BU Research Blog

Well, can you believe it, after a year of hard work and preparation we are nearly through the first week of the Festival of Learning – and what a fantastic week it has been! Yesterday, Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party was quoted as saying: “It is really great to see a festival that is very open to lots of different ideas and discussions because I think that’s what a university should be” Another a Festival attendee left the following comment on Facebook: “Really enjoyed ‘Don’t eat poo’ tonight – congrats to all at the Festival of Learning, such a fab way to get people through the doors. My 8 year old daughter was awestruck by the campus in general and it was lovely to be able to inspire her like this”. Does this leave you feeling #BUProud?

Before the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office reflects on some of the events that have taken place, what could you come to on Friday and bring the family to on Saturday?

FRIDAY:

SATURDAY:

Reflections on Festival of Learning events so far:

Oh, for a good night’s sleep! Convened by Andy Mayers, reflections from Jo Garrad

This all day event was attended by nearly 50 individuals, with the majority having varying degrees of sleep problems. There was a lively discussion to start to identify what type of sleep problems were being experienced, followed by an interactive presentation from Dr Andrew Mayers about what they were experiencing and how they could improve their sleeping. Dr Phillippa Lawson from thegoodsleepprogramme gave expert advice on how to tackle insomnia without resorting to tablets. Dr Chris Alford from the University of the West of England gave a highly entertaining presentation and discussion on the effects of sleep deprivation and how driving late at night (when you’ve been up all day) can be as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. James Wilson (the sleep geek) and Paul Whittey demonstrated products that could aid better sleep. Who knew that moisture absorption in a duvet was so important in order to get a good night’s sleep? What I learnt: napping is bad, sleep patterns are good, caffeine after 4pm is bad, having a snack is good, having your ironing in the room is bad, having your pet in the room (can) be good, high thread content is bad, alpaca’s are good. If this sparks your interest, why not join Andrew again on Tuesday, 11 June for ‘Children’s sleep: What goes wrong? What can we do?

2005 Mental Capacity Act. Convened by Michael Lyne, reflections from Paul Lynch

So you think your next–of-kin are to be trusted if you lose your decision making capacity? They may be trustworthy but as there is no legal basis or status for what next-of-kin means – it is an academic question. The blow of this revelation was somewhat softened by an explanation of the 2005 Act which, for the first time, delivered protection for those who lose mental capacity; a single framework for assessing capacity and opportunities for individuals to plan, whilst still having capacity, for what should happen if they are unfortunate enough to lose it. Fascinating, useful and worrying. All this and “psychiatric tea”. Don’t ask!

Science and the media: issues, debates and controversies – reflections from Brian McNulty

How science is represented in the media and how journalists write about science so that readers can understand the subject. Discussion on how scientific announcements can be misrepresented in the media for many different reasons, including sensationalism. The importance of fact checking and the role of an organisation’s Legal department when preparing a story. Focus placed on climate change.

Let’s Take Pride in Engineering. Convened by Reflections from Naomi Kay

This event was a fascinating look into the past, present and possible future of engineering in the UK compared to super powers such as China and India. Mehran discussed how the UK went from the world leader in engineering in the time the industrial revolution to a country becoming more dependent on Asia for our engineering and manufacture needs. He also spoke about the changes in this area investment, the economical impact, and the need to inspire future generations to be passionate, creative, and continue to change the face of the world through innovation.

Putting Pen to Paper, convened by Emma Scattergood

Attila the Hen and Sci-fi Chicken: learning how to get published

Emma Scattergood shows how to put Pen to Paper in order to perfect the art of writing by practicing re-writing common stories such as why the chicken crossed the road. This very interactive session included top tips on writing to get published (and self-publishing) through the ingredients needed for a gripping story and how to employ the 50 Shades of Grey model. Attendees creative tales ranged from sinister murders in a wood, to a patriotic typewriting Seal to a re-write of Cinderella’s story with lesbian step sisters who have a major crush on our lead.

Dr Corrina Dickson, Research Development Manager at Bournemouth University, said, “Hearing the creative and enthusiastic participants develop and share their ideas for stories through the techniques shared was fantastic. The group left full of passion and raring to write!’