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1870-1613516610-1613516610@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:February 2021 - Martin Willet - Safe to Breathe? – A Short History of Gas Detection’
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 16th February 2021 \nSafe to Breathe? – A Short History of Gas Detection’ \nSpeaker – Martin Willett  \nMartin’s talk will touch upon a historical point of view\, exploring the very old methods (canaries\, Davy lamps\, etc) as well as talking about the latest miniature sensors using semiconductor\, optical and electrochemical methods. \nMartin Willett \nAfter completing a BSc in Physics at Birmingham University in 1978\, Martin joined the UK National Coal Board research establishment to work on sensors for challenging underground coal mine environments. He was awarded a PhD from Nottingham University in 1987 for studies of the surface chemistry and electrical behaviour of tin oxide semiconductor gas sensors.  \nIn 1994\, he moved to City Technology in Portsmouth\, a world leader in electrochemical gas detection\, which was acquired by Honeywell in 2006. He has led development of successful optical\, catalytic and electrochemical sensor products for toxic and flammable gases and managed research programmes in Corporate Laboratories and Universities.  \nMartin has published over 40 papers and patents and is a member of the Institute of Physics\, holding both Chartered Physicist and Chartered Engineer status. He was appointed a Honeywell Technology Fellow in 2014.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/february-2021-martin-willet-safe-to-breathe-a-short-history-of-gas-detection/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20210119T231832
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20210119T231832
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20210119T231832Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1869-1611098312-1611098312@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:January 2021 - Dr Geof Haigh\, 5G: What is it and Why all the fuss?”
DESCRIPTION:Dr Geof Haigh\, Technical Consultant – FiMoS Ltd \nTuesday 19th January 2021 – 5G: What is it and Why all the fuss?” \nWhat is 5G Mobile? \nHow is it different from 4G (or 3G or 2G)? \nWhy is it suddenly so important? \nWhat’s it got to do with Huawei? \nWill I be in the ‘digital slow lane’ if I don’t have it? \nThis presentation will attempt to answer these questions. \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/january-2021-dr-geof-haigh-5g-what-is-it-and-why-all-the-fuss/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20201215T232941
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20201215T232941
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20201215T232941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1868-1608074981-1608074981@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:December - Dr Tom Hart\, Counting in the wild – using drones\, remote cameras and citizen science to observe penguins in a changing world.
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th December 2020 \nDr Tom Hart\, Penguinologist\, University of Oxford – Counting in the wild – using drones\, remote cameras and citizen science to observe penguins in a changing world. \nTom Hart uses a variety of approaches to study penguins and their response to changing environments. He’ll discuss how remote sensing and citizen science has changed how we can view the world; even in remote places like Antarctica. \nTom has a passion for wildlife in extreme environments and is working hard to conserve them in a changing world. He leads the Polar Ecology Research Group at the University of Oxford\, where he studies penguins to help conserve them\, but also shags in the Southern Ocean and kittiwakes and guillemots in the Arctic. Tom first went South during his PhD on Macaroni Penguin foraging behavior with the British Antarctic Survey\, where he instantly in love with South Georgia. His love of the Antarctic Peninsula came a few years later. He now tackles the data gaps that are needed to manage Antarctica head on; counting the Danger Islands\, the South Sandwich Islands and the need to understand and manage the krill fishery. He monitors penguin colonies all year-round using time-lapse cameras\, AI and citizen science (www.penguinwatch.org). Since it launched in September 2014\, Penguin Watch has had 8 million hits and changed the way we can monitor the Polar Regions. The point of all these new techniques is to better monitor remote areas and to prioritize those that are under strain in order to create effective protected areas and fisheries management. His main loves in the Polar Regions are South Georgia and macaroni penguins; South Georgia because it is amazing and macaroni penguins because they share his special outlook on life. In his spare time\, Tom sails and packrafts\, recently crossing Iceland by packraft and foot and cruising up the West coast of Greenland.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/december-dr-tom-hart-counting-in-the-wild-using-drones-remote-cameras-and-citizen-science-to-observe-penguins-in-a-changing-world/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20201117T234647
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20201117T234647
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20201117T234647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1866-1605656807-1605656807@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:November - Richard Bull 'Radiation-Hazards & Benefits'
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 17th November – Richard Bull\, ‘Radiation-Hazards & Benefits’\nIf you would like to receive joining instructions for this online talk – please email cafesci@didcotfirst.org \nIntroduction to radioactivity and radiation\, explaining some of the terms like half-life and radiation dose that are frequently used. I’ll describe how radiation interacts with living tissue—how it causes harm and how it can be used beneficially\, for example in radiotherapy. Finally\, I’ll describe the most high-profile case of radiation over-exposure of recent times—the Litvinenko case. \nRichard got his BSc\, MSc & PhD degrees from the physics department\, University of Birmingham.  He worked for the Nuclear Power Company\, Leicester\, on operator exposure estimates for the Sizewell PWR and then worked at AWE Aldermaston\, on atmospheric dispersion modelling. Since 1983  Richard has been based at Harwell\, initially for the UKAEA and more recently for Nuvia Limited. He works mainly on internal dosimetry\, assessing internal doses for workers at Harwell\, Culham and Capenhurst. Since 2017 he has been involved in the Mayak workers dosimetry programme.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/november-richard-bull-radiation-hazards-benefits/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20201020T225819
