SciPodEM - East Midlands Science Podcasts

On 30 April, Dr Richard Faragher spoke on the question “Would it be a disaster to find a cure for ageing and death by natural causes?”
Richard is the Reader in Gerontology and the SPARC (Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity) Programme Director at the School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences at the University of Brighton.

This talk was part of the Big Questions series held at the Multi-Faith Centre, University of Derby, which allows scientists to discuss various science-based issues with people of faith (and of no faith).

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Further Information

During his talk Richard mentioned antagonistic pleiotropy and disposable soma theory. More information on these can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_ageing

The SPARC web site is packed with information relating to design for ageing and the biology of ageing.

SPARC will be at the BA festival of science on 11 September 2008 with “Older people on the move”.  This is a hands-on showcase of the outcomes of SPARC, for all-comers.

Angela Davies works for De Montfort University and she talked about TEAM, the Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group, which supports textile-based SMEs in Leicestershire. This is a traditional industry which is having to re-invent itself in the face of cheap foreign manufacturing competition. They are moving into ‘technical textiles’.

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Further Information

Visit the TEAMNET web site

On 24th April students from the East Midlands showed some of the incredible engineering projects they had done by taking part in the Engineering Education Scheme, run by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The Scheme links teams of four students from Year 12 and their teacher with local companies to work on real scientific, engineering and technological problems.

This podcast includes interviews with students from Lady Manners School, Bakewell, Derbyshire (above), an engineer from North Midlands Construction and a teacher from Garibaldi College, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (right) at the East Midlands Celebration of Innovation Event held at the Henry Ford College, Loughborough on 24 April 2008.

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Further Information

For more information about the Scheme visit http://www.engineering-education.org.uk/index.php

For Lady Manners School, http://www.ladymanners.org.uk/

For Tarmac Ltd, http://www.tarmac.co.uk/

For Garibaldi College, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire http://www.garibaldi.org.uk

North Midlands Construction is at http://www.northmid.co.uk/

Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys is a British geneticist developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used all over the world in forensic science to assist police detective work, and also to resolve paternity and immigration disputes.

During during National Science and Engineering Week 2008 he was interviewed at radio SuperSonicFM by students from English Martyrs’ School, Leicester.

Click to listen or right-click to download podcast

Further Information

For more about Sir Alec and his work see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Jeffreys

On 17 April 2008, Phil Brown, East Midlands Regional Officer for the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) recorded this interview at iFestival Expo 2008, Walker Stadium, Leicester with Angela Davies from De Montfort University

Angela is researching into re-cyclable incontinence pads, so helping the environment. Textiles have far more uses than just upholstry. They are used in tyres, skateboards and many other industrial and commercial uses. She talks about the textile she is researching, her background in textiles, why she decided to study textiles at university. Her school taught textiles at A level but they did not really understand what the subject consisted of. She talked about the limitations of the careers advice she received. What is needed, she said, is a careers teacher with a knowledge of the diversity of careers available.

She also talked about the links between business and university departments.

Download the podcast here or use the link on the right to subscribe using iTunes etc.

East Midlands Science Podcast 21 April 2008

You can contact Angela at

Telephone: 0116 207 8575
Email: amdavies@dmu.ac.uk
Web: www.dmu.ac.uk/team/

Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group (TEAM)
Gateway Building
De Montfort University
Leicester
LE1 9BH

A boy of five is thought to be the UK’s youngest person to patent an invention after coming up with a labour-saving broom to help his father sweep leaves.

SMEs and inventors need to be able to stop others sweeping away their intellectual property. In this interview, recorded at iFestival Expo 2008 at Walker Stadium, Leicester on 17 April 2008
Mr Paul Higgin, Patent & Trade Mark Attorney, talks about how and why you should protect your invention.

For more information see http://www.patents.co.uk/ or contact Paul on 01332 367051 or email phiggin@patents.co.uk or write to him at Swindell & Pearson of 48 Friar Gate, Derby, DE1 1GY.

Download the podcast here or use the link on the right to subscribe via iTunes or another podcast reader.

Useful Links

You can search patents at the following links:

• Google Patent Search allows you to search United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Esp@cenet to search European and Uk patents
• Paul’s web site.

This interview was recorded at LeicestHerDay 2008.

Recycling Litter

Jawaahir Daahir gave this interview at LeicestHerDay 2008.

Jawaahir Daahir’s Interview LeicestHerDay 2008

Angela Lennox gave a speech at LeicestHerDay 2008, describing what women can do to help improve the environment.

Angela Lennox Speech

Penny Poyser Speech

In her speech to the LeicestHERDay at the Walker Stadium, Leicester, on 7 March 2008, Penney Poyzer advocated that women should be more militant about the environment.

Download it here: Penney Poyzer Speech 7 March 2008

Among other things she said:

For the past few years women have been passive about climate change.
Women make all the major consumer decisions in our homes. They have immense effect on the waste, the chemicals used in the home. Basically we manage the show.

She referred to the Women’s Climate Change Manifesto. This is a Women’s Institute initiative. Details and the manifesto itself can be found at http://www.nfwi.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=226

We want more women to be involved in high level decisions when it comes to shaping our environment. Where are we?

She referred to the Stockholm Environment Institute which is at:
http://www.sei.se/index.php

The simple truth is we need to learn to live with less stuff. You can do it and save money and increase the quality not just of your life and those you live with but those across the globe.

She mentioned Transition Leicester
The Transition Towns web site is
www.transitiontowns.org/

She said that this winter bee-keepers have reported between 70% - 80% of their bee colonoies have died. They expect a usual wastage of 10%. For one article on the problem see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7240456.stm

Also see the British Beekeepers Association web site at www.britishbee.org.uk

She proposed that those present should pledge to be the new Suffragettes, to empower every woman to take on the mantle of Green Guardian in the spirit of Alice Hawkins. See the book about her on http://www.leicestherday.org.uk/

She urged women to vote for the planet.

During subsequent speeches, Maureen Forrest suggested the name Suffragens, and Patricia Hewitt MP suggested Suffragreens. This name has now been registered. See the web site www.suffragreens.org.uk for more.