Past events
Past Programme from 2018/2019 (part)
Wednesday 20th February 2019
Title: Older Drivers – Myths and Scientific Evidence
Presenter: Kit Mitchell
Popular perceptions of older drivers are not supported by scientific evidence on their safety as drivers, both as it affects themselves and other road users. This talk will use data on accidents, on travel behaviour from surveys, and on problems experienced by drivers derived both from accident patterns and from laboratory and on-road tests. It will show that much is already being done to help drivers to continue to drive as long as they are safe to do so, and illustrate this with examples of improvements to road design and with a number of programmes to advise and assess individual drivers. It will also point to a number of aspects of the subject where further research is required.
Kit Mitchell led the Working Party that provided scientific evidence to support the Road safety foundation’s Older Driver Task Force, which reported in July 2016. He continues to support initiatives that help older drivers to remain safely mobile.
Wednesday 20th March 2019
Title: The Hubble Space Telescope
Presenter: Alan Briggs
The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to low Earth orbit in April 1990 marked the most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo's telescope in the early 17th century. During more than 25 years of operation the HST has produced millions of observations and many iconic images; our knowledge of the universe and our place within it has been improved immeasurably. The talk will cover the instruments on the HST, the maintenance and repair missions in space and the scientific advances resulting from its work, as well as looking forward to its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. Alan will also give a brief talk on the life and work of Edwin Hubble, after whom the HST is named.
Alan worked on early digital process control systems in the late 1960s and early 70s. He joined ICI, then pioneers in digital process control, to manage the design and build of computerised control systems for chemical plants. As the technology advanced, he moved, in the early 80s, to manage the development of some of the earliest local- and wide-area networking systems for one of the major USA computer companies. This was followed by work on computing and technology projects for a number of major UK companies. In summary - " Proudly crashing computers since 1964". Since retirement he has contributed to the Camberley U3A Science and Technology Group as well as giving talks to other groups including at Odiham, and is now group leader of the Camberley
Wednesday 17th April 2019
Title: Nutrition : Past, Present and Future Imperfect
Presenter: Dr Edward Fern
Nutrition is said to be the only branch of science where popularly held views on the subject are frequently different from those of the scientists involved in its research and development. This is surprising given the extensive investigations in nutrition that have been carried out over the last 200+ years, and which today form its scientific basis.
Ed’s presentation covered the evolution of nutrition science from its birth by addressing three main questions about the subject, namely:
• “What is nutrition, really?”
• “How has it become such a contentious and confusing subject?”, and
• “Can, or will, the muddle ever be un-muddled?”.
The first question is necessary because of the divergent views on what nutrition actually embodies; the second because of the varied and conflicting interests involved within the topic; and the third because there is a serious and urgent need to find practicable solutions to some major public health diseases whose prevalence are already significant and whose incidence are still increasing. There is a tendency always to blame inadequate or unhealthy nutrition for such health conditions but, in reality, other lifestyle factors are also significantly involved. There is little doubt that good qualitative and quantitative dietary management will always play an important role in improving any abnormal health condition. The real problem, however, is how to define and judge what is ‘good nutrition’ and how best to achieve it in practice.
About Edward. After graduating in biochemistry and obtaining a PhD in nutrition from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Ed held academic and research positions at the Universities of Wisconsin (USA), California (USA) and London (UK).
He then joined Nestlé in Switzerland in 1981, initially as Head of the Department of Nutrition at the Nestlé Research Centre in Lausanne and later as the Company’s Corporate Nutritionist at its global headquarters in Vevey. His major interest has always been the relationship between nutrition and health, particularly protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. He has also had a long-term interest in the way nutrition is communicated to different segments of the community – young and old, scientists and non-scientists alike. Last but not least, he is a devoted resistance fighter in the war against the steady transformation of nutrition science into a pseudoscientific ideology (often referred to as ‘nutritionism’).