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20201020T225819
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20201020T215819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1867-1603234699-1603234699@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:October - Samuel Hatfield 'The quiet revolution of numerical weather prediction'
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 20th October – Samuel Hatfield \nThe quiet revolution of numerical weather prediction \nOver the past 40 years there has been a monumental rise in the skill of weather forecasts. This has been achieved through a concerted international scientific effort and sustained investments in new technologies\, including weather-observing satellites and number-crunching supercomputers. As a result of these developments\, we have been able to extend the horizon of skilful forecasts by one day every decade. Now\, we are able to predict the effects of hurricanes and other storms\, such as Hurricane Sandy\, even 8 days before they make landfall\, and this has demonstrable value to a global society more and more exposed to extreme weather events in a changing climate. In this talk I will discuss the key developments in meteorological science that has allowed this so-called “quiet revolution” of numerical weather prediction. I will introduce the key characters of this 150-year old story\, including an algorithmically-minded Quaker and a Hungarian polymath\, and discuss the implications that chaos theory has on the ultimate limit of forecasting. \nSam Hatfield is a scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading. His day-to-day research focuses on how we can better exploit supercomputers to simulate the global climate system\, including the atmosphere and the ocean\, thereby improving forecasts of extreme weather events. He holds a DPhil in Atmospheric Physics from the University of Oxford.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/october-samuel-hatfield-the-quiet-revolution-of-numerical-weather-prediction/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200915T223209
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200915T223209
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20200915T213209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1865-1600209129-1600209129@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:September - Fred Landeg 'Animal Disease Threats to Global Food Security’
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 15th September  – Fred Landeg ‘Animal Disease Threats to Global Food Security’ \n“Food security exists when all people\, at all times\, have physical and economic access to sufficient\, safe\, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and. healthy life”. (World Food Summit\, 1996). \nInfectious animal disease invariably causes a degree of economic loss to livestock keepers.  Those diseases\, which are either communicable to man or so infectious and economically damaging\, they require Government intervention to prevent or control them\, are classified as ‘listed’ or ‘notifiable’ diseases.  If they go unchecked\, they can damage livestock industries to such a degree that Food Security is threatened.  Currently\, there is a global epidemic of the listed disease – African Swine Fever (ASF) – it is raging in China and the Far East with outbreaks in Eastern Europe and Belgium.  It is a serious threat to food security and to trade in animal and animal products. Aspects of the epidemiology of ASF\, its prevention and control will be discussed compared with Classical Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease. \nFred Landeg CBE BVetMed MSc MRCVS\nFred qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1971.  In 1975 after a spell in veterinary practice\, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF now Defra) as a Veterinary Officer.  He held several managerial posts concerned with operational delivery\, development of policy and advice to Ministers in the areas of public health\, animal health and animal welfare. \nIn 2004 he was appointed UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and Director in Defra. He became acting Director-General and Chief Veterinary Officer in November 2007 and retired from public service at the end of April 2008. Until the Covid-19 pandemic\, he continued to carry out specialised consultancy work within EU member states.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/september-fred-landeg-animal-disease-threats-to-global-food-security/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200818T180043
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200818T180043
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20200818T170043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1864-1597773643-1597773643@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:August - Professor Chris Lintott.  'Frontiers of Astronomy' concentrating on what will be happening in the next twenty years both from missions and observations'
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 18th August – ‘Frontiers of Astronomy’ concentrating on what will be happening in the next twenty years both from missions and observations. \nChris 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. \nA 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. \n 
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/august-professor-chris-lintott-frontiers-of-astronomy-concentrating-on-what-will-be-happening-in-the-next-twenty-years-both-from-missions-and-observations/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200721T220311
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200721T220311
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20200721T210311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1860-1595368991-1595368991@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:July - Climate Change - when is an emergency really an emergency? Mike Landy
