Learn how natural selection explains the origin of adaptation in living organisms and discover the roles that sexual and kin selection play in the evolutionary process. Dr Ed Turner will explore the recent revolution in thinking about evolutionary biology.
How fast do bats fly? What’s the fastest animal on earth? Discover answers to these and loads more amazing ‘animal athlete’ questions. Plus: see snake strike speed, slimy snail strategy, rodent recall and ‘itchy insects – to infinity and beyond’! Junior education team representatives will be on hand with more fun facts.
Can a cat hidden in a box be simultaneously alive and dead? Emily Caddick suggests a new account of how to understand Schrödinger's infamous thought-experiment, used to illustrate the paradoxes of quantum mechanics.
From steel and concrete to silicon chips and liquid crystals, materials science has given us the building blocks of technology. We will take a look at the extraordinary microscopic structures inside some everyday materials, and see how these influence the uses to which they can be put.
Portland Folk Club presents a talk and concert exploring the acoustic properties of stringed instruments. Professor Jim Woodhouse will discuss how instrument makers control the tone and loudness of their products. Cellist Anna Bull and guitarist/banjoist/fiddler and singer Robin Gillan will play stirring re-interpretations of traditional English and American tunes and songs.
