2018
UCC welcomes budding teen forensic detectives
UCC will this week open its laboratory doors to budding young forensic scientists, inviting children and teens in to learn what it takes to solve a crime.
With the rise of true crime podcasts and TV shows such as Making A Murderer, we have become a nation of armchair detectives. But what’s really involved in cracking a case? On Friday, September 28, UCC will reveal all in an exciting workshop.
Participants will meet chemistry and forensic researchers, and learn how the experts chemically test evidence from a crime scene – from taking fingerprints to preparing footprint casts to match to criminal databases.
The workshop is being run as part of Cork Discovers – A World of Research, an event which aims to find fun ways of explaining research to the public.
Professor Anita Maguire, Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC, explains:
“Events such as Cork Discovers provide an ideal opportunity to demystify research to a broad audience and inspire the researchers of the future. The forensic chemistry workshop is an excellent example of how recent developments in science impact on the real world.”
This exciting workshop is just one of over 40 fun free events taking place in venues across Cork City, as part of Cork Discovers. There is something for everyone in this year’s line-up, which you can check out in full through this link: http://corkdiscovers.org/programme/
Here’s a taste of what’s to come:
- UCC’s Western Gateway Building will host an open night with an exhibition and over 20 demos, talks and workshops. Learn how to extract DNA from a banana; find out what’s involved in making the perfect crisp, and map the soundscape of Cork City. [Drop-in event, 17:00 – 20:00]
- Nano Nagle Place will host every Star Wars fan’s dream workshop, where attendees will get to help researchers build a 3-D model of a Jedi Island and make their own personalised gift to take home. [Scheduled event, 17:00 – 17:50; 18:10 – 19:00)
- At Blackrock Observatory, researchers will invite participants to ponder how artificial intelligence will challenge the way we currently see the world, while others will urge you to consider whether memories can really be trusted. [Scheduled events, 19:00 – 22:00]
- Cork Public Museum will explore what prehistoric people ate, how they made their clothes and prepared their food. Those who attend will even get to try the products of a butter churning demonstration with prehistoric-style bread! [Scheduled event, 15:00 – 19:00]
For the full event programme and the latest information on Cork Discovers, please visit www.CorkDiscovers.org.
This event is part of European Researchers’ Night (ERN), which will run across 27 countries on September 28, 2018. Cork Discovers is a collaboration between University College Cork, Teagasc, Cork City Council and UCC Academy, and features research from UCC, Teagasc and CIT
For more on this story contact:
Judie Russell, Awareness Lead at Cork Discovers – A World of Research. Email: judie.russell@ucc.ie, Mob: 087 1826196.
or Jane Haynes, UCC Marketing & Communications Email: jane.haynes@ucc.ie, Tel : 021 4903383