Heathfield & District

Science and Technology

The next Science Group Meeting is on the 20th February 2020

Discussion Topic for the next meeting: 'Sleeping'

Future meeting dates include:

  • 7th March - Visit to Brede Pumping Station - U3A members can contact convenor to join this visit.
  • 19th March - TBC (? Artificial Intelligence - can AI be creative?)
  • 16th April - Probability - Nicos Georgiou - Sussex Uni.
  • 21st May - TBC
  • 18th June - The Science of Cancer Research - Mike Clemens - University of London.

If you would be interested to come along to our meetings please give the convenor a call - contact details are below.

Objectives of the Science Group:

My hope is to provide an environment in which scientific and technological topics can be informally explored so that each of us can learn from each other as well as listening to experts in their fields and visiting sites where the effective implementation of science and technology is demonstrated.

It is worth remembering that scientific and technical knowledge has been developed over millenia so as a group it might also be interesting to explore the historical development of science and technology and how we have got to where we are today and the impact it has had on our way of life: social, political and economic.

One only has to browse ‘New Scientist’ or a similar publication to realise the range of topics that we as a group might cover.

But what, in fact, we cover is up to us!

The Science group meets at 10.00 am for a couple of hours on the third Thursday of every month at:

1 Little Bathurst Cottages
Cowbeech Road
Rushlake Green
Heathfield
TN21 9QA

There is plenty of parking in the drive or on the road in front of the house - do beware fast moving traffic!

Your Convenor is Robin Nicholson who can be contacted on 01435 830 934

Past Topics have included:

  • Mass Transport Systems
  • Pros and Cons of GMO
  • Cypher Technology
  • Health and Nutrition
  • Pharmaceutical Research
  • Artificial Intelligence (Part 1 and Part 2)
  • Intelligence versus Intuition
  • LHC/Big Bang/particle physics
  • Pythagorus and his theorem
  • The making of fireworks - with practical demonstration
  • Evolution of the eye
  • Chemistry of cooking (Parts 1 and 2)
  • Meteorology (Parts 1 and II) - troposphere
  • Evolution of Rocks and Minerals
  • Practical Flight - at Headcorn airfield
  • The Rare Earth Hypothesis
  • Climate Change (Parts 1 and 2)
  • NASA, Houston and the Mars mission
  • Chemical and Quantum bonds (Parts 1 and 2)
  • Quantum Magic - you've just got to believe it!
  • Drones with a demonstration.
  • Mining Critical Metals for the Green Economy.
  • Driverless Cars - or Boy's toys?
  • The Story of the Nobel - and igNobel prizes.
  • The Physics of Music: why G Sharp is not the same as F Flat.
  • Human reliability
  • Nutrition - low fat - wrong evidence!
  • Did the Flood happen or did Noah get it wrong?
  • Obesity
  • Living with Plastic
  • Renewable Technologies: Pros and Cons
  • Driverless Cars
  • The inexorable march of time - or not!
  • The science of aging
  • Questions on Astronomy that you have never got around to asking
  • Fracking

Books, Discussion notes and Meeting Notes from all past meetings

The Science Group maintains a DropBox store of Notes, powerpoint presentations etc. prepared by members and used at our meetings. We also have a list of books that members have felt would be of interest and the notes of past meetings.

You can access these by going to our Dropbox at the link on the right hand side of this page.

Please note that the content of this DropBox is the property of Heathfield and District U3A Science group and / or the Author and may not be copied, used or published elsewhere without the Consent of the Group. Please contact the Convenor should you wish to make use of this material.

List of future topics:

Members of the group are asked to suggest topics for discussion, and if they wish, offer to introduce them. Our approach is 'discussion' rather than 'lecture', thus the person introducing a topic may do so in order to learn more about it rather than lecture on it.

The list below shows topics that have been identified for future discussion:

  • AI in the home: Brainstorm!
  • Impact of Electronic Devices on Humanity
  • Cyber warfare
  • Energy Distribution
  • Crypto currencies
  • Artificial Intelligence

If you would be interested in joining us or finding out more please do give me a call on 01435 830 934

Robin Nicholson – 17th February 2020

More Group Pages
Antiques and Collectables Art and Painting Art Appreciation Bird Watching
Book Club - Chapter 1 Book Club - Chapter 2 Book Club Chapter 3 Coffee Mornings
Cookalong Cooking up a Storm Craft and Natter Crafting4Fun
Creative Writing 4 Fun Exploring London on Foot French Garden Visits
Gardening Gardening4Fun Historical Inns of Sussex History
Just Walking Mah Jong Mah Jong - Begin/Improve/returners Photography
Poetry Rummikub Rummikub Two Spanish Conversation
The Play Readers Act One Theatre & Live Music Walking Writing for Pleasure
More Group Pages
Antiques and Collectables Art and Painting
Art Appreciation Bird Watching
Book Club - Chapter 1 Book Club - Chapter 2
Book Club Chapter 3 Coffee Mornings
Cookalong Cooking up a Storm
Craft and Natter Crafting4Fun
Creative Writing 4 Fun Exploring London on Foot
French Garden Visits
Gardening Gardening4Fun
Historical Inns of Sussex History
Just Walking Mah Jong
Mah Jong - Begin/Improve/returners Photography
Poetry Rummikub
Rummikub Two Spanish Conversation
The Play Readers Act One Theatre & Live Music
Walking Writing for Pleasure