2021 Festival

Natural Nurture

Join pharmacist Adam Turner as he uncovers the way nature has helped us develop new drugs and medicines. Plants and animals have long influenced drug discovery, but what does the future hold?

A Pollutants Tale

A fun and visual science demonstration explaining some atmospheric science along with the science behind climate change and a few ways to help solve the current issues.

More Than CO2: Positive Feedback Loops in Climate Change

Find out more about how the rise in global temperatures is triggering a series of events that are causing further warming through positive feedback loops, which could cause climate change to spiral out of control.

Science at Home - Pathology

What can be found at home to decalcify and eggshell and leave you with a bouncy egg?? This activity looks at the decalcification process and explains why it's important in helping to look after patients, and it does so by using things than can be found around the home.

Science at Home - Microbes

How clean are your hands? As we can't be with anybody this year to carry out this fun activity we want to see your attempts at home by using bread!!! Simply use bread to show the difference between clean and dirty hands. We have seen over the past year how important it is to wash hands correctly.

Nano-experiments! See DNA and a sweet self-assembly

Nano-experiments! But, what's "nano"? In this workshop you will learn what is "nano" and watch two short "nano"-experiments you can try at home. On the first experiment, we will see how to extract DNA and be able to visualise it thanks to its capacity to self-assemble (to get really packed! in an organised way...). And on the second experiment, we will explore a bit more what "self-assemble" means by creating sweet gummy beads, and we will understand why this process is so interesting for nanotechnology and nanomedicine.

Discovering DNA, Genetics & Genomics Quiz

An online quiz comprising of 10 multiple choice questions about DNA, genetics and genomics.

Cells, Immunity and COVID 19 

Swansea University Medical School 2021 Webinar Series - 'Cells, Immunity and COVID - 19' 

Human Cell Culture 

Watch this Virtual Taster Lecture with Swansea University's Dr Aidan Seeley on ‘Cell Culture'. 

Neuroscience of Revising 

Listen to Professor Phil Newton talk about the Neuroscience of Learning and how understanding this can help students with revision. 

Conflict as a Global Health Problem 

Listen to Dr Jodie Croxall and Dr Louise Cleobury from Swansea University Medical School for a lecture on Conflict as a Global Health Problem. 

Where my BSc Degree has Taken Me: Out of the Desert and into the Sea 

20 years in the life of an academic – from Undergraduate BSc Genetics at Swansea University to Professor of Genotoxicology and Cancer. 

DNA Damage 

Lecture given by Dr George Johnson from Swansea University Medical School on his research into DNA damage. 

Nuclear Pharmacy: When the Drug is as Dangerous as the Disease 

Professor Andrew Morris, Head of Pharmacy at Swansea University Medical School, explores the fundamentals of nuclear medicine and radiopharmacy and an account of the fantastic new radiopharmacy facilities at Swansea Bay University Health Board. 

Employing Genetics and Genomics in Healthcare 

Join Dr Wendy Francis for her lecture on 'Employing Genetics and Genomics in Healthcare'. 

The Heart - Its Anatomy, How it Works and More 

A live session with anatomical model demonstrations of the main structures of the heart and the function and position of the heart in the chest. 

Blood Tests for Cancer 

Professor Gareth Jenkins from Swansea University Medical School hosts a taster lecture on the increasing importance of blood tests (so-called liquid biopsies) in the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer development. 

Counterfeit Drugs 

This session Dr Amira Guirguis of Swansea University Medical School will describe the harms of counterfeit drugs and the role of pharmacists in tackling this issue. 

The Brilliant Brain!

Join Neuroscientist Dr Emma Yhnell on a tour through the blooming brilliant brain. We'll delve in through the skull and under the meninges to explore what's going on in our brains and what happens when brains get poorly. Don't forget to bring along your questions as we'll have plenty of time for those at the end of the session.

Careers in STEM at USW

This session will showcase what an exciting future in STEM could look like. You will get an overview of the variety of STEM courses on offer at USW, and an insight into the support students receive to understand the steps they need to take to secure a future in STEM.

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

Gyrfaoedd STEM ym MhDC

Mae'r cyflwyniad hwn yn dangos i fyfyrwyr ysgol a choleg sut y gallai dyfodol cyffrous mewn STEM edrych. Mae'n cynnwys trosolwg o'r amrywiaeth o gyrsiau a gynigir yn PDC, ac mae'n cefnogi myfyrwyr i ddeall y camau y mae'n rhaid iddynt eu cymryd i sicrhau dyfodol mewn diwydiant STEM. 

(Mae'r digwyddiad hwn ar Dimau Microsoft)

Covid 19: How can Civil Engineers help?

Emma McGivern is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Civil Engineering team at USW. In this session Emma will talk about the role of the Civil Engineer in tackling the pandemic, rebuilding the economy and helping us to deal with similar challenges in the future. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions about careers in Civil Engineering. 

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

Fuelling the Future 

Fuelling the Future looks at how our energy consumption might change in the near future and discusses some possible future technologies and how they work. 

