Public lectures
Forensic Science
This informative and entertaining lecture has been given a number of times at various locations in South Wales. Dr Mark Elliott explains the science behind DNA profiling in an accessible and non-technical way, in a presentation which includes examples from recent and historical crimes and a demonstration of the extraction of DNA.
Contact
Dr Mark Elliott
Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry and Director of UG Studies
- elliottmc@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 4686
What Do Chemists Do, and Aren't All Chemicals Bad For You?
Dr Mark Elliott explains what chemists do in industry (including the pharmaceutical industry and forensic science) and challenges the commonly held perception that chemicals are bad for us. This presentation covers a range of topics and addresses questions such as 'what is a chemical and what is natural?' and 'what is the environmental impact of chemical processes?'
Contact
Dr Mark Elliott
Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry and Director of UG Studies
- elliottmc@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 4686
Nanotechnology - is it new ?
This lecture explores the origins of nanotechnology, discussing the role of commonly used nano-materials in cave painting, food and other domestic products as well as more esoteric potential applications such as nano-bots.
Contact
Dr Alison Paul
Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry
- paula3@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 0419
What Drives a Catalytic Converter?
Stan Golunski describes how legislation forced the introduction of technology for automotive emission control, which led to the development of the three-way catalytic converter. However, with the requirement for higher fuel economy and lower carbon emissions, a whole new set of challenges has emerged. So, what will replace that great combination of petrol engine and three-way catalyst?
Contact
Shape and Form in the World of Crystals
The lecture will follow a journey through the world of crystals, discussing some issues of scientific and technological importance that depend (often critically) upon understanding the shapes of crystals, understanding the arrangements of atoms and molecules within crystals, and in particular, understanding how scientists nowadays can exert control over these properties.
Contact
Professor Kenneth Harris
Distinguished Research Professor
- harriskdm@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 0133
The Dynamic Life of Crystals
Crystalline solids are typically portrayed as static arrangements of atoms, interred forever in lifeless regularity. This lecture will dispel this myth, taking the audience on a journey from the birth of crystals to the remarkable range of transformations and dynamic processes that they can undergo during their lifetime, many of which have vitally important consequences in the role of crystalline materials in the world around us.
Contact
Professor Kenneth Harris
Distinguished Research Professor
- harriskdm@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 0133