Currently he is happily retired in Switzerland after having spent almost 50 years involved in nutrition research and its associated politics. His major task today is trying to maintain his health and weight on what he refers to, jokingly, as ‘The Swiss Diet” (consumption of foods and drinks whose name begins with ‘CH’ – such as, chocolate, cheese, chicken, chips, chops, cherries, Chinese, and a glass or two of Champagne, Chardonnay and/or ‘Chateau Something’)..
Wednesday 15th May 2019
Title: ‘Innovation on Your Doorstep’
Presenter: Don Spalinger
Don has been working with a number of people over the past year or so on showing how the South of England has a number of technology clusters that provide the UK with the ability to be a major global player in Industry 4.0. Photonics is one of the major clusters, but there are several others.
Photonics is the physical science of light generation, detection and manipulation. Photonics really began with the invention of the laser in 1960. Optical fibres are another major application of photonics and the term became widely used when fibre optic transmission began to be adopted.
Today photonics covers a huge range of science and technology applications, including laser manufacturing, medical diagnostics and therapy and optical computing.
About Don. As Chairman of the SETsquared Partnership and Director, Innovation & Entrepreneurism at the University of Southampton, Don brings his serial entrepreneurial and international management experience to rapid commercialisation of university research activities. He has founded and been the CEO of five companies that have taken technologies out of the research laboratories and into the marketplace. With SPI Lasers, Don licensed a portfolio of technology from the University of Southampton, hired a technical and management team, raised $50million in first round venture capital, and established a world leader in fibre lasers. SETsquared which he currently chairs has incubated over 1300 companies, assisting them to raise £1.5billion of investment, and is ranked Globally #1 in business incubation by UBI. Don has been instrumental in developing and building SETsquared’s ICURe (Innovation & Commercialisation of University Research) program into an extremely effective way of ‘moving research out of the lab and into the market’.
Wednesday 17th July 2019
Title: Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Presenter: David Danson
Showing of a contemporary film of the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This film was made by Henri Mallard, a Sydney photographer who had obtained what was probably the first hand held cine camera in Australia. Allowed access to all areas of the site Mallard recorded virtually every stage of construction. One of the Supervising Engineers on the project was Frank Lichfield who, in 1969, then aged 80, added a commentary to the film. This must be a fairly unique film record of a major civil engineering project. Because of the historical, as well as the engineering, interest of this film, I have invited the U3A History Group to join us for this meeting.
Past Programme from 2019/2020
Wednesday 16th October 2019
Title: Sextants to Satellites - Where on earth are we ?
Presenter: Prof Robert Leppard.
Robert's talk summarised how the means of navigation have developed over the course of time, from early maps and star-charts, latitudinal navigation using the sun, and leading to the development of accurate chronometers 400 years ago that permitted the determination, with sextants, of longitude and latitude.
He then explained how Global Positioning Satellites work and the multiple systems available: There were several examples of early navigation aids on display before and after the talk.
After graduating in engineering, Robert joined Shell Oil and spent several years working on projects in countries as widely diverse as Nigeria, Iran, Russia, Oman, and Mozambique. He then returned to university in South Africa for further studies in finance and business. He then joined Anglo American, specialising in major development and mining projects in southern Africa. After 20 years he moved into consultancy and higher education, eventually joining an American university teaching and setting up graduate and MBA programs throughout Europe, China and Asia. Robert has continued to this day, presenting lectures on GPS and measurement systems.
Wednesday 20th November 2019
Title: The London Water Ring Main - a best kept secret
Presenter: John How.
The London Water Ring Main is a major part of London's water supply infrastructure, approximately 80 km (50 miles) long of mostly 2.54 m (100 inch) concrete pipelines to transfer potable water from water treatment works (WTWs) in the Thames and River Lea catchments for distribution within London.
