This fascinating weekly lecture series is delivered by world-leading UCC STEM academics and is open to the public.
The lectures will outline the nature of science, the type of knowledge discovered by science and the types of question that science cannot answer. They will look at the role of science in modern society, in the modern developed economy, and the broad ethical issues raised by scientific and technological advances. The interface between science and religion, and science and the environment will also be examined, along with some of the ways in which science can be misused.
Date |
Topic |
Lecturer |
Tuesday 17 January |
How science works |
Prof Alan Kelly |
Thursday 19 January |
The ethics of science communication |
Prof Alan Kelly |
Tuesday 24 January |
Food processing: a problem or a solution? |
Prof Alan Kelly |
Thursday 26 January |
What has science discovered about the natural physical world (part 1)? |
Prof Paul Callanan |
Tuesday 31 January |
What has science discovered about the natural physical world (part 2)? |
Prof Paul Callanan |
Thursday 2 February |
Can wind power allow us reach net zero emissions? |
Prof Jerry Murphy |
Tuesday 7 February |
When science goes wrong; Eugenics and the Nazis, weapons of mass destruction and environmental pollution |
Dr Michael Whelan |
Thursday 9 February |
Properties of the human microbiome |
Prof Paul O’Toole |
Tuesday 14 February |
The gut microbiome in health and disease |
Prof Paul O’Toole |
Thursday 16 February |
Darwinian evolution: past, present and future I |
Dr Tom Reed |
Tuesday 21 February |
Darwinian evolution: past, present and future II |
Dr Tom Reed |
Thursday 23 February |
An overview of artificial intelligence and machine learning |
Prof Barry O’Sullivan |
Thursday 2 March |
The ethics of artificial intelligence |
Prof Barry O’Sullivan |
Tuesday 7 March |
Plant based foods: sustainable and nutritious? |
Dr Aylin Sahin |
Thursday 9 March |
Advances in Genetic Engineering |
Prof Tommie McCarthy |
Tuesday 14 March |
Mathematics and society |
Dr Tom Carroll |
Tuesday 21 March |
Can the food we eat really make us smarter? |
Dr Elaine McCarthy |
Thursday 23 March |
Science and the environment |
Dr Michelle McKeown |
Tuesday 28 March |
Evolution of parent-offspring conflict |
Dr Tom Moore |
Thursday 30 March |
Obesity: the everyday pandemic |
Dr Majella O’Keeffe |
Tuesday 4 April |
Some milestones in Ireland’s scientific heritage |
Dr Declan Kennedy |
Thursday 6 April |
Globalised efforts to combat infectious disease |
Prof Ger Killeen |
Lectures are free to attend and all are welcome. Register your attendance here