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Science Week 2010 Poster

SCIENCE WEEK 2010 AT NUI MAYNOOTH

OPEN TO SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC

The following public events will be held at NUI Maynooth during Science Week 2010. All events are for the general public and are free, with the exception of the two events on Friday morning, which are for primary schools and by invitation only.

More details are available at http://science4all.nuim.ie/ .

People and Places in Irish Science and Technology

An exhibition of articles, photographs and books, featuring the life and times of men and women who have made major contributions to Science and Technology in Ireland.

Monday 8 Nov. – Friday 12 Nov., Foyer of John Hume Building, 9 am - 6 pm.

Contact: Gerard McMahon, Exp. Physics, 01 - 708 3552

Thereafter in the John Paul ll Library from 16 to 26 November.

During Library opening hours and only if visitors contact the Library in advance (call Susan Durack: tel. 01 - 708 3888).

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Stars, Planets and Us

It takes about a million years for a star like the Sun to be born. Planets, if they are to be formed, will be created out of the debris left over from creating this new star. Over the past few years we have detected almost 500 planets around stars other than our Sun. This talk will discuss how stars and planets are formed and briefly discuss the possibilities of finding life on newly detected planets.

Public lecture by Dr. Fiona McGroarty (Dublin Institute of Technology).

Tuesday 9 November, John Hume Building, Theatre 2, 7.30 – 8.30 pm.

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Astronomical Observations

Look through telescopes at the moon, planets, stars, and galaxies.

Only for limited numbers of people and only if the sky is clear.

In collaboration with Astro2, the Astronomy and Physics Society at NUI Maynooth.

Tuesday 9 November, Science Building, 8.30 pm - 10 pm. (Also Friday)

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Mate Choice in Animals: Is Sex Really Mean?

The phrase “Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw” was coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson to depict the sometimes violent struggle for life in the animal kingdom. However, the struggle to pass your genes on to the next generation is not always violent, and evolution by natural selection has bestowed some organisms with the most spectacularly elaborate and beautiful traits and behaviours that are intrinsically designed to address the problem of selecting or being selected by a mate. In this talk I will deal with the violence, the courtship, the displays of affection and of aggression that accompany mate selection in mammals, birds and of course, humans.

Public lecture by Dr. James McInerney (Department of Biology, NUI Maynooth).

Wednesday 10 November, John Hume Building, Theatre 3, 7.00 – 8.30 pm.

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Man Against the Clock: Understanding the Conflict Inherent in the 24 Hour Society

Approximately 1 in 5 workers now undertake some sort of shift-work, and this number is constantly rising. What remains to be fully understood is the consequence of shift-work for physical and psychological well-being. This lecture will examine the evidence that suggests that there is a conflict between societal demands for shift-work and human physiology, and will examine how shift schedules may be better managed through scientific principles.

Public lecture by Dr. Andrew Coogan (Department of Psychology, NUI Maynooth).

Thursday 11 November, John Hume Building, Theatre 2, 7.30 – 8.30 pm.

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Get Your Hands on Science ! (Hands-on laboratories)

Try out simple hands-on experiments, watch demonstrations, and participate in competitions, in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. Suitable for all ages, all welcome.

Friday 12 November, foyer of Science Building, foyer of Callan Building, and various laboratories in the Callan Building and the Science Building, 6.30 pm - 9 pm.

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Astronomical Observations