The Wolfson College Science Society has been in existence since the Michaelmas Term 2010. This page includes details of talks held in all previous series (details of the current term's events are published on the Science Society homepage):
Lent Term 2012 schedule:
Friday 27 January: Dr Ram Adapa, Specialist Registrar in the Consciousness and Cognition Group, part of theDivision of Anaesthesia in the School of Clinical Medicine
"Consciousness at stake: Perspectives from an anaesthetist"
Cognitive neuroscience has benefitted greatly from advances in functional neuroimaging techniques. However, elucidating the neural basis of consciousness has remained one of the unsolved problems in cognitive neuroscience. Research into this field is now expanding rapidly, afforded by an integration of approaches across disciplines such as anaesthesia and sleep. In this talk, I will describe examples from our work and from other laboratories in which experiments involving pharmacological modulation of conscious level are designed to understand how consciousness is impaired under sedation and anaesthesia, and how we regain awareness. These studies use a wide range of neuroimaging tools to measure brain activity while individuals perform cognitive tasks or are simply resting. I will illustrate how data from these experiments, particularly where convergent evidence across techniques is obtained, can be used to understand impaired conscious processing in pathological disorders of consciousness.
Chair: Dr Virginia Newcombe
Friday 10 February: Professor Graham Burton, of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
"The placenta: a remarkable but often neglected organ"
The placenta is the interface between the mother and her baby and is essential for our development in utero, so much so that in some societies it is considered as a twin of the baby and must be reunited with the individual on their death. During pregnancy, all materials transferred between the mother and baby must pass through the placenta, either by passive diffusion or active exchange. The placenta also produces an array of hormones that have a profound effect on maternal physiology during pregnancy. This talk will introduce some of the basic concepts of the organ, and touch on aspects of contemporary research that have direct bearing on complications of human pregnancy.
Chair: Dr Yoichi Sekita
Friday 24 February: Professor Daan Frenkel, of the Department of Chemistry
"The Unexpected Side of Entropy"
During the past 60 years, the traditional picture of entropy as a measure of disorder has needed revision. This was largely driven by computer simulations, but has been supported by experiments on colloidal systems. In my talk I will discuss some old examples of the unexpected role of entropy as an ordering force, but I will also discuss more recent surprises, such as the importance of entropy in the self-assembly of DNA-functionalized colloids and its possible relevance for targeted drug delivery.
Chair: Dr David De Sancho
Friday 9 March: Dr Ivor Day, of the Whittle Laboratory in the Department of Engineering
"The Jet Engine: What happens if ...?"
The jet engine was originally billed as the 'simplest machine in the world - only one moving part.' Over the years the simplicity has disappeared to the point where a modern engine is one of the most sophisticated pieces of machinery ever. This talk will look at some of the technology hidden under the skin of the engine and will cover a range of "what happens if" questions, e.g. dust, rain, birds, fire etc.
Chair: Dr Enrico Gili
Michaelmas Term 2011 schedule:
Friday 14 October: Dr Chris Forman, Research Associate at the Institute for Manufacturing in the Department of Engineering
"Rubik's Planet; Global Consequences of Nanoscale Phenomena"
Abstract: Although there are many ways of arranging a Rubik's cube there is only one configuration which solves it and everybody universally agrees on what that configuration is. If only the same were true of the arrangement of resources and people on Earth! We'd have a universally agreed common goal and may be we'd all agree on how we should get there. Perhaps we'd even be able to do this without messing up bits we'd already sorted out! Pigs, in this reality, might even fly. However, there's nothing to stop us from suggesting an initial definition for what such a universal goal might be for humanity, just to get the debate going. Something like: Can everyone in the world be a millionaire? Can this be done with no pollution or waste and with the biological ecology perfectly preserved? Using only sunlight as an energy source? By thinking about the way that biology works, we ask is such a reality physically possible? What might the required technology be? What is the connection between the technology and the large scale global phenomena that result? Is science getting to a position where it can begin to design a global society from first principles? Who would be responsible for optimising it? why? Isn't this something we all ought to think about and talk about? Perhaps the technology employed and the nature of the subsequent reality may be inextricably linked. In which case, what are the consequences for the technology that we are researching now, and what would we like to research instead? Perhaps we're bang on track! Maybe such tracks aren't definable. This talk is a slightly fantastic "What IF?" and is an excuse to explore some of the science that's going on at the moment and how it might affect people in the years to come! There are more questions than answers. Maybe there is a way of making pigs fly after all...!
Chair: Dr Maria Caffarel
Friday 28 October: Dr Patrick Welche, Cavendish Laboratory
"Communication with a single button"
Abstract: Can you think of a more efficient way of communicating using a single switch than Morse code? We will look at ways of transforming gestures and key presses into text, and demonstrate a virtual switch: raise your eyebrows to click.
