Session 143

Mindreading and interpersonal attraction

Dr. Peter Mitchell, Nottingham University
18:15, Tuesday 20 November 2018

Most humans are good at mindreading, meaning that they are adept in interpreting signals in other's behavior to infer the cause of that behavior. The behavior in question has a proximal cause (an inner state, such as something the person is thinking), which in turn is related with a distal cause (an event in the world that triggered them to think of something in particular). The research I will present will demonstrate that people are surprisingly skilled at inferring the distal cause of others' behavior, suggesting by implication that they can infer others' inner states. Some people are easier to "read" than others. Recent evidence suggests that people who are easy to read also tend to be perceived as being likeable or interpersonally attractive.

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Age-related changes in synaptic transmission during cognitive decline.

Dr. Stephen Brickley, Imperial College London
18:15, Tuesday 27 November 2018

Cognitive decline is considered an inevitable consequence of ageing with human brain-imaging studies suggesting that functional changes in connectivity underlies this decline. My laboratory is exploring the hypothesis that cognitive decline is caused by changes in the number and/or the strength of synaptic connections. I will briefly describe the longitudinal behavioural strategies we use to monitor changes in cognitive performance. I will then introduce the automated two-photon imaging and 3D tomography techniques we have developed to trace neuronal connections. Finally, I will discuss the feasibility of combining mGRASP (mammalian GFP reconstitution across synaptic partners) with optogenetics to reveal age-related differences in the synaptic weighting of defined neuronal projections. The aim of this work is to better understand the changes taking place in the brain that could explain the inevitable cognitive decline that is associated with ageing.

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Molecules in space: our astrochemical origins

Dr. Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds
18:15, Tuesday 4 December 2018

Molecules are found everywhere in space: in cold and dense clouds in the interstellar medium of galaxies, in planet-forming disks around young stars, and in the atmospheres of hot gas-giant exoplanets. The field of astrochemistry brings together astronomers, physicists, and chemists working on observations, theory, and experiments to increase our understanding of the chemistry that occurs under the extreme conditions in space, and to exploit the information contained within observations that can reveal the chemical, physical, and dynamical properties of astrophysical environments. In this talk I will describe how the origin of complexity seen in our Solar System and that has been exposed in the molecular inventory of comets, has its heritage in the exotic chemistry that happens in the coldest and most quiescent region in space, the interstellar medium. Along the way, I will present results from state-of-the-art space missions and telescopes that are uncovering our astrochemical origins.

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Nature’s secret lubricants: From dinosaurs’ knee joints to artificial hip replacements.

Dr Wuge Briscoe
18:15, Tuesday 10 October 2017

The remarkable ease with which some biological tissue surfaces glide over each other (e.g.in eye blinking and knee joints) has long puzzled and humbled us. The subject of friction and lubrication is as important and relevant today (e.g.in healthcare and industrial applications), as it was in antiquity (e.g. when ancient Egyptians transported stone statues). However, our fundamental understanding of the enigmatic mechanism for biolubrication remains limited.We have critically examined different biolubrication mechanisms, and proposed a hydration lubrication mechanism that points to the fluidity of water molecules as the key to unlock nature’s secret in lubrication.

The secret science of superheroes.

Mark Lorch
18:15, Tuesday 17 October 2017

Ever wondered what a superhero eats for breakfast? Do they need a special diet to feed their superpowers? The odd metabolisms of superheroes must mean they have strange dietary needs, from the high calorie diets to fuel flaming bodies and super speeds, to not so obvious requirements for vitamins and minerals. The Secret Science of Superheroes looks at the underpinning chemistry, physics and biology needed for their superpowers. Take a look at synthesising elements on demand, genetic evolution and what superhero suits could be made of. These topics introduce a wide range of scientific concepts, from protein chemistry to particle physics for a general scientifically interested audience.

Field Sports and Bedroom Sports the Answer.

Jan Knight
18:15, Tuesday 24 October 2017

The talk will cover applications of the bioluminescent protein Pholasin® (derived from the rock boring mollusc Pholas dactylus) to the measurement of reactive oxygen species produced by activated leucocytes. We relate this activation in elite athletes to different states of fatigue, infection, inflammation, stress, anxiety and over training and when measuring leucocytes from urine identify very early sexually transmitted infections.

Careers Night.

18:15, Tuesday 31 October 2017

Various guest speakers, an informal evening before reading week. (Emily Weal – Patent Solicitor, Tom Macdonald - Fellow, Emily Gascoigne – Civil Servant, Dr. Fred Parrett - Chairman. - SCI London Group ).

