BU Research Blog

What a first week of the Festival of Learning! A huge thank you to everyone that has made the first week so brilliant. But, there is more to come – much, much more! Before we move onto our daily round up of events, what could you come to on MONDAY?

So how about what has already happened? Read all about it from the fantastic Festival team that have been supporting events this week:

The Inner Primate in Us All: Reflections from Jo Garrad

This fun and hugely enjoyed event saw talks from Fiona Coward on the intelligence of humans and other animals, followed by Amanda Korstjens on what primates are and the story of Boris the orang-utan becoming a fully flanged male, followed by Ari Shedden on conservation and threats to primates. It was interesting to hear about non-human language vocalisation systems and how it is thought that Neanderthals spoke; how chimpanzees communicate immediate food needs rather than thinking about what they’ll have for tea tomorrow; how the aye aye has a useful long finger for poking inside trees to extract grubs; and 71% of Asia’s primates are threatened mainly due to forest fragmentation, which leads to the destruction of their habitat and isolation. We then had a game to see how generous we were and I’m pleased to say that whilst we started with 5 sweets, most ended up with 8-9. The day ended in the Bone Lab where several primate skulls were on display and attendees got to assemble skulls and skeletons (the wrist is a lot more complicated than it looks) with the help of the student volunteers.

Community Screening of Rufus Stone : Reflections from Teresa Coffin

Community Screening of Rufus Stone the movie on Wednesday 5th June at the Lighthouse, Poole, hosted by Kip Jones and Lee-Ann Fenge. Rufus Stone is a story of growing up gay and growing older in rural south west England, based on three years of in–depth research conducted at Bournemouth University into ageing and sexuality in rural Britain. The film was directed by Josh Appignanesi and stars well-known actor, William Gaunt in the title role. After the showing of the 30 minute film the audience were invited to engage in a discussion with Kip about the showing. There was a good turnout for this event, across a wide age range from 16 to 79 and many interesting point where raised about both the film and the issues it razed. There was also a lot of there was a lot of positive feedback for both the film and the event itself.

Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors: Reflections from Nicola King

Professor Matthew Bennett gave attendees at this event a very interesting insight into his extensive work investigating fossilised human footprints around the world. We learnt where the world’s most famous footprints are located, from Kenya to Namibia to Italy and Mexico. We learnt how Professor Bennett and his colleagues actually ‘read’ these footprints, and he gave us an overview of some of the science involved in analysing them. We also learnt that geology matters! Interestingly, Professor Bennett told us that his research indicates that the differences between how our ancient ancestors walked, and how we walk today are not that great, suggesting that the basic characteristics of the foot were formed very early in evolutionary history. Following the talk, attendees were invited to ask any questions in a short Q&A session. In summary, this was a very well-received and engaging talk.

Fascinating Feats: Reflections by Emily Cieciura

Fascinating Feats attracted over 65 people – a mixture of parents, grandparents, friends and, of course, children keen to try their hand at all the science-based experiments on offer. Naomi Capell and her team of BU students hosted hands-on tables where participants found out how to take the shell off an egg and leave the sack inside intact, why slime is a non-Newtonian liquid, how to make mini-rockets and, highly popular, how to make ice cream without a fridge. All of the experiments used items that can be found at home. By the looks of concentration and the smiles on the children’s (and grown-ups’) faces, this event showed that science and technology learning can be great fun, even after a day at school. This was certainly an “I’m bored” free zone!

Behind the Scenes TV Studio Day: Reflections by Paul Lynch

A palpable air of excitement hangs over the group; we are all grown-ups but there is a sense of anticipation and a rekindling of the magic of childhood. Overblown? Well, no. The people attending this course were truly enthralled and exhilarated by this glimpse behind the big velvet curtain (or whatever the studio equivalent is). Turns taken at scripting, directing, camera operation, presenting, operating the sound desk etc led to oddly familiar and dramatic scenes of stress, chaos and sheer communal joy. The product, an episode of “Cooking Today, was equally pleasurable for participant and viewer alike and gave equal space to both hidden talents and talents that should be hidden. A true joy.

Professor Fluffy @ BU: Reflections by Jenny Roddis and Caroline O’Kane

A large group of children from local primary schools were introduced to Professor Fluffy (she’s a Professor of Engineering) and the delights of scientific experimentation by the AimHigher team and their student ambassadors. This enthralling event involved a range of engaging activities, such as playing a computer game which explored the differences between school and university, experimenting with eggs and red cabbage and making a mortar board hat and the children even experienced their very own graduation ceremony. They also had a tour of the University campus and enjoyed a great pizza lunch. Both teachers and children were delighted with the day.