• Swindon & Wiltshire Events
• Monday October 7 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

New series of science events launches in Swindon

A new series of events exploring science, innovation, and ideas has been launched in Swindon.

The inaugural meeting of Swindon Science Café took place at the iCAST Creative Hub at the Carriage Works last week.

The informal series promises to bring science to life with fascinating talks and lively discussions in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

There are no long lectures – just an engaging, two-way conversation between researchers and an audience of curious minds over a drink.

The Science Café is a new partnership between the University of Bath Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies – iCAST – with the Royal Agricultural University Swindon, Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology, and the Festival of Tomorrow.

The first meeting featured a screening of Cobalt Rush, an award-winning, 20-minute documentary that powerfully tells the story of cobalt extraction from the perspective of artisanal miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the next event, on November 5, delegates will have the chance to discuss how to respond to climate change with Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, an environmental psychologist from the University of Bath.

Professor Whitmarsh is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and regularly advises governmental and other organisations on low-carbon behaviour change and climate change communication.

Whilst the next three events have already been programmed, the organisers asked attendees what issues they’d like to discuss in the future, with suggestions ranging from lab-grown meat to how we can harness AI before AI harnesses us!

Upcoming events include:

• November 5: COP28: How Can People Engage with Climate Change? with Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, University of Bath
• December 3: Soil Health with Dr David O’Connor, Royal Agricultural University
• January 7: Not Just for Christmas: Making the Most of your Christmas Tree with Professor Matthew Davidson, University of Bath / iCAST