Public lecture podcasts

Professor Ian Sloan from the University of New South Wales in Australia explores how it is possible to work in unimaginable worlds and the practicality of this – ranging from problems in the finance industry to groundwater flows.

Professor Michael Field, from Imperial College London, address the question of what chaos is (and is not) and how one can visualise and describe the general mathematics of chaos and complex dynamics. It will also include some striking images of chaos and numerical demonstrations.

Optimising engine performance: Deterministic chaos in combustion engines Professor Chris Brace from the University of Bath introduces some of the difficult-to-model aspects of an engine’s operation which are important in the quest to develop more efficient and clean engines.

Lecture, given 2 May 2018 by Dr Benjamin Moon, a Postdoctoral Researcher who appeared in Attenborough and the Sea Dragon, using CT scans to reconstruct the skeleton and anatomy of that ichthyosaur. Dr Benjamin Moon discusses a recent shift in our knowledge. He explains that new techniques are being applied which could bring new insights to ichthyosaur evolution.

Minerva lecture on 21 February given by Professor James Turner for the Minerva Series. Society has become used to the fact that personal transportation is really affordable. Over the past 130 years this situation has arisen with no stimulus from government because of the favourable economics that have evolved. However, the use of fossil fuels to power transportation rightly means that action has to be taken if we are to avoid climate change. The lecture discusses the scale of the challenge, some of the alternatives to the incumbent technology, whether these are practical to implement within the economic model, and postulates an alternative scenario which will also allow decarbonization of petrochemicals and other transport modes. The conclusion reached, however, may not be entirely in line with current policy. http://www.bath.ac.uk/events/transport-in-the-low-carbon-age/

In advance of the 'Sensing Culture Symposium', Dr Simon Hayhoe (Department of Education) talks about his research to improve the experiences of blind and partially sighted visitors to museums and cultural heritage sights.

Minerva lecture on 28th February given by June Ward, Chair for the Minerva Series. June Ward previously lectured nationwide for the Victoria and Albert Museum. Recently she has become concerned that Islam is increasingly synonymous in this country with terrorism and violence. In her lecture she is seeking to redress the balance by covering Islamic Architecture including the Taj Mahal and Gardening, as well as endeavoring to explain why it is that we in this country are historically so ignorant about the subject.

In this IPR Masterclass in Public Policy, Paul Maltby - Chief Digital Officer at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government - discusses how policymaking might be revolutionised by the implementation of digital methods. This Masterclass in Public Policy took place on 22 February 2018, and gave prospective students a taste of teaching on the University of Bath's new Masters (MSc) in Public Policy.

On the University of Bath Thought Train we sit down with an academic from the University to talk about their work and current events. On this week's show Dr Janet Withall is in the studio to talk about the Retirement in Action Study.

On the University of Bath Thought Train we sit down with an academic from the University to talk about their work and current events. On this week's show Dr Felia Allum is in the studio to talk about the culture of organised crime in Naples, Italy. She also discusses: - The link between Italian culture and organised crime - Where fact ends and fiction begins with shows like The Sopranos - How education is the starting point of the fight back against organised crime.