Science & Technology

Plagues, Pestilence & Pandemics : Are You Ready ?
Explore the current and emerging threat of global health pandemics and how we can respond to them effectively.
This free course is run by Griffith University in Australia, and is scheduled to run for 2 weeks with 3 hours study each week.
Go to : https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/plague-pestilence-pandemic

British Trust for Ornithology - BirdWatch Project
U3A members are being asked to help keep track of our garden birds.

You are invited to join Garden BirdWatch, a free online tool to record your own bird sightings.

BirdWatch is for observers to manage their own personal records and contribute data to BTO science; supporting species conservation on local, regional, national and international scales.

This is a great opportunity any nature enthusiast looking for a fun, outdoor project. Go to BTO BirdWatch Project.

Geology from your Sofa

These interesting resources are from the Geologists’ Association, who "may not be able to invite you to attend lectures and field trips at the moment, but are looking at ways for you to still enjoy geology, virtually through online courses and field trips using links".
The website is https://geologistsassociation.org.uk/sofageology/

Climate Change
In October 2019 the Royal Society hosted an event which they called "The State of the Earth", an evening of conversation with climate scientists Sir Brian Hoskins and Professor Corinne Le Quéré, chaired by BBC Countryfile presenter Tom Heap.
Brian Hoskins is a professor of Meteorology at Reading University and Corinne Le Quéré is professor of Climate Change Science at the University of East Anglia.
https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2019/10/state-of-the-earth/

Learn About Weather
Explore all things weather - from storms to climate - with this course that looks at the basic processes behind the weather.

A free course sponsored by the University of Exeter, the Met Office and the Royal Meteorological Society.

This course lasts 4 weeks, with 3 hours study each week.

To find out more, go to https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/learn-about-weather.

BBC Science Focus Website
This is a website with articles about anything scientific.
The topics listed on the site navigation bar are :

There are 12 articles on page 1, and 57 pages of articles in total, so there should be something there for everyone.

TED Talks on Psychology
There are a wide variety of TED talks on this subject available at https://www.ted.com/search?page=1&q=psychology.

They include :

  • The Psychology of Narcissism

  • The Psychology of Evil

  • The Psychology of Time

  • 9 Myths about Psychology - Debunked

  • The Psychology Behind Irrational Decisions

  • The Psychology of Your Future Self

  • The New Era of Positive Psychology

  • The Psychology of Inequality and Political Division

  • Psychology : Understanding Happiness

  • The Psychology of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Darkness Visible : Shedding New Light on Black Holes
Black holes may hold the key to understanding the most fundamental truths of the universe, but how do you see something that’s black? Astronomers think they have the answer.
A presentation by Brian Greene
https://youtu.be/3JE_KMfuEWk

Our Solar System
A free 42-page booklet published by NASA as a PDF which gives a lot of detail about the sun and all the planets. You can read this and/or download it by clicking or tapping on this link: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Solar_System_Lithograph_Set_h.pdf

Quantum Reality : Space, Time and Entanglement

Brian Greene moderates this fascinating programme exploring the fundamental principles of Quantum Physics. Anyone with an interest in science will enjoy this thought-provoking and highly entertaining show.
https://youtu.be/BFrBr8oUVXU

How Does the International Space Station Work ?
This explains each interior area, crew living quarters, and scientific equipment.
To see the 30 minute YouTube video go to :
https://youtu.be/SGP6Y0Pnhe4

Principles of Relativity
Einstein's Annus Mirabilis 1905 - a talk by Professor Raymond Flood
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/short/principles-of-relativity-einstein-and-galileo/

The Discovery of the Higgs Boson
Should we be excited about the Higgs boson? Find out more about particle physics and understanding the universe.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/higgs

Geograph - https://www.geograph.org.uk/

A project that aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland. Users can take part in the geography game by uploading pictures of UK areas, including images from decades gone by, or just to take a reader around the UK without leaving your living room.