Transition Times: If you think that science is the preserve of distracted boffins, have a look at what's coming up in National Science Week. Gráinne Faller reports
Have you noticed that scientists seem to be all over our television screens? Infectious-disease experts are telling us how to handle an outbreak of avian flu while their colleagues race against the clock to find a cure for it. Meteorologists and storm-chasers are explaining hurricanes and warning us about global warming. Nasa's physicists are sending probes to Mars and its astronauts are performing last-minute repairs to damaged spacecraft. And Stephen Hawking played himself in The Simpsons. Science, in other words, is casting aside the image of the distracted boffin and making plain its role in some of the more exciting and urgent aspects of our lives.
National Science Week, which starts on Monday, is an ideal chance for transition-year students to explore careers and opportunities in a range of disciplines. As well as third-level and career workshops, the week will include a mixture of talks, shows, demonstrations and tours. Some are detailed below; you can find out about the rest by visiting www. scienceweek.ie.
THIRD LEVEL AND CAREERS
Maths and Physics
Trinity College in Dublin is holding an open day on Saturday. It will include talks about aspects of maths and physics (including astrophysics and career options), a tour of the university and a visit to the laboratories. Contact Mauro Ferreira at 01-6083064 or see www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/official/SchoolsPage/ openday2005.
ScienceWorks
From November 14th to 18th, the Conway Institute at University College Dublin is holding a series of half-day interactive workshops in which students become researchers and have the opportunity to meet some of UCD's leading scientists. Students will tour the institute, participate in activities and talk to working scientists about their career options. Contact Grace Sexton at 01-7166922 or visit www.ucd.ie/conway.
A Life in Science
November 14th, Carlow Institute of Technology's department of science and health will give a presentation for secondary-school students about the careers open to its science graduates. It's a good opportunity for students to get ideas about what they might like to do later on in life. To book contact Ann Marie Brophy at 059-9136254.
Science Open Day
On November 16th, Dublin City University is hosting a mixture of interactive demonstrations and science shows with question-and-answer sessions where students will have the chance to chat to people from the university's faculty of science and health. To book, contact Grace Hickey at 01-7005063 or visit www.dcu.ie/science.
FORENSIC SCIENCE
Forensic Science and Pathology
For anyone hooked on television dramas such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, lectures being held at Dublin Institute of Technology's Kevin Street building could prove very interesting indeed. "CSI has had a big impact on the interest level in these events," says Dr Patricia Ennis, who is co-ordinating the lectures.
On November 14th Prof David Croke, of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, will give a talk entitled DNA Fingerprinting: Your Genes Will Always Give You Away, in which he will give an overview of how DNA fingerprinting works and how it helps to solve crime.
On November 15th there will be a golden opportunity to hear Prof Marie Cassidy, the State Pathologist - who has a reputation as a very entertaining speaker - talk about the science of her work in a lecture called Dead Men Do Tell Tales.
The series is rounded off on November 16th with a lecture by Dr John Fox of DIT, who will talk about how chemistry can be used to fight crime. For further information, contact Dr Ennis at 01-4024780.
SPORTS SCIENCE
The Science of Sport
On November 15th, Waterford is inviting senior-cycle students to a lecture about the science of sport. Dr Michael Harrison will speak about all aspects of sport, from the science behind the gear to the fight against doping. Throughout the lecture, Dr Harrison will be monitoring a volunteer who is exercising and observing the effects of the activity on the body. You can book a place by contacting Eleanor Reade at 051-302037. Limerick Institute of Technology is also hosting a talk about drugs in sport on November 14th. To book, contact Katie Bourke at 061-208261.
SPACE SCIENCE
Space and Rocket Science Potential
Budding scientists in Co Sligo may be interested in a rocket workshop run by the True Physics Project. On November 16th, students can discover the history of rocket design and building. They will get the opportunity to work in a dedicated mission-control team to simulate a rocket launch. They will design their own rockets as well as learning about how the experts at Nasa design and build successful rockets. This event is by invitation only, but you can get more information from www.physics.ie/rockets.
Space Encounters Mobile Planetarium
Carlow students are in for a treat on November 17th, with this interactive presentation on the night sky and the latest astronomical discoveries. To book, contact Aisling Linnane at Carlow Institute of Technology, on 059-9170597.
Impact
Also on November 17th, Waterford students can hear Dr Tom Mason of Armagh Planetarium talk about how the world changed when a meteor struck millions of years ago. To book, contact Eleanor Reade at 051-302037.
WILDLIFE AND WEATHER
Looking into the Incredible World of Ireland's Leatherback Turtles
This is a brilliant opportunity to learn about some of the most interesting creatures in the sea. The talk, to be held at University College Cork on November 17th, will be accompanied by footage taken by Dr Tom Doyle. For more details or to book, contact Dr Anne Cronin at 021-4903299.
Wily Wind and Weather: Understanding Where We Get Weather Forecasts
Dr Gerald Fleming, RTÉ's winking weatherman, will be at Waterford Institute of Technology on November 15th to explain how forecasts work. To book, contact Eleanor Reade at 051-302037.
THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC
Magic: Science or Mystery?
Dublin City University gives students a look into a world where nothing is quite as it appears: water seems to disappear, €20 notes refuse to burn, and a brave volunteer sits on a chair of nails. "It's a really funny show, and it makes people think a bit differently about science in their surroundings," says DCU's Bernadette Dowling. To book for November 17th, contact Grace Hickey at 01-7005063.
Science Magic
Another DCU presentation, on November 15th, encompasses almost all forms of energy. Digestion, rate of reaction, acids and bases, gases in the air and properties of materials are just a few of the topics in a show that relates the abstract world of science to everyday objects and events. Miniature explosions and chemical reactions should keep things interesting. To book, contact Grace Hickey at 01-7005063.