DESCRIPTION:Tuesday 21st July 2020 \nEvery day brings disturbing new stories and fresh evidence of the impact that climate change is having on the world we inhabit. Climate scientists have been highlighting the dangers for decades\, but it is the rise of the Greta Thunberg generation that has finally brought the issues to the forefront for the media and politicians. And the narrative has changed – it is no longer whether man-made carbon emissions are responsible\, but what should we do to address what is now widely acknowledged as a climate emergency. \nClimate science is complex and does not deliver the certainties requested by politicians. Yet the precautionary principle dictates that we must act\, and we must act urgently and decisively. Who should take the lead – individuals\, business or government? Should our responses focus on reducing carbon emissions or coping with their climatic consequences? \nMike’s presentation will explore the many issues raised by the climate debate and how humanity should respond in order to leave a liveable world to future generations. \nMike Landy  \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/july-climate-change-when-is-an-emergency-really-an-emergency-mike-landy/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200616T224152
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200616T224152
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20200616T214152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1863-1592347312-1592347312@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:June - "Electric Propulsion to replace Petrol & Diesel Engines in cars"  Peter Moss
DESCRIPTION:“Electric Propulsion to replace Petrol & Diesel Engines in cars” – Transport power from food for people and horses\, coal and oil in vehicle engines and electricity in the future. \nPeter Moss\nGraduated in Mechanical engineering at Imperial College\, Apprenticeship with Rolls Royce\, postgraduate study at Cranfield College of Aeronautics\, and with British Leyland until 1976 – then at Royal Military College of Science (now Defence Academy UK) at Shrivenham where I lectured undergraduate mechanical engineering students. My work included courses on military fighting and logistic vehicles – from “Motor Cycles to Main Battle Tanks” at postgraduate level. Also\, courses were provided for advanced training of staff officers Shrivenham as well as a similar course abroad. Venues included Australia\, USA\, Turkey\, Libya\, Singapore\, Jordan\, India. Occasional papers and lectures have been presented at home and abroad – including Germany and Poland. \nMost of my professional life had been involved with land vehicles\, with the latter part specialising in military vehicle mobility\, their engines\, and transmissions. \nDuring the second World War both protagonists built limited numbers of electric transmission tanks. In the last decade or so\, military vehicle designers have revisited ‘electric transmissions’ and ‘limited all-electric systems’\, especially for reconnaissance vehicles. I have been involved in discussions with military vehicle manufacturers at home and abroad\, for both traditional and electric propulsion systems and have taken a keen interest in the many electric cars coming onto the market – which the subject of this talk.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/june-electric-propulsion-to-replace-petrol-diesel-engines-in-cars-peter-moss/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20200519T225238
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20200519T225238
DTSTAMP:20260830T121320
CREATED:20200519T215238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T215341Z
UID:1859-1589928758-1589928758@didcotfirst.org
SUMMARY:May  - Professor John Zarnecki  - The Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn & Titan - The Didcot Connection!
DESCRIPTION:Following on from the success of hosting our monthly Cafe Scientifique online\, we are delighted Professor John Zarnecki will be our speaker this month.  \nLog in details will be emailed through our mailing list. Should you wish to be added to our mailing list please email cafesci@didcotfirst.org \n \nTuesday 19th May 2020 | Professor John Zarnecki |  The Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn & Titan – The Didcot Connection! \n \nThe joint NASA/ESA mission to the Saturnian system was arguably one of the most ambitious missions of scientific exploration to date. Launched in 1997 and arriving at Saturn in 2004\, it delivered the Huygens Probe to the surface of Titan\, Saturn’s largest moon\, and spent 13 years studying the Saturnian system.  Looking at the data and results from Titan\, one of the most fascinating places in our Solar System\, we will see how many people knew that the first part of the Huygens Probe to touch the surface of Titan was built in Didcot! \nJohn Zarnecki studied Physics at the University of Cambridge\, followed by a PhD at the Department of Physics and Astronomy\, University College London. His PhD focused on the x-ray emission from supernova remnants\, and included the first ever high resolution detection of an x-ray spectral feature from a cosmic x-ray source. John’s experience of space research includes sounding rockets\, Earth-orbiting and interplanetary missions at British Aerospace\, The University of Kent and The Open University\, including the Hubble Space Telescope\, Giotto to Halley’s comet and Cassini/Huygens to Saturn & Titan. \nHe was President of the Royal Astronomical Society 2016-2018\, received its Gold Medal in 2014 and has been a member of various national and international bodies\, including Chair of the UK Space Agency Science Programme Advisory Committee. He holds awards from NASA and ESA and was an inaugural winner of the Arthur Clarke Award in 2005.   \nRetired from the Open University\, he chaired the European Space Agency’s Space Science Advisory Committee2017-2019 and was a Director at the International Space Science Institute in Switzerland 2013-2016.
URL:https://didcotfirst.org/event/may-professor-john-zarnecki-the-cassini-huygens-mission-to-saturn-titan-the-didcot-connection/
LOCATION:Didcot Civic Hall\, Britwell Rd\, Didcot\, OX11 7JN\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Cafe Scientifique
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