We are delighted to be hosting Liverpool’s Cafe Scientifiqué which is a forum for promoting public engagement with science. The first meeting of 2010 took place on Tuesday 9th February and got off to a great start with a talk by Marco Bertamini from the Department of Psychology at Liverpool University. It was entitled: Naïve physics: understanding how things work from everyday visual experience. One of the phenomena Marco Bertamini talked about was the 'Venus Effect' – how we incorrectly perceive what's going on when we look at people looking into mirrors.
The second meeting took place on Tuesday 9th March and was given by Gareth Stratton, Professor of Paediatric Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University, entitled: The road to an active and healthy childhood, from fitness to fatness and back again. It was another excellent talk. Gareth Stratton's department is doing cutting edge research into the obesity problem among young children. He presented the group with some frightening data as well as saying what is required to prevent obesity amongst the young.
The next meeting takes place on Tuesday 13th April. There will be another speaker from Liverpool University's Department of Psychology, Sonia Tucci. Her talk is entitled: Appetite regulation and obesity. This should give us another view of the obesity problem that is prevalent in our society.There will be three further speakers and that will take Café Scientifique up to July. Topics include athletic preparation for the London Olympics in 2012, exploding stars and issues about ageing.
For the meeting on Tuesday 8th June, the group will be moving from their usual meeting place on the ground floor up to the Fifth floor. The talk is being given by Mike Bode, Director of the Astrophysics Research Institute and Professor of Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University, and is entitled: Stars that go bang in the night. The view from the fifth floor is spectacular and will provide an appropriate back-drop for this meeting.
The meetings are free and take place every second Tuesday of the month (7.30pm start).
Details of all the meetings can be found at: http://sites.google.com/site/liverpoolcafescientifique/
Please contact Michael Jackman, mjcafsci@talktalk.net, if intending to attend as places may be limited.