The initial ring was constructed by Thames Water between 1988 and 1993 - unintentionally the best kept secret in London. Two extensions have been constructed, and further extensions are underway through to 2025
London's water supply infrastructure
John How’s career, as a Professional Chartered Engineer, has included a variety of industries;- automotive development; copper mining; food processing; minerals processing (aluminium & steel); water & wastewater service. He spent this last period with Thames Water who have been planning and constructing the ring main for more than thirty years.
Wednesday 15th January 2020
Title: Arial Surveying
Presenter: David Philpot
Aerial Mapping is the collection of information from an airborne platform, most notably Aerial Photography. This presentation will focus on the aircraft and camera technologies used to capture aerial photography datasets, the logistics involved and the products that are created.
David Philpot joined Geosense Ltd in 2005 and helped establish the image processing workflow for their Digital Aerial Photography production programme. He was responsible for a variety of aerial photography projects including work in Europe, Africa and North America, working closely with the company’s flight operations team on flight planning (occasionally also taking to the skies as a camera operator).
Geosense merged with Getmapping in 2011, and since then David has worked as a Project Manager for the combined Company, running aerial photography contracts, including the ‘Aerial Photography for Scotland’ programme for the Scottish Government, the Integrated Data Capture programme for Ordnance Survey and an update programme for Defra.
He has managed Aerial Survey projects for the Danish and Dutch Governments. Also a project to capture oblique imagery and LiDAR data of the whole of the Netherlands.
Wednesday 19th February 2020
Title: Racing Yacht Technology and Design
Presenter: Jonathan Ridley
Hydrofoils have recently seen a resurgence in maritime use, on both sailing yachts and motorboats. This talk will present a brief history of hydrofoils, examine the theory of hydrofoils compared to aerofoils, and look at some of the problems and opportunities associated with their use into today’s world.
Jonathan qualified with a degree in Yacht and Powercraft Design. He initially worked for Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA) and later QinetiQ at Haslar.
He joined Warsash Maritime Academy (part of Solent University), teaching naval architecture and ship stability on both the navigation and engineering programmes to both cadets and senior officers in the Merchant Navy. As Head of Engineering, he now manages the Engineering Programme Group at Solent University and undertakes research related to the reduction of emissions in shipping. He has co-authored ‘Reeds Volume 13: Ship Stability, Powering and Resistance', part of the renowned Reeds Marine Engineering and Technology Series.
Wednesday 7th April 2020
Title: Enceladus the brightest moon of Saturn
Presenter: Alan Briggs
For decades, scientists didn’t know why Enceladus was the brightest world in the solar system, or how it related to one of Saturn’s rings, the E ring.
The Cassini–Huygens space-research mission, commonly called Cassini, involved a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency to send a probe to study the planet Saturn and its system, including its rings and natural satellites.
Cassini found that both the fresh coating on its surface and icy material in the E ring originate from vents connected to a global subsurface saltwater ocean that might host hydrothermal vents.
Alan initially worked on early digital process control systems. He joined ICI, then pioneers in this field, to manage the design and build of computerised control systems for chemical plants.He moved, in the early 80s, to manage the development of some of the earliest local- and wide-area networking systems for one of the major USA computer companies. This was followed by work on computing and technology projects for a number of major UK companies. In summary - "Proudly crashing computers since 1964". Since retirement he has contributed to the Camberley U3A Science and Technology Group as well as giving talks to other groups including Odiham, and is now group leader of the Camberley U3A Astronomy and Space Science Group.
Friday 24th April 2020
Title: Hospital treatment for Coronavirus
Presenter: Doctor Di Ackerley (Downie).
An introduction to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which causes covid-19 disease. The talk was a little about the virus itself, the illness it causes and what treatment you might get if you are one of the unlucky minority who gets admitted to hospital. The talk then continued about the equipment that might be used to treat you from simple oxygen masks to highly sophisticated ECMO machines, and an introduction to Exovent - the future of negative pressure ventilation.
Diane Ackerley Downie is a retired Guildford GP and active member of Odiham U3A, with a long-term interest in helping people keep as healthy as they can, in the most evidence based way possible.