Code Breaking

Learn about codes and how to crack them!

Superbugs! The microbial world at your digital fingertips...

Antibiotic resistance is a rising problem for everyone, but still so little is known about it. Be some of the first people in the world to try out our new website and be in with the chance to win some prizes!

(This event is on Zoom) 

Emerging Technologies and our Futures

In this session Senior Lecturer, Leshan Aggulla explores the true motivation behind 5G technology, emerging AI, and how robots and advances in AI technology could save the lives of the most vulnerable in our society. 

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

REACH! Resources to Engage Children

Children's event: workshop on air pollution with interactive activities. 

Waters of the World

Using visuals, run and grab activities, conducting experiments and  Q&A, I will seek to demonstrate how interconnected our world is and how we need to work together to ameliorate climate change. STEM Ginger Education activities will be brought to  the attention of educators, which can be used in class straightway with no fuss.

How to make a Covid test

During the height of the first lockdown academics at USW developed a new rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19, to detect whether people are actively infected with the underlying SARS-CoV-2 virus.

During this session one of the leading scientists behind that test, Dr Jeroen Niuewland, will demonstrate how, in just over a week alongside a team of USW researchers, he adapted a technique that they had been developing since 2016 for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections. 

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

Dangerous Equations

Join Marty Jopson, the BBC One Show's resident science bloke as he places himself in grave personal danger for your entertainment. Watch in horror as Marty sets fire to his own hand and introduces the audience to the Pendulum of DOOM, featuring special guest performer Mr Spiky. Using some cunning equations, Marty explains how a bit of fluffy string can travel at 900 miles per hour, the science of seriously loud explosions and the maths of a karate chop. Will his steely nerve and a set of equations be enough to keep him from harm? Only one way to find out.

Careers in Maths

During this event Dr Vicki Brown Lecturer in Mathematics, and Rebecca Peters Lecturer in Data Science at the University of South Wales will explore how data is at the heart of decision making and how mathematics provides the methods and techniques to extract insight from data and solve business challenges. 

The session will introduce this exciting area of mathematics and cover their personal journey from studying STEM to securing a role within the area. 

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

Let's have a look at DNA!

In the research laboratory, DNA is extracted from living organisms, analysed and used for various investigations. Extracting DNA is easy! You can extract DNA with a few common household products. Come along with us to have a live demonstration of how DNA can be extracted from fruits. Together, Let's have a look at DNA! It is going to be great fun!

REACH! Resources to Engage Children

REACH is a project from Cardiff University and funded by the Wellcome Trust. The REACH project aims to create a toolkit of resources to help science communicators and educators reach neurodiverse audiences.

We face some huge challenges in science from climate change and pandemic preparedness to the future of renewable energy and our dependence on fossil fuels. We need the next generation of scientists to be as diverse as the challenges they face, to bring a range of experiences and viewpoints to expand the future of research.

The REACH project has spoken to a range of experts in ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological conditions but more importantly to the learners themselves and their caregivers. During this event, we will share what we have learned so far through demonstrating one of our lessons, what we hope to learn moving forwards, and how we can all make small changes to better engage with neurodiverse audiences. 

This event is for educators.

Computing: The internet of things (that really matter)

In this session, Dr Mabrouka Abuhmida, Lecturer in Computer Science, explores the wonders of the internet of things (IoT): how to use it, and how to stay safe and be connected.

Join us for this fascinating lesson which also delves into Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and specific machine learning.

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

Summer Science!

We are Sparklab Cymru and we will be showing you a variety of exciting, 'try at home' experiments in the theme of Summer! From sun cream to ice cream, you are sure to enjoy the circus of science activities we have on offer to get you in the mood for the holiday season.

This workshop is suitable for all ages.

Particle Physics for Sports Fans

Using sporting analogies, bicycle maintenance and pieces of rope, Chris will explain the wonders of particle physics. How can we make sense of the seemingly random interactions of the smallest particles which make up the universe? What’s so special about the Higgs boson? A treat for sports fans and aspiring particle physicists alike.

Cyber security: Threats and countermeasures in connected toys

Smart toys have their own intelligence primarily due to their ability to learn and behave in accordance with their learning, depending upon environmental stimuli. Smart toys and wearable gadgets have some of the coolest features such as (i) they can tell you what the weather is; (ii) read you your text messages; (iii) interact with you; and (iv) play with you. These connected toys, however, have no built-in security characteristics. The poorly or unsecured smart toys and gadgets, therefore, can be turned into accessible tools for hackers.

In this talk, first we will examine the different types of smart toys. We will then explore cybersecurity threat and countermeasures horizons of the realm of connected toys.

(This event is on Microsoft Teams)

Welsh Science Quiz

Can you guess all the answers in our fun science quiz? How much do you know about science in Wales? Come along, test your knowledge and enjoy some geeky banter with our host Claudia in our virtual science quiz about Welsh science - all for bragging rights!

(This event is on Zoom)