Science Cafe

People sat round tables in a hall watching two people speaking at the front of the room.

26June

Science Cafe

Talk Doors: 6:45 pm Show Starts: 7:30 pm

Advance Price: £6 Students in full-time education : £0

Our regular Science Cafe returns once more with a veritable cornucopia of science. Each speaker has a quarter of an hour to talk, then you, the audience, take over. Whether you want to grill the speaker about generalities or pose a particular problem, the floor is yours. Our cafe is just the place to sample some new science – and something from the bar!

Students in fulltime education FREE

The Weird World of Computational (Bio)Physics
- Dr Ben Hanson, Physics Education Research Group, University of Leeds
  - You may have heard that physics is “the difficult one” of the fundamental sciences. Combining it with biology, computer science, and a sprinkling of philosophy, then, might sound impossible! In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. A well-rounded view of the scientific story is exactly what is needed to better our understanding of the world around us.
  - In this session I will briefly introduce my field of interest, biological physics, where we’ll learn how physics can be used to assist biologists in understanding the most complex of systems: life itself. We’ll then look at how we can use modern technology to better showcase physics, by creating virtual reality representations of physical systems!

Trends in Air Quality in West Yorkshire
- Dr. Jim McQuaid, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
  - Whilst air quality in the UK continues to decline, new technological advances have meant that many cities now have several sites measuring air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM2.5). In it’s State of Global Air report in 2024, the World Bank stated that “Air pollution accounted for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021, becoming the second leading risk factor for death, including for children under five years”
  - Even in the UK, it is thought annual mortality of human-made air pollution in the UK is roughly equivalent to between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths every year . In this talk I with present the Sensing Leeds network of PM2.5 measurements which is the largest deployment in the UK outside of London. The high spatial resolution means that it is possible to delve into the drivers of air pollution across the city. I will also demonstrate new visual tools including our new Air Quality Stripes which we can use to illustrate trends in air pollution.

Vital plumbing: What our blood vessels do for us
- Dr Kirsten Riches-Suman, School of Chemistry & Biosciences, University of Bradford
  - Our blood vessels are amazing and quite literally keep us alive. They are far more than just simple tubes that take blood around our body, with an incredible diversity in how they function and behave not only between different people, but even within the same person. Come and join me for a whistle stop tour introducing the building blocks of the blood vessels. I’ll explain how they work, what can go wrong, and how I’m looking at improving the way that they function in both health and disease.

Showings

Show: 26 June 2025, 7:30 pm
Doors: 6:45 pm
Tickets Available
Buy Ticket

Further Details

Act's Website: https://otleysciencefestival.co.uk

Otley Courthouse

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Doors: 10:30 am Show Starts: 10:30 am

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Doors: 10:30 am Show Starts: 10:30 am

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Doors: 10:30 am Show Starts: 10:30 am

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Close up shot of children playing bells.

20Aug

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Children’s Music and Storytelling Workshop

Doors: 10:30 am Show Starts: 10:30 am

£26

Creative music and art workshop for ages 7–12. Explore rhythm, instruments and storytelling in a fun, hands-on day.

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21Aug

Family

Children’s Music and Storytelling Workshop

Doors: 10:30 am Show Starts: 10:30 am

£26

Creative music and art workshop for ages 7–12. Explore rhythm, instruments and storytelling in a fun, hands-on day.

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24Aug

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Doors: 10:30 am Show Starts: 10:30 am

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Doors: 2:00 pm Show Starts: 2:00 pm

£7

Afternoon creative workshop for ages 0–5 with finger painting, storytelling, puppets and rhymes. A relaxed, hands-on session for young children and carers.

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