Science Today: Public Lectures Series 2013 | Tommie Grant

The UCC Public Lectures Series 2013 kicked off recently with the aim of making a diverse range of science and technology topics accessible to the public. This series has become a “highlight of the academic calendar” and is not to be missed by science buffs. Lectures, covering issues ranging from a philosophical look at human free will to the modern use of antibiotics, will be open to students and the public alike. Having commenced on the Wednesday the 16^th of January, each lecture will take place in Boole 4 at 8:00pm on Wednesdays, before the series concludes on the 27^th of March.The annual series is being organised by Professor William J. Reville of UCC’s Department of Biochemistry with an aim to “demonstrate the cutting-edge research and development we carry out at UCC”. While it is hoped that interest will be sparked in science related subjects as a result, these talks also seek to highlight UCC’s contribution to new innovative technology.The varied subject matters explored means that everyone’s interests are accounted for in these sessions, regardless of which field of science that interest may lay. Topics discussed include health which will be examined in Professor Paul O’Toole’s presentation “Healthier aging: The role of diet and gut bacteria”. Professor Mike Gibney will also address health issues in an attempt to dispel various myths which surround obesity and nutrition. Contrastingly ground-breaking new technology being pioneered by UCC alumni will also be discussed. Reliable electricity supply will be discussed by Dr Paul Leahy, while Dr Conor O'Mahony of the Tyndall National institute UCC, will discuss revolutionary micro needle technology  which will allow for the painless administration of vaccines.If the vast variety of issues being discussed is not enough to peak your interest, perhaps the list of distinguished speakers lined up to speak may do so. Professor Santiago Sia, a former Dean of Philosophy at the Milltown Institute Dublin and Professor David Sheehan, whose published over 90 peer-reviewed papers and four books, are just two examples of the several speakers whose impressive reputations proceed them and extend not only into their specific fields but to the scientific community at large.  Most of the lectures will be “delivered by UCC academic staff, illustrating the range of cutting-edge research underway in UCC” according to Professor William J. Reville.Although it may be too late to catch the initial few sessions all lectures are recorded and are available on the UCC Understanding Science website, as is the full itinerary of lectures.