National Science & Engineering Week (7-16 March 2008)
What is National Science & Engineering Week?
From the 7th to the 16th of March, around 3,000 events will be running throughout the whole of the UK to celebrate science, engineering and technology.
There is something for everyone, from fossil foraging to stranded whales, or the Ig Nobel Prizes for the funniest, most improbable research, why don’t you try it, you might enjoy it!
Here’s a short guide to National Science & Engineering Week, compiled by Science Directorate’s Communication Team
- Ask your BIG questions
In the lead-up to National Science and Engineering Week, the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) is challenging you to ask the most difficult, frivolous, profound, or perplexing questions you can.
These ‘big questions’ will be answered bysome of the most intelligent scientists of our time as part of National Science and Engineering Week.
So if you’ve always wondered why the sky is blue, if robots will take over the Earth or what genetics can tell us about ourselves, submit your question online.
All the big questions submitted will be shown on the National Science and Engineering Week blog site later in the week. The blog will also give you the opportunity to talk to others about your big questions, make comments or help to answer some yourself!
- Nurture your inner nerd
In Defra, we have organised a special Science seminar, hosted by the Chief Scientific Adviser, Prof. Bob Watson, where you can hear about the biggest scientific challenges faced by Defra.
Dr David Vaughan from the British Antarctic Survey will be talking on Climate Change, Dr Heather Elliot on Bluetongue and more, so why not come along and learn something new?
The Seminar will be in the Atrium of Nobel House on Thursday the 13th of March 12:00–13:30. All slides will be able to be found here
- Have fun
Take part in one of the following events and have fun!
Find out about future holidays on Mars at the Museum of childhood, get up close and personal with beetles at the Natural History Museum….
We have selected a programme of free events, open to all in London.
Some of the events require advance booking, for more information, please click on the links below and contact the organisers directly.
For a full list of events throughout the UK, including many specifically designed for children, check the British Association’s website here.
Happening all week
Editor’s choice
Title: The Great Land Use Debate
Date(s): 7 March 2008 - 14 March 2008
Venue: online
Description: As part of its contribution to Science Week, the “UK Research Councils' Rural Economy and Land Use Programme”, supported by Defra, is launching a 'Great Land Use Debate'.
This online debate will address fundamental questions about what our rural land is for, what we expect from it, and how we can optimise our use of land for the long-term. It will include provocative contributions from some influential thinkers, and will be open to everyone to have their say. To follow the debate or get involved, please click on the following link http://greatlandusedebate.wordpress.com/ . For more information about RELU, click here.
Title: Watching the weather around the world
Date(s): 3 March 2008 - 17 March 2008
Venue: N/A
Description: Join hundreds of schools and individuals around the world by observing your weather for the week. All you need is a thermometer and a home made rain gauge. Enter your observations into our database, and then see how your data compares to others. Related materials are also available for classroom teaching.
Title: Free Access to The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
Date(s): 7 March 2008 - 16 March 2008
Venue: www.ibss.ac.uk
Description: One month's access to IBSS online is being offered to UK institutions, such as businesses, not-for-profit organisations and schools which do not currently use IBSS. Why not try out the IBSS database, view the wide range of social science material available and see how it could be of benefit to your organisation?
Title: The Swain's Lane Mast
Date(s): 7 March 2008 - 13 March 2008
Time(s): 20:15
Venue: HLSI
Description: Display, lecture and demonstration based around the mast behind our building, including cell phone technology and microwave radiation.
Friday 7th of March
Title: Where do dolphins and whales strand?
Date(s): 7 March 2008
Time(s): 12:30 - 13:00
Venue: Nature Live at the Natural History Museum
Description: Hundreds of whales and dolphins are found stranded on our coasts every year - what would you do if you found one on a beach? The Museum has records of these fascinating mammals going back hundreds of years and has been monitoring strandings in the UK since 1913. What can this information tell us? Are there patterns that can help us understand whales and dolphins? Join us to explore these questions, find out more about the UK strandings programme and how you might be able to help.
Saturday 8th of March
Title: The Big Day of Physics
Date(s): 8 March 2008
Time(s): 12:30 - 16:30
Venue: Department of Physics, Imperial College
Description: The Big Day will be packed with a multitude of different events including demonstrations of physics in action by undergraduates and student led seminars on all aspects of student life including a question and answer session. Talks by the department lecturers will cover topics such as applying to university and give a brief introduction to physics and their work. Researchers will be giving tours of their own labs, and there will also be a chance to see physics-based projects presented by groups from local schools.