Chair: Dr Enrico Gili
Friday 11 November: Prof. Sir David Baulcombe, Department of Plant Sciences
"How nurture might influence nature - lessons from plants"
Abstract: The conventional paradigm is that the properties of an organism are determined by its DNA sequence. Organisms with identical DNA will be identical and those with different DNA will grow differently or they will not respond in the same way to external stimuli. However there is also evidence for another layer to heritability in which changes are not associated with alteration of DNA sequence - they are "epigenetic" rather than genetic. I will describe epigenetics in plants and how recent progress is affecting our understanding of the biology and evolution of both plants and animals.
Chair: Dr Yoichi Sekita
Friday 25 November (**in the Roger Needham Room, Chancellor's Centre): Prof. Jane Clarke, Department of Chemistry
"Watching proteins fold and unfold one at a time. How physics can teach us lessons about biology"
Abstract: Proteins are linear polymers made up of just 20 naturally occurring amino acids. The genome projects produced a significant challenge for those studying proteins: we now know the linear, one-dimensional sequence of all proteins in the human body. Contained in this sequence is all the information required for the protein to fold to the correct, “native” structure, in a timescale which is reasonable, to perform a function within the cell, and, equally importantly, not to misfold to any alternative, possibly toxic, structure.
The study of protein folding seeks to explain how proteins fold and avoid misfolding, and how the folded structure gives the protein its function. We use the tools of physics and chemistry, alongside those from molecular and structural biology. I will describe some of the recent progress we are making using methods that allow us to investigate one molecule at a time.
Chair: Dr David de Sancho
Easter Term 2011
Wednesday 12 May: Wolfson Research Day
12.30-7.00pm, Lee Hall
Friday 20 May: Dr Agnieszka Iwasiewicz-Wabnig, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge
"Nanotechnology: Science or Fiction?"
Abstract: The aim of this talk is to look at Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in a wider context. Is there a real novelty behind these fashionable names, or is it just a new slogan to attract research funding? What kind of challenges do scientists working in this area face? What implications for society might it have? Is it safe? Is it crucial for future applications, or will it fade and disappear in a few years' time? Where is the Nano science/fiction border today? By answering these questions from my perspective I am hoping to spark an interesting, open-ended discussion with the audience.
Chair: Dr Mamta Thangaraj
Friday 27 May: Dr Anna Snowdon, Senior Member, Wolfson College
"Bananas, bandits and biology on the high seas: forensic phytopathology in the international fruit trade"
Abstract: International trade in fruits and vegetables relies chiefly on refrigerated carriage by sea, either in the holds of specialised ships or, increasingly, in 40-foot containers. If a cargo arrives in poor condition it is essential to make a correct diagnosis of the cause(s) of damage, so that claims can be settled fairly. The importer may blame the ship owner for deficiencies in vessel or crew, while the ship owner may respond by pleading "inherent vice" in the cargo. Illustrative case studies will include shipments of Guatemalan bananas to Syria, Greek oranges to Russia, and Chinese garlic to the UK.
Chair: Dr Oksana Trushkevych
Friday 3 June: Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge
"The Nature of Empathy: Perspectives from Psychiatry"
Abstract: Empathy is the drive to identify another person's thoughts and feelings and to respond to these with an appropriate emotion. We now know quite a lot about which parts of the brain are used when we empathize and how empathy grows in typically developing children. We even know that hormones in the womb, and specific genes, influence how much empathy a person has. There are several ways in which one can lose one's empathy, and this is clearly seen in psychiatric conditions such as the personality disorders. However, there is one condition, autism, which not only entails difficulties with empathy but can lead to a talent in 'systemizing'. Systemizing is the aptitude to spot patterns in the world. Why should losing your empathy render you better at systemizing? And can aspects of empathy be taught if a child is having difficulty developing it? Finally, the discovery that there may be 'genes for empathy' implies that empathy may be the result of our evolution.
Chair: Dr Bonnie Auyeung
Lent Term 2011
21 January: Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, Department of Zoology/Wellcome Gurdon Institute
"Is nuclear reprogramming a route to cell replacement therapy?"
Abstract: Nuclear transplantation to eggs and oocytes can reprogram somatic cell nuclei from an adult pattern of gene expression to that characteristic of embryos. This is the first stage of a procedure by which replacement cells can be formed from adult cells of the same individual, thereby eliminating the need for immunosuppression. A central aim of recent work in this field is to analyze the mechanisms by which eggs and ooctyes can rejuvenate a cell from an adult to an embryonic state.
Chair: Dr Yoichi Sekita
4 February: Dr Enrico Gili, Department of Physics
"Printed and plastic electronics: will the microchips of the future be printed?"