Thursday 14th May 2020
Title: “The surface of the Sun”
Presenter: Chris Clark
Given that the Sun is, by far, the closest star to the Earth, it offers us unique opportunities to carry out very detailed studies of its behaviour, which underpin our understanding of the structure and formation of stars in general. The talk described the main regions of the Sun and several internal processes that drive the activity which can be observed at the ‘surface’ and within the solar ‘atmosphere’, including surface granulation, sunspots, prominences, coronal loops, and mass ejections.
Finally, the talk described how spectral analysis, helioseismology and the analysis of magnetograms have been used to validate solar models.
Wednesday 17th June 2020
Title: “Patent and Intellectual property”.
Presenter: Colin Hunsley
This outlined the range of intellectual property focusing on patents, briefly looking at their role in industry and key characteristics. Examples of patents from everyday products were presented to demonstrate the patent process. Further technologies based on the speaker’s own experience, such as MRI and hip replacements, were detailed showing the value creation possible through licensing patents.
Colin is the director of Inspired Licensing, an intellectual property consultancy that helps clients to find value in their IP.
Prior to this, Colin worked for ClearViewIP and BTG where he developed his extensive experience of patent licensing.
Colin is a Chartered Engineer and has a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London. He is immediate past President of Licensing Executive Society Britain & Ireland, past Chairman of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Medical Engineering Division and regularly presents on the topic of licensing. Colin is also chair of the local Basingstoke NeighbourCare charity.
Wednesday 15th July 2020
Title: 'The Milky Way and the GAIA mission to map it'.
Presenter: Alan Briggs
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. It is one of many galaxies in the known universe - the distances and numbers of galaxies and stars are remarkable. The talk addition explained our location in the Milky Way as well as discussing the various classifications of galaxies.
GAIA is a European Space Agency (ESA) space observatory, launched in 2013 and expected to operate until 2022. The spacecraft is designed for astrometry: measuring the positions, distances and motions of stars with unprecedented precision. The mission aims to construct by far the largest and most precise 3D space catalogue ever made, totalling approximately 1 billion astronomical objects, mainly stars, but also planets, comets, asteroids and quasars.
Alan initially worked on early digital process control systems. He joined ICI, then pioneers in this field, to manage the design and build of computerised control systems for chemical plants.
He moved, in the early 80s, to manage the development of some of the earliest local- and wide-area networking systems for one of the major USA computer companies. This was followed by work on computing and technology projects for a number of major UK companies. In summary - "Proudly crashing computers since 1964". Since retirement he has contributed to the Camberley U3A Science and Technology Group as well as giving talks to other groups including Odiham, and is now group leader of the Camberley U3A Astronomy and Space Science Group.
Past Programme from 2020/2021
Wednesday 16th September 2020
Title: Climate Change - Is it because of us?
Presenter: Professor Ian Candy
Climate is never stable, climate is always changing. It doesn't matter if you are talking about the last 100 years or the last 100,000 years, climate is naturally in a state of flux. Despite this climate scientists are now more convinced than ever that the climate changes that have occurred over the past 150 years are not because of natural factors but because of us. How do we distinguish natural change from human induced change? Why are scientists so convinced that natural forcing factors cannot explain the changes that the Earth is currently experiencing? You will learn what drives natural climate changes and the evidence that scientists have used to show that humans are now playing a drastic role on the evolution of Earth's climate.
Ian Candy is a Professor of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. Ian began his career as a Geography undergraduate at Royal Holloway before carrying out postgraduate study at University of Reading. After receiving a postdoctoral fellowship to study the climate of early humans in the British Isles Ian's first lectureship was at Loughborough before moving back to Royal Holloway in 2006. Ian's work is largely focussed on climate change in the past with a particular focus on the impact of climate change on early peoples and societies.
Wednesday 21st October 2020
Title: “Diet, Digestion and Disease”.
Presenter: Diane Ackerley Downie.