Title: Fossil Forage
Date(s): 8 March 2008
and 15 March 2008
Time(s): 10:00 - 16:00
Venue: Grant Museum of Zoology
Description: Sieve through our genuine fossil-rich sediment from a time when London was patrolled by sharks and rays. Find a 50 million year old shark's tooth and take it home! Come to the Grant Museum of Zoology and see what you can find in a day of free hands-on activities for the whole family.
Title: A Spoonful of Mummy?
Date(s): 8 March 2008
and 12 March 2008
Time(s): 11:00 - 11:30
15:00 - 15:30
Venue: Strang Print Room
Description: Short talk on the uses of mummia in modern medicine.
Title: Colonies in Space - A new home: a quarter of a million miles away
Date(s): 8 March 2008
Time(s): 15:30
Venue: Museum of Childhood
Description: In the late 1970s, a study group concluded that a planetary surface is not necessarily the best place for a civilisation to flourish. Further work produced designs for space colonies 20 miles long, and if space activity had progressed as planned, they could have been under construction today. Building these new homes for mankind would help solve our energy crisis here on Earth. How could this be done? How would these colonies be constructed, and what would it be like to live on them? This is part of a series of talks on space by Jerry Stone, a freelance presenter and writer on Astronomy and Space Exploration. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, Chairman of the Space Education Council and a Director of the Mars Society UK. He is also a STEMNET Science & Engineering Ambassador. For additional information, visit www.geocities.com/spaceflight_uk
Title: Life in the Universe
Date(s): 8 March 2008
Time(s): 14:00
Venue: Museum of Childhood
Description: Is there life elsewhere and how might we communicate with it? Arthur C Clarke said "Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. In either case, the answer is staggering!" We have already detected planets circling other stars, but could there be life on other worlds? Is it possible to communicate with other beings in space? A fascinating and thought-provoking look at this remarkable topic. Take the Contact Challenge and see if you can decode a space message!
Visit www.geocities.com/spaceflight_uk/contact_challenge.html. This is part of a series of talks on space by Jerry Stone, a freelance presenter and writer on Astronomy and Space Exploration. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, Chairman of the Space Education Council and a Director of the Mars Society UK. He is also a STEMNET Science & Engineering Ambassador.
Sunday 9th of March
Title: Beetlemania!
Date(s): 9 March 2008
Time(s): 12:30 - 13:00
14:30 - 15:00
Venue: Nature Live at the Natural History Museum
Description: Beetles are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. With more than 400,000 species, one in five living organisms is a beetle. At the Museum we look after one of the largest and most comprehensive beetle collections in the world. Join us as we get up close and personal with nature's greatest success story.
Monday 10th of March
Title: Making Policy - Making Social Research
Date(s): 10 March 2008
Time(s): 13:30 - 17:00
Venue: British Library
Description: This seminar offers a rare opportunity to hear more about the process of 'making public policy' from both a respected group of policymakers and their academic advisers. It will include a panel discussion on 'making research' in different policy environments post 1945 drawing on British Library collections.
Tuesday 11th of March
Title: Ig Nobel Awards Show - Imperial College
Date(s): 11 March 2008
Time(s): 18:00
Venue: Great Hall
Description: Ig Nobel Show featuring: Kees Moeliker, Fiona Barclay, David Gadian, Jim Gundlach, John Hoyland, Erwin Kompanje, Maureen MacGlashan, Chris McManus, Brian Witcombe and Dan Meyer.
Title: RAeS Lindbergh Lecture 2008
Date(s): 11 March 2008
Time(s): 17:30 - 20:30
Venue: RAeS HQ
Description: This year's Royal Aeronautical Society Lindbergh Lecture will be given by Robert Milton, Chairman, President and CEO, ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. Entitled "The ACE Equation: the sum of the parts is greater than the whole", the lecture outlines the vision, strategy and outcome of transforming Air Canada into a portfolio of successful businesses, proving that the parts of the airline were worth far more than the airline itself - from engineering functions through to the operational side. The lecture is open to the public and is free to attend. A reception follows the lecture, prior registration is appreciated for catering nos. Sponsored by GE Commercial Aviation Services.
Title: Women of Outstanding Achievement in SET Photographic Exhibition Launch
Date(s): 11 March 2008
Venue: The Royal Society, London
Description: In 2006 the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology embarked on a very exciting and rewarding project that set out to celebrate the exceptional achievements of women from science, engineering and technology. With just 24.1% of employees in SET professions being women, the UKRC aimed to make women in Science, Engineering and Technology more visible as role models and inspiration to others. The Women of Outstanding Achievement in SET photographic exhibition was born and little did we know that it would enthuse and capture the minds of so many people Two years on, we are delighted to add a further 6 portraits to the collection that capture the essence of 6 amazing women making an outstanding contribution in: Ø SET Discovery, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ø Communication of SET with a Contribution to Society Ø SET Leadership and an Inspiration to Others Please join us at our launch reception for drinks, canapés, and to celebrate the outstanding achievements of women in SET.