Making replacement body parts in the lab.

Dr. Nicholas Evans
18:15, Tuesday 14 November 2017

Sometimes we may get so ill or injured that tissues and organs need replacing completely. Surgeons may try and do this by transplanting tissue from one person to another, but often there simply aren’t enough replacement organs to go round. Scientists, like me, are trying to find out ways to grow replacement body parts in the lab or to stimulate the body to make its own replacement tissue. Come and find out how we’re trying to do this by using stem cells, drugs and biomaterials. Nick is an Associate Professor in Bioengineering at the University of Southampton. He completed a PhD at King's College London and then he worked as an MRC postdoctoral fellow at Imperial College researching embryonic stem cells. He now leads a research team at Southampton working on of stem cells and regenerative medicine, particularly bone and skin. He also hosts a science podcast called TheScienceShed with his friend Steve Lee (https://soundcloud.com/the-science-shed). When not doing science, he likes to play bass guitar and goes mountain biking in the dark. Also he plays piano badly, likes live music and enjoys a pint or two of real ale. www.evanslab.co.uk; @theevanslab

Visit to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.

18:15, Tuesday 21 November 2017

Join the CPS for their annual away day; this time hosted at the mysterious, magical and mummified Petrie museum! The Petrie museum houses one of the greatest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world.It promises to host an evening you will never forget, housing around 80,000 objects. Whether you prefer to take in the fashion of the Taekhan or bead net dresses, or be awed by Akhenaten and the rays of the sun god Aten you won’t be disappointed. You’ll go potty for pottery when you see the beautiful objects from Meroë or the creepy skeletons inside the pot burials! A half an hour talk will be followed by a wine reception, giving you a chance to have a closer look at the artefacts!

Chemistry and Global Challenges.

Prof. Richard Catlow FRS
18:15, Tuesday 28 November 2017

In his illustrious career, amongst other things Richard Catlow’s research has developed and applied computer models to solid state and materials chemistry — areas of chemistry that investigate the synthesis, structure and properties of materials in the solid phase. By combining his powerful computational methods with experiments, Richard has made considerable contributions to areas as diverse as catalysis and mineralogy. His approach has also advanced our understanding of how defects — missing or extra atoms — in the structure of solids can result in non-stoichiometric compounds. Such compounds have special electrical or chemical properties since their contributing elements are present in slightly different proportions to those predicted by chemical formula. Richard’s work has offered insight into mechanisms of industrial catalysts, especially involving microporous materials and metal oxides. In structural chemistry and mineralogy. Simulation

methods are now routinely used to predict the structures of complex solids and silicates, respectively, thanks to Richard’s demonstrations of their power. The combination of this research and his position as the Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society put Richard in an ideal position to talk to the CPS about chemistry and the global challenges facing the world today.

New Directions for Catalysts: Advanced Biofuels to Self-Healing Planes

Prof. Duncan Wass, University of Bristol.
18:15, Tuesday 2 October 2018

Catalysts are the technology at the heart of the majority of industrial chemical processes, their ability to selectively and efficiently convert simple chemical building blocks into more advanced materials being crucial in these processes. This lecture will present two new directions for catalysts from my research group. Firstly, the discovery of catalysts for the upgrading of simple alcohols such as (bio) methanol and ethanol into drop-in replacements for liquid fuels such as petrol will be described. We have extended this technology to be tolerant to real fermentation broths, using alcohols drinks such as beer as a model feedstock. Secondly, we have been working on the development of self-healing carbon fibre reinforced composite materials of the type widely used in aerospace applications. Again, catalysts are the technology at the heart of achieving new materials that can repair themselves with almost full recovery of mechanical properties.

Molecules of Murder

Dr. John Emsley, Science Writer.
18:15, Tuesday 9 October 2018

Urban water fingerprinting to inform the state of the environment and public health

Dr. Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, University of Bath
18:15, Tuesday 16 October 2018

A new approach in public health epidemiology utilizing urban water fingerprinting with hyphenated mass spectrometry techniques has been recently pioneered to provide near real-time measurements of public health. Urban water fingerprinting provides anonymised but comprehensive and objective information on the health status of a population and surrounding environment in real time as urban water (sewerage system and receiving aqueous environment) pools the endo- and exogenous biomarkers of that population.
This cutting-edge approach of extracting epidemiological information from urban water emerged from Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE). WBE was developed in a strong cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary collaborative ethos within SCORE (www.score-cost.eu) and SEWPROF teams (www.sewprofitn.eu), and although still in its infancy, WBE is currently used to report on community-wide illicit drug use trends and feeds into the Europe-wide evidence based early warning system by European Agency for Drugs and Drug Addiction (http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/wastewater-analysis).
This talk will introduce the concept and its rapid advances. It will focus on pharmacologically active compounds in urban water and their stereochemistry in the context of environmental risk assessment. It will also explore new avenues in the utilization of urban water fingerprinting in the assessment of population health and health risk prediction.

