Category: Science Group

Friday, July 15th, 2022 was the date of the Science Group’s annual visit to a place of scientific interest. Previously we have ventured to Jodrell Bank, Woolsthorpe Hall (the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton) and guided tours of Papplewick Pumping Station and Bestwood Winding House.

This year we paid a visit to The George Green Windmill and Science Centre in Sneinton. George Green was 14 years old when his father built the windmill and for much of the rest of his life George worked in the windmill. But George Green was also a brilliant mathematician and physicist who from the age of 40 spent 6 years at Caius College at Cambridge University.

We were split into two groups for a guided tour of the Windmill; the group not on the tour were able to spend time in the science centre and the community garden.

Lesson 1 for some potential apprentice Millers

Joan explains to Jean the nuances of Green’s simplified theory of electromagnetism

Sue demonstrating that the human body is a battery

Our guide Sam Boote, who is a member of Keyworth u3a, was very knowledgeable and this is what he wrote to me a day after the visit:
Hello David
Thanks for your comments, and it was a pleasure to meet your members and show them round the mill. Your 2 groups were the most attentive and engaged that I have yet encountered.

It was a good day out and recommended for a family visit especially if you have the pleasure of grandchildren over the school summer break. Following the visit many of us enjoyed a prearranged meal on the way back at The Arrow in Arnold.

Next Meeting: August is a summer break. September 16th we are back at the John Godber Centre at 10.00 am

David Rose
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At the June meeting, our visiting speaker was Mick Leivers, from CAST, which is a community based company in Newstead Village. They provide alternative provision for students from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and Mick described how it all started in 2001 and how it has progressed to provide opportunities for young people to achieve BTEC qualifications in Land Based Studies.

The science link here is managing and respecting the environment. They are active in planning and carrying out project work within Newstead Abbey grounds and the Annesley and Newstead Country Park.

I then gave an introduction to George Green, his background and his achievements in Maths and Science.
Next Meeting: July 15th, 2022
Group visit to The George Green Windmill and Science Centre, Sneinton. Information has been sent to the group members. Thanks for all the replies so far. You will receive further information prior to the visit.

August 2022: No meeting ‘summer break’
September 16th, 2022 we are back at the John Godber Centre at 10 am.

David Rose

May 2022
The recent meeting of our Science Group covered a wide range of topics. Firstly, we looked at Energy in the UK, which has recently become very topical and discussed widely, because of the conflict in Ukraine, which threatens the security of our energy supplies, and also the whole of Western Europe.

In particular, we looked at proposals for generating energy from water power, and the possibilities for a barrage on the River Severn, which was first proposed over 100 years ago.

Members of the group then heard from each other about notable ‘Women in Science’, which they had researched since the last meeting. Two of these women were: Rosalind Franklin, who was instrumental in the early research work on DNA in the early 1950s, and Rachel Carson, who campaigned in the USA against the use of the insecticide DDT. What was notable about these women was that they were largely unrecognized in their time, reflecting attitudes in the 1940s and 1950s.

Finally, we heard about how the importance of Maths gets overlooked, illustrated by the best-selling book ‘Humble Pi – When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World’. Maths is easy to ignore until a misplaced decimal point upends the stock market, a unit conversion error causes a plane to crash, or someone divides by zero and stalls a battleship in the middle of the ocean. Some thought-provoking topics.

Our next meeting will be on Friday, 17th June, 2022.

We have a guest speaker Mick Leivers from CAST who are based in Newstead Village. Mick will be talking about the background to the development of Newstead and Annesley Country Park and their work with vulnerable children who they engage in various land based skills and activities.

After the break there is an opportunity for group members who have still to talk about their woman scientist to give their presentation.

We did not meet in April as it was Good Friday.

The meeting on May 20th, 2022, will be led by John Tedstone who has been researching the various proposals to build the River Severn Barrage. There have been numerous proposed projects over the years, initially to provide a safe harbour and more recently to generate electricity. However it is yet to happen.

Please remember your mini talk (2 minutes max) on the women in science. Bob McEwen will lead this segment and Terry Hill may be making a guest appearance.

David Rose

At our March meeting we had a presentation about the different types of defibrillators and how they work. When the John Godber Centre model arrives we will have a demonstration of how to use it in practice.

Bob McEwen then enlightened us with his interesting illustrated talk about flies. He explained that flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek for two and wings.

Bob explained that Diptera is a large order containing millions of species including horse-flies, crane flies, hoverflies and many others. Although they themselves are usually considered to be annoying pests he explained how they actually help to control a variety of pests. Many dipterans such as bee flies and hoverflies are also important pollinators of crop plants. Other types are scavengers and aid in the decomposition of dead animals and plants.

After the break we had a presentation about weather predicting and the different types of rainfall. Members then selected the name of famous and often unsung women scientists to report back with a max 2 minute summary at a future meeting.

Please note the next meeting is Friday, May 20th, as April 15th is Good Friday.