This looked at how ideas on a healthy diet have changed since Diane was a medical student in the seventies when Fibre or Roughage was the new wonder food. Now the "Microbiome" is the bright hope - and it might explain why dietary fibre is important. Along the way we also took a look at some of the evidence behind the lifestyle and diet advice we are given.
Diane Ackerley Downie is a retired Guildford GP and active member of Odiham U3A, with a long-term interest in helping people keep as healthy as they can, in the most evidence based way possible.
Wednesday 18th November 2020
Title: “The Diamond Light Synchrotron”.
Presenter: David Price,
Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron. It works like a giant microscope, harnessing the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists can use to study anything from fossils to jet engines to viruses and vaccines. Diamond is one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world, and its pioneering capabilities are helping to keep the UK at the forefront of scientific rese During this talk you will hear about how our particle accelerator accelerates electrons to near light speeds so that they give off light 10 billion times brighter than the sun, how these bright beams are then directed off into laboratories known as ‘beamlines’, and how scientists use this light to study a vast range of subject matter, from new medicines and treatments for disease to innovative engineering and cutting-edge technology.
David Price, Public Engagement Manager - David manages the running of the public engagement program at Diamond, linking the world leading science and engineering with the public, schools and universities. In his role he strives to educate, engage and inspire others to both share and contribute to the amazing work at Diamond
Wednesday 9th December 2020
Title: “Breaking the Chains: Teaching Old Plastics New Tricks”.
Presenter: Prof Andrew Dove
This talk looked briefly at the rise and role of plastics in our lives and examined what plastic is and why it has become such a problem.
The main focus of the talk was directed towards how plastics can be better recycled using chemical means to recreate the virgin plastics (and hence reduce the demand for more raw materials) or to create new materials with higher value uses from waste plastic.
Prof Andrew Dove Andrew graduated from the University of York with an M Chem degree. He then did a Ph.D at Imperial College, London, focused on metal catalysed co-ordination insertion polymerisation !
He then moved to Stanford University, California to carry out post-doctoral research followed by work for IBM in San Jose, California. Andrew returned to the UK to take up a Research Council UK Fellowship in Nanotechnology in September 2005. He moved up the ranks, being appointed a Full Professor in June 2014.
He has been Professor of Chemistry at the School of Chemistry at the University of Birmingham for the past two years.
Wednesday 20th January 2021
Title: “Biometrics of the knee”.
Presenter: Hugh Chissell
The knee joins our thigh to our leg and consists of two joints, one between femur and tibia, and one between femur and patella. It is also the largest joint in the human body. The talk will focus on the function and design of total knee replacements, an increasingly common health solution.
Hugh Chissell qualified as a Doctor from St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School and then trained as a surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital.
After a year in the United States and a year in Australia he was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Frimley Park in 1997. He enjoyed a long and successful career there, retiring in March last year.
During this time he also worked at Clare Park Hospital, and continues to do so.
He developed major interests in knee and revision knee replacement.
He was part of the development team of the Attune total knee system and in the clinical trials of the Vanguard XP bicruciate retaining knee replacement.
Wednesday 17th February 2021
Title: “Pest Control and Insecticides”.
Presenter: Prof Linda M Field
The talk covered the history of insecticide use and development, the potential risks and benefits and alternatives to conventional chemistry.
It covered the debate about one particular type of insecticides, the neonicotinoids, and their potential effects on bees.
We saw the case for using insecticides, but acknowledged that we should be using them in the most responsible way and trying to phase them out and find better alternatives to protect our crops without damaging non-target species and the wider environment.
Prof Linda M Field is Head of Department Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection at Rothamsted Research
Lin is an insect molecular biologist and her personal research interests are focussed on understanding insecticide mode of action and resistance at the biochemical/molecular level.
Her research group uses the latest genomic techniques to understand resistance and insecticide selectivity and seeks to apply this to better use of pesticides in the field through links with partners in the agronomy, farming and agro-chemical sectors.
she has also developed a wide knowledge of alternative pest control strategies, especially the use of chemical ecology approaches and including the use of GM technologies.
