Scientific discoveries and developments often make headlines, and in this online discussion group we will explore five topical articles drawn from recent physical sciences and technology journalism.
We will dig more deeply into the underlying scientific concepts, and use what we learn to inform our thinking about where each of these developments might be leading in the future.
We will search for common ground between apparently diverse topics: what can we learn from the properties of snowflakes that we can apply to the containment of toxic waste? How might coatings for self-cleaning windows lead to the development of higher efficiency solar cells? We will dig more deeply into the underlying scientific concepts, see how the same principles crop up in very different circumstances, and use what we learn to inform our thinking about where each of these developments might be leading in the future.
Each week you will be directed to a different article, freely available on the internet. There will be a variety of follow-up material: guided by the tutor’s suggestions, you will be able to learn more about the wider science principles, delve more deeply into the detail, or speculate on the wider implications of each discovery.
- Week 1 – Water in all its shapes and forms
- Week 2 – Smart windows
- Week 3 – Nanotube clean-up
- Week 4 – Toxic water: cleaning up Fukushima
- Week 5 – Travels with solar energy
See the website for full details.
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