Title: Life in the Dark
Date(s): 11 March 2008
Time(s): 12:30 - 13:00
Venue: Nature Live at the Natural History Museum
Description: Discover more about the types of creatures that survive in extreme heat in the deep seas. Join Museum mineralogist Richard Herrington to consider and discuss the idea that the origin of all life on our planet could very possibly stem from the bacteria that dwell at the bottom of our oceans.
Title: The Talking Brain
Date(s): 11 March 2008
Time(s): 13:00 - 14:00
Venue: Bloomsbury Theatre,
Description: Why do we sound the way we do? A neuroscientist and a voice artist discuss their perspectives on the human voice. Speakers: Professor Sophie Scott, Welcome senior fellow, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; actor and impressionist Duncan Wisbey, whose credits include Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression and Dirty Fan Male. Prior to the talk, Duncan Wisbey has had his brain scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to see how his brain activity changes when he is talking in different accents, and when he is impersonating someone. In the talk we will discuss how he changes his voice to produce different voices, and how his brain changes when he does this.
Wednesday 12th of March
Title: Ig Nobel Show - Guardian Newsroom
Date(s): 12 March 2008
Time(s): 18:30
Venue: Guardian Newsroom Archive and Visitor Centre
Description: Ig Nobel Show. Featuring: Kees Moeliker, Fiona Barclay, Piers Barnes, Jim Gundlach, John Hoyland, Erwin Kompanje, Maureen MacGlashan, Chris McManus, Brian Witcombe and Dan Meyer.
Thursday 13th of March
Title: The Human Story
Date(s): 13 March 2008
Time(s): 12:30 - 13:00
Venue: Nature Live at the Natural History Museum
Description: New discoveries are constantly helping us unravel some of the mysteries in the complex record of human evolution. At the same time they present us with whole new questions. Join Charles Lockwood on a whistle-stop tour of human evolution, from our earliest ancestors, dating back 6 to 7 million years, through to our own species, Homo sapiens.
Title: Colonies In Space - A new home: a quarter of a million miles away
Date(s): 13 March 2008
Time(s): 20:15
Venue: Hampstead Scientific Society, The Crypt Room, St John's Church, Church Row, Hampstead, London NW3
Description: In the late 1970s, a study group concluded that a planetary surface is not necessarily the best place for a civilisation to flourish. Further work produced designs for space colonies 20 miles long, and if space activity had progressed as planned, they could have been under construction today. Building these new homes for mankind would help solve our energy crisis here on Earth. How could this be done? How would these colonies be constructed, and what would it be like to live on them? Jerry Stone is a freelance presenter and writer on Astronomy and Space Exploration. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, Chairman of the Space Education Council and a Director of the Mars Society UK. He is also a STEMNET Science & Engineering Ambassador, and has been described as "one of the leading speakers on space exploration".
Title: Animal Farm on the Big Screen
Date(s): 13 March 2008
Time(s): 18:30 - 21:00
Venue: Grant Museum of Zoology
Description: The CIA quietly commissioned this 1954 animated adaptation of George Orwell's classic satire on Stalinist Russia, making it an excellent instalment in the Museum's Human/Nature series. The inhabitants of Animal Farm revolt against their cruel human master, only to find themselves newly enslaved by their own leaders. Dr Joe Cain, UCL Historian of Science, will introduce the film, and there will be a free glass of wine served during the interval. This is a film not to be missed; for film-lovers, the politically-minded, naturalists and historians.
Title: From Satellites to Space Tourism Project - The 99th IET Kelvin Lecture and Dinner 2008
Date(s): 13 March 2008
Time(s): 18:00 - 20:00
Venue: Savoy Place, London
Description: Register now to attend this fascinating free lecture focusing on the vision of the future of space engineering presented by Robert Lainé, Chief Technical Officer of EADS SPACE.
Friday 14th of March
Title: William Smith and Making Geological Maps
Date(s): 14 March 2008
Time(s): 12:30 - 13:00
Venue: Nature Live at the Natural History Museum
Description: William Smith published the first geological map of Britain in 1815 and his methods are still used by geologists today. But despite his professional achievements, his life was marred by personal and financial problems. Join us as we hear about the man and take a rare glimpse at his beautiful hand painted map in all its glory.
- Win tickets to the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
Did you take your kids fossil digging, learn about the origins of humankind? Tell us about your own National Science and Engineering Week highlights, and the best entry will win two tickets for the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum. Your entry may also be used for a follow-up article in Landscape magazine.
Page last
modified: 5 March 2008
Page published: 5 March 2008