Wednesday 17th March 2021
Title: “The Farnborough Man-Carrying Centrifuge”.
Presenter: Sue Adcock
The talk started with a quick introduction to the Royal Air Force’s Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM) followed by a brief history and description of the Farnborough centrifuge. The second half of the talk then covered the effects of G on the human body and described various ways of G protection, with archive film from the centrifuge to illustrate.
Sue Adcock joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough as a research scientist in 1979, after graduating from Oxford University with a degree in Mathematics. Over the next 24 years she was involved in air systems related research and project support, including weapon-aiming systems, flight trials, flight simulation, human factors and operational analysis at the RAE and the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. She gained her Private Pilot’s Licence in 1981 and has flown over 150 hours in RAF fast jets. During the 1990s she participated as a subject in a number of trials on the centrifuge, amassing nearly 600 runs. After retirement, she has been a volunteer at the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust, where she is responsible for running tours of the centrifuge, and has recently been elected a Trustee.
Wednesday 21st April
Title: “Air Pollution – a public health crisis”
Speaker: Sir Stephen Holgate
You cannot see it or smell it, yet in most parts of the world, ‘modern’ air pollution is the greatest threat to public health. Outdoor air pollution has grown by 8% globally in the past 5 years, with billions of people around the world now exposed to dangerous air. Outdoor air pollution causes more than 3–4.5 million deaths a year - more than malaria and HIV/AIDS - and is now the greatest single killer in the world. In the UK alone outdoor air pollution is linked to 35-40,000 excess deaths and costs our country £20bn each year.
Air pollution deals with a complex mixture of particles (PM) and gases a high proportion of which are directly or indirectly related to the burning of fossil fuels, wood fires and other anthropogenic activities. The recent inquest on the death of Ella Kissi-Debrah, aged 9, from devastating asthma, listed for the first-time air pollution as a contributory factor to death on a death certificate and has shone a light on the importance of this invisible killer, especially to those most vulnerable.
Sir Stephen Holgate is Medical Research Council Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology at the University of Southampton with a research interest in the mechanisms of asthma and allergy.
His research has focused on air pollutants, allergens and viruses in driving airway inflammation and remodelling involving injury to the epithelium and aberrant repair. In 2003 he cofounded Synairgen, to develop inhaled interferon beta for the treatment of viral exacerbations of lung disease including COVID-19.
He was the founder chair of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, chair of the Expert Panel on Air quality Standards, the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee, and a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. His list as President of, Chair of, Special Advisor to of many distinguished bodies goes someway to explain why he was knighted last year in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to Medical Research.
Tuesday 18thand Thursday 20th May 2021
Visit: “The Farnborough Man-Carrying Centrifuge
A follow up visit after the presentation of 30th March
Wednesday 16th June 2021
Title “Planet Mercury and the Bepi-Columbo mission”.
Speaker Alan Briggs
Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is the least explored of the four rocky planets of the inner Solar System. It wasn't until 2011 that the first spacecraft, NASA’s probe Messenger, entered orbit around the planet. Mercury is also notoriously difficult to observe from Earth and also very difficult to reach - as well as being incredibly hot. The talk will cover the geology and environment of Mercury, the earlier Messenger and Mariner probes and the latest ESA Bepi Columbo mission which is currently on its seven-year long journey via flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury itself.
Alan joined ICI in the 1970’s, then pioneers in digital process control, to manage the design and build of computerised control systems for chemical plants. As the technology advanced, he moved, in the early 80s, to manage the development of some of the earliest local- and wide-area networking systems for one of the major USA computer companies. This was followed by work on computing and technology projects for a number of major UK companies. In summary - "Proudly crashing computers since 1964". Since retirement he has contributed to the Camberley U3A Science and Technology Group and is now group leader of the Camberley U3A Astronomy & Space Science and Environment & Energy groups.