More Cafe Conversations

The Cafe Conversations on Magdalen Street have been going well and many more topics for discussion have been added to the updated programme. Conversations are instigated by University of East Anglia staff and everyone is welcome to take part. Check the programme details below and come along to Aladdins Cafe, 3 Magdalen Sreet (near Fye Wensum Bridge) to find out more and add your opinion to the debates.

		APRIL
Engineering Earth Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have provided little sign that we will avoid dangerous climate change. But can technology succeed where we have failed? The new science of Earth Engineering offers promising and innovative new technologies to capture emissions and cool the planet but raises novel social, ethical, legal and political questions.	Rob Bellamy Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research	Fri  1 April  8 pm
SOMETHING KINDA FISHY GOING ON How good are we at detecting air quality?  Can anybody tell if it’s a bad pollution day? Now that the factories in Norwich have mostly closed or relocated, is air quality even a problem?  We will sniff out the air quality around Magdalen Street and use resources (i.e. a map of the new one-way system around St Augustine’s, reproductions of paintings of smoke and smog) to think about the invisibility of air pollution and how that influences attitudes to its regulation.   This event is part of the Invisible Dust project supported by Arts Council England, the Wellcome Trust and CUE East.  (Please note 6 pm start time)	Peter Brimblecombe Environmental Sciences,  Lawrence Bradby  Artist	Fri 8 April  6 pm
Sustainable Food Systems: Can Farming be Green? With growing populations and diminishing resources, sustainable agriculture and food security are top priorities globally.  Modern agriculture is one of the most energy-hungry and polluting industries in the world and covers nearly 40% of the land surface, yet without it we cannot survive.  How can we increase agricultural yields, reduce environmental damage caused by farming and achieve long term food security?  Come share your views with researchers in sustainable agriculture.	Tom Powell, Melanie  Bennett School of Biological Sciences	Sat 15 April 3 pm
talking to children about Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender people How are sexual minorities portrayed in children’s books?  We will look at current examples and discuss your experiences with children’s questions about diversity.	BJ Epstein School of Literature & Creative Writing	Sat 30 April 3 pm
		MAY
WHAT IS LEARNING? Must education be either teacher-driven or learner-driven?   John Dewey describes an ‘aesthetic experience’ for learning and proposes that the most worthwhile education consists of memorable experiences which make a real difference to one’s life.  What are your views on what learning and education should be like?	Geoff Hinchcliffe School of Education	Fri 6 May   8 pm
cAN WE Control our brain activity? Techniques have evolved which allow us to measure the activity of our brain, and evidence suggests that we can use biofeedback methods to control and change our brain activity. The equipment used is becoming more accessible, so is this useful to us? Could we use it to maximise our cognitive performance, or help us to relax? Can it also be used as a treatment method? How would this change our view of ourselves?	Neil Rutterford  Social Work & Psychology	Wed 18 May 12:30
A day in the life of a hospital lawyer What are the pros and cons of the principle of confidentiality?   Does everyone have a right to make decisions about their medical treatment?  What are current myths and realities about the NHS?  Come meet a medical law specialist to discuss these topics.	John-Paul Garside School of Medicine	Wed 25 May 12:30
The values revolution: why everything comes down to the values you hold In politics, at work, when making major personal decisions, the values you hold dear determine what you do. Often, people and organisations are unaware of the values they hold. This conversation will be about getting clearer about (y)our values using techniques derived from the latest philosophical, psychological and linguistic research.	Rupert Read School of Philosophy	Sat 28 May 3 pm
Commute, Work, Commute, Sleep... What is Work/Life Balance? What is the relationship between 'work' and 'life'?  Does a 'work/life balance' suggest that when we're working we're not really living?  Is work simply the means by which we acquire resources to keep us alive? These are some of the questions we'll discuss, and I'll outline ways in which people thought differently about the relationship between work and life in the past.	Ross Wilson School of Literature and Creative Writing	Wed  1 June 12:30
introduction to translation What is involved in translating a piece of writing from one language to another?  After a general background to what translation is, we will practice a short translation/adaptation exercise together, either into another language or from English to English.	BJ Epstein School of Literature & Creative Writing	Sat 4 June 3 pm
Bioplastics:  Waste product or gold mine? The food and drink industry generates 12.6 million tonnes of waste per year, more than 10% of UK’s total.  Can food waste be used to make ‘bioplastics’ for packaging and other sustainable materials?	Dominique Georget School of Chemistry	TBA

Cafe Conversations Review

Kerry Lane has been along to some of the Cafe Conversations at Aladdins and written a great review on the Transition Norwich blog - This Low Carbon Life. Read Kerry's review here and view the upcoming conversations here.

"... I haven't voluntarily subjected myself to discussing maths for quite a while, but I really enjoyed the session. Robert Henderson, a PhD researcher in Maths, was infectiously enthusiastic about his topic and had all number of interesting paradoxes and patterns that he wanted to share with us - including fractals ... He explained everything clearly for those of us a bit rusty on our maths and it was great to learn about something completely different ..." More here