| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Leader: | |
| Venue: | Theatr Brycheiniog |
The coordinator of the "Science Questions" Special Interest Group is John Tyler. He worked for 41 years as an engineer at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell near Oxford. Now retired, he has renewed his interest in steam driven railway locomotives.
To contact John by email, click on his highlighted name above
Science Questions
Background to the SIG
"Science Questions" is a relatively new Special Interest Group at Brecon u3a. We aim to provide a greater understanding of the underlying science behind natural and manmade things, phenomena, and occurrences in our modern world. Our aim is to present the science in a clear, logical, and hopefully, easy to understand way.
We welcome questions on any topic - physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, computing, statistics - in other words, anything! Probably better to have simple questions to begin with so that we can test out our way of working. Once we have the questions, we need to find people who know the answers or people who are prepared to undertake some research. We then need to identify U3A members who can deliver the answers in clear and logical ways. That may not be easy, particularly if you present a question which has a complex scientific answer!
Some answers in pictures
So far, the questions asked include:
Why can we sometimes see a double rainbow?
Is it possible to predict where we will see the moon in the sky?
What was the big bang?
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and should we be worried?
How would we produce hydrogen if it was chosen as a replacement fuel?
What are the key substances needed for the manufacture of advanced batteries and where can they be found?
The space needed for the storage of digital data has decreased dramatically over the last 50 years. Can it get smaller and is there a limit?
Where does plutonium come from?
Why does a banana have 4 more genes than a human being?
How do you measure the half life of a radioactive substance?
Why is the sky blue?
Why do wheels sometimes appear to go backwards in old films?
What part of our brain controls vital functions such as heart rate?
What is quantum biology?
Detergents - What are they and what effect do they have on the environment?
Why is it necessary to have male and female components in the creation of new life?
What are microwaves and how does a microwave oven work?
Electrical safety (MCBs and RCDs) and single phase and 3 phase supplies
What is Heavy Water?
How do our bodies turn food into energy?
What is gravity?
What is an enzyme?
In what way is the Periodic Table of Elements periodic.
If any U3A member has a Science Question, please come along to one of our SIG meetings and ask. Alternatively, contact me any Thursday while I am helping to set up the audio visual equipment in the Studio. Failing that, click on my name at the top of this page and use the contact page to send me an email.
I will let everyone know the questions that we will try to answer in the notification about each future SIG meeting.
John Tyler
Thursday 11th June - 1:15 - Studio
Thursday 25th June, 2:30, Studio