Mental images and memory processes as therapeutic targets for cocaine use disorder.

Dr. John Marsden, King's College London
18:15, Tuesday 23 October 2018

Addiction is caused by exposure and physical and mental adaptation. Addiction is treatable; but some disorders have proved resistant to medications and psychological therapies. Focusing on cocaine use disorder (CUD), John Marsden will outline learning processes that underpin and maintain CUD and describe the rationale, procedures, preliminary evidence and implications of a novel cognitive therapy.

Smart Materials

Dr. Anna Ploszajski, University College London
18:15, Tuesday 13 November 2018

Smart materials allow solid objects to sense, adapt, morph and respond to their environment. Properties like shape and colour become transient upon changes like temperature, light levels, moisture, pressure or magnetism. Many examples of smart materials exist today, but their widespread adoption has been limited. In this talk, award-winning materials engineer Dr Anna Ploszajski will explore why these remarkable materials have proven so difficult to handle, and where we might expect to see them impact our lives in the future.

The Shocking History of Phosphorus

Dr John Emsley, Science Writer
18:15, Tuesday 9 January 2018

This is the biography of a terrifying chemical element, one that was discovered long before humans were capable of controlling its awesome power. Born of the age of alchemy, and harbouring a kind of mysterious power, it brought wealth to a few and misery to many. For more than 300 years, phosphorus maimed, killed, polluted and burned–sometimes on terrifying scale. Yet such were its perceived benefits that doctors prescribed it, every home contained it, and whole industries were dedicated to its manufacture. It also provoked a reaction among young women workers that is today seen as the start of the feminist movement.

Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Experience

David Luke, University of Greenwich
18:15, Tuesday 16 January 2018

Otherworlds the talk is based on the book; a psychonautic scientific trip to the weirdest outposts of the psychedelic terrain, inhaling anything and everything relevant from psychology, psychiatry, parapsychology, anthropology, neuroscience, ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, biochemistry, religious studies, cultural history, shamanism and the occult along the way. Staring the strange straight in the third eye this eclectic exploration of otherworldly entheogenic research delivers a comprehensive and yet ragtaglledy scientific survey of syanaesthesia, extra-dimensional percepts, inter-species communication, eco-consciousness, mediumship, possession, entity encounters, near-death and out-of-body experiences, psi, alien abduction experiences and lycanthropy. Essentially, its everything you ever wanted to know about weird psychedelic experiences, but were too afraid to ask…  ​ 

Dr David Luke is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich where he has been teaching an undergraduate course on the Psychology of Exceptional Human Experience since 2009. His research focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics, having published more than 100 academic papers in this area, including seven books, most recently Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience (2017). David is also director of the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon at the Institute of Ecotechnics, London, and is a cofounder and director of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness. He has given over 200 invited public lectures and conference presentations, won both teaching and research awards, organised numerous festivals, conferences, seminars, retreats, expeditions and pilgrimages, and has studied techniques of consciousness alteration from South America to India, from the perspective of scientists, shamans and Shivaites, but increasingly has more questions than answers. 

Ketamine, Glutamate and Brain Imaging

James Stone, Kings College London
18:15, Tuesday 23 January 2018

The recent interest in the potential for ketamine as an antidepressant has led to speculation about the possible mechanisms that might underlie this effect. Although they do not permit the study of intracellular mechanisms, neuroimaging methods allow the study of biologically relevant changes in brain function and neurochemistry, which may help to elucidate the processes underlying the therapeutic benefit of ketamine in patients with depression. In this presentation, I will discuss current theories about the biological underpinnings of the antidepressant effects of ketamine. I will discuss the acute and subacute effects of ketamine on brain glutamate levels, as measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. I will also discuss ketamine effects on functional connectivity, blood flow and neuroreceptor binding, and consider how these might be related to its antidepressant properties. 