Over the last 10 years, a new field of electronics has been developed, which is referred to as plastic or printed electronics. In this approach, organic or, more generally, printable materials are used to build electronic circuits. This is opposed to conventional inorganic materials such as silicon, which are usually deposited under vacuum. The development of printable materials has made it possible to manufacture electronics using the basic processes already developed by the printing industry. This is leading to the creation of a whole range of novel products such as rollable displays, flexible photovoltaic cells and large area lighting. This novel technology will not substitute the well developed silicon (and in general inorganic) microelectronics but will facilitate the development of new products complementary to those already possible using conventional technologies.
Chair: Dr Xavier Moya
25 February: Prof. Richard Josza, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
"Quantum teleportation, its use and abuse"
The idea of teleportation as a transportory force is well established in the genre of science fiction. But in 1993 it was discovered that remarkably, a form of teleportation can actually be realised by exploiting effects from quantum physics. The process has become a cornerstone of the modern subject of quantum computation which more generally, exploits quantum effects to provide a variety of extraordinary new possibilities for information processing and communication. In this talk we will give an intuitive account of the strange quantum features that underlie teleportation and then discuss a variety of intriguing features of the process itself.
Chair: Dr Roland Schwarz
11 March: Prof. Alun Williams, Department of Veterinary Medicine
"Have I got path for you...?"
What is pathology? While TV programmes such as Morse, Silent Witness, NCIS and others portray one aspect of pathology - forensics - pathology is a much broader subject encompassing diagnosis of disease in the living patient and research into the causes of injury to tissues and cells and the responses to these. While medical pathologists deal with people, veterinary pathologists deal with everything else - from mouse to elephant, with several diversions in between. Evolutionary commonalities in responses to injury, how vets can inform medical research and the concept of One World - One Medicine will be the focus of this interactive talk.
Chair: Dr Maria Munoz Caffarel
Michaelmas Term 2010
15 October 2010: Prof Daniel Wolpert, Department of Engineering
"The Master Puppeteer: How the Brain Controls the Body"
Abstract: The effortless ease with which humans move our arms, our eyes, even our lips when we speak masks the true complexity of the processes involved. This is evident when we try to build machines to perform human tasks. While computers can now beat grand-masters at chess, no computer can yet control a robot to manipulate a chess piece with the dexterity of a six-year-old child. How the brain is able to generate such skilful movement is one of the most intriguing questions in neuroscience and the focus of Daniel Wolpert's talk.
Chair: Dr Simon Lacoste-Julien
22 October 2010: Professor Nick Wareham, MRC Epidemiology Unit
"Causes and prevention of type 2 diabetes"
Abstract: The descriptive epidemiology of type 2 diabetes suggested that the disease originates from an interaction between innate susceptibility and lifestyle intervention factors. These factors include dietary factors and physical activity, which have an impact both independently and through obesity risk. Progress in understanding the genetic basis of typical type 2 diabetes has accelerated considerably due to technological advances and the advent of large scale collaborative projects. However, studying the interaction between genetic and lifestyle factors is considerably harder. This talk will discuss progress in the science of studying this complex interplay and provide suggestions about how future studies might be designed.
Chair: Dr Rebecca Simmons
12 November 2010: Dr Ulrike Bauer, Department of Zoology
"Of water flumes, waxy walls and toilet bowls: trapping strategies of carnivorous pitcher plants"
Abstract: Carnivorous plants supplement their nutrition with animal prey that they capture in highly elaborate traps. The ability to use this additional nutrient source enables them to colonise extreme habitats where soil nutrients are scarce. Pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes bear specialised mug-shaped leaves that possess several adaptations for the trapping of insects, including a viscoelastic fluid, slippery wax crystals and downward-pointing cells on the inner pitcher wall, and a superhydrophilic pitcher rim (peristome) which is only slippery when wet. Trap morphology and prey spectrum vary substantially between the more than 100 species in the genus, indicating the presence of distinct trapping strategies. I will show that distinct varieties and species rely on different trap components and have evolved specific trap adaptations to target different prey. Some species have even abandoned carnivory and evolved a mutualistic relationship with tree shrews that deposit their faeces in the pitchers. There is a growing body of evidence that selective pressures for nutrient resource partitioning have driven adaptive radiation in the genus Nepenthes, making it an ideal model system to study mechanisms of plant evolution.
Chair: Dr Oksana Trushkevych
26 November 2010: Dr Giles Yeo, University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science
"Are my genes to blame when my jeans don’t fit?"
Abstract: The recent rapid increase in obesity is undoubtedly due to changes in our lifestyle and in the types of food we eat. Our environment has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, with people taking much less exercise and consuming far more calories than ever before. However, although we are all exposed to these changes, not all of us are obese. Differences in our genetic make-up mean we all respond differently to the same environment. In fact, studies on twins have estimated the ‘heritability’ of body-weight to be anywhere between 40% – 70%. The fact that body weight is a highly heritable trait provides us the opportunity to use genetics as a tool to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying human obesity, thus teaching us about the biology of appetite control.
Chair: Dr Roland Schwarz