From Star Trek to Medical Imaging – the Physics of MRI

Prof. Penny Gowland, Nottingham University
18:15, Tuesday 30 January 2018

MRI is a highly versatile non-invasive medical imaging technique. It is commonly thought of as a method of detecting anatomical abnormalities in radiological diagnosis. However it is also a fantastic technique for studying dynamic changes in physiology and metabolism in both health and disease. This makes it very useful for experimental medicine studies, aiming to better understand and characterize disease and to investigate the mechanisms of different treatments. This talk will explain briefly how MRI works and explain how it can be used across of range of conditions from neurology to obstetrics. 

Analytical techniques to determine material properties of a Tudor Collection

Eleanor Schofield, The Mary Rose Trust
18:15, Tuesday 6 February 2018

The Mary Rose Trust is home to Henry VIIIs warship and many associated artefacts. The collection has a range of artefacts in terms of size, material, degree of degradation and function. It comprises items needed for everyday survival in Tudor times, an impressive array of weapons and also personal items such as clothing, combs and playing dice. This talk will explore some of the analytical techniques used to determine material properties and how this information is used to inform future conservation strategies and ensure this unique collection is kept stable for years to come. 

The Black Stuff: Bitumen and Asphalt

Dr. Fred Parrett- Technical Developments and Chairman SCI London group
18:15, Tuesday 20 February 2018

We drive on it, walk on it, it waterproofs and protects buildings and structures, but many never realise the science, engineering and chemistry behind asphalt and bitumen. A very large number of organic molecules are found in bitumens ranging from the simplest organic molecule, to large polymeric molecules having molecular weights in excess of 15,000. Hundreds of organic molecules representing paraffinic, olefinic, aromatic and heterocyclic structures with various functional groups have been identified. The ever-increasing demands to improve the material properties of this complex material has resulted in interesting developments. It's not just about roads and paving - bitumen itself is used in a whole range of materials.

Presidential Lecture: Nano-bots: movie fiction or scientific innovation?

Dr. Gemma-Louise Davies
18:15, Tuesday 6 March 2018

Gemma-Louise graduated from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) with a Degree in Natural Sciences (Mod. Chemistry) and remained there to undertake a PhD in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, which she was awarded in 2011. Following a brief industry-supported Postdoctoral position in Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), Gemma-Louise moved to the University of Oxford as a Postdoctoral Research Associate for 2 years. In 2013, she joined the University of Warwick as a Global Research Fellow, where she began her independent research career. In July 2017, Gemma-Louise joined the Department of Chemistry at University College London (UCL), UK, as a Lecturer in Materials Chemistry. Her research focuses on designing and developing materials to understand and solve current healthcare challenges, overcome obstacles in important industrial processes and assess the fate of nanomaterials in the environment

A Dead Cert? – Can VOC measurements of decomposition be used to enhance victim recovery detection dogs?

Dr Jonathon Brooks, University of Leicester
18:15, Tuesday 13 March 2018

The breakdown of biological tissue during mammalian decomposition results in the production of both gases and liquids.  The majority of these gases are inorganic of nature, e.g. CO₂ and NH₃, however a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are also present. These volatile substances are intermediate products of decomposition produced when large macro-molecules such as proteins, are broken down. Victim recovery dogs can be trained to detect this unique mixture of volatiles to allow their use in victim recovery.  Currently there exists no standardised method of police dog training across the UK, with different police forces implementing diverse training techniques using a variety of sample types. With the current lack of scientific basis to the training and a deficiency in funding, the effectiveness of police dogs has been met with criticism. The University of Leicester is currently applying a variety of analytical techniques to identify and quantify the volatile profile of decomposition in real life scenarios.

Wine is a Solution 2018

Dr Stephen Potts, UCL
18:15, Tuesday 20 March 2018

Come and join us as we take an interactive and scientific view on what’s in our glass. We will go through the correct tasting technique before experiencing the key flavours in wine by creating our own “blend”, before looking at the compounds responsible for certain flavour characteristics. We will taste examples of wine from three different grape varieties and discover that where the grapes are grown and how the wine is prepared can significantly affect the style and flavour. You will then test the knowledge you’ve gained by identifying a mystery wine.

Places are strictly limited and if you are interested in attending please email oliver.vas.15@ucl.ac.uk

This event is strictly CPS members only.

Please note: due to the methods used for wine clarification, this event may not be suitable for vegetarians. Please email s.potts@ucl.ac.uk if you’re not sure.