The Irish Research Council has announced today that two young Irish scientists have won a national competition to train at the European Space Agency (ESA). The coveted positions are part of an ongoing partnership between the Irish Research Council and ESA, which hosts Irish trainees at its centres across Europe.
As part of the programme, the researchers will work on cutting-edge projects and gain practical experience in high-tech space activities such as: space science; Earth observation; telecommunications; navigation; mission control and operations; and human spaceflight.
Following a national competitive process, the two top-ranking candidates who were selected to join the traineeship programme at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, Spain are:
Amy Joyce from Clonmel, County Tipperary: Amy has a master’s degree in experimental physics from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She will work on developing tools for mission cross calibration and will also learn about the scientific uses of x-ray satellites and the challenges and procedures of operating a space mission.
Cillian Murphy, from Dundrum, County Dublin: Cillian has a master’s degree in space and science technology from University College Dublin. He will work on the Gaia Mission to assist in completing an astrometric survey of stars, using spacecraft observation. He is also a future Analog Astronaut candidate with the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF).
Commenting on the announcement today, Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan TD, said: “This is a unique opportunity for Amy and Cillian to train with the best and to develop their skills at the European Space Agency.
“Supporting a pipeline of talent plays an integral role in taking Ireland forward in its contribution to space research, development and innovation and ensures that we are continuing to contribute and collaborate on an international level.”
Peter Brown, Director of the Irish Research Council also welcomed the announcement, saying: “The Irish Research Council and the European Space Agency first partnered in 2016 with the aim to give Irish-based science and engineering graduates a chance to make their mark in the field of space exploration.
“This traineeship offers the life-changing opportunity to pursue a career in Europe’s gateway to space. The Council is committed to supporting the development of Europe’s space capability and ensuring that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. We are delighted to support both Amy and Cillian on this project and look forward to continuing to collaborate with ESA on this initiative.”
TheDublin Institute for Advanced Studies(DIAS) will hold a special lecture this Wednesday (12.12.18) exploring the unpredictable nature of earthquakes.
Special guest, Professor John McCloskey, Chair in Natural Hazards Science, The University of Edinburgh, will speak at this Statutory Public Lecture on Wednesday, 12th December,from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at the Schrodinger Theatre, Fitzgerald Building, School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2.
Announcing details of the event, Director of the School of Geophysics at DIAS, Professor Chris Bean said: “From Zhang Heng’s development of the first seismoscope during the Han dynasty, to Dubliner Robert Mallet’s experiments on Killiney Beach in the nineteenth century, scientists have persisted in trying to understand earthquakes and to use this understanding to reduce their catastrophic effects largely through ‘earthquake prediction’.
“However, earthquakes have killed almost a million people already this century, and the goal of earthquake prediction is probably farther away than we could have ever anticipated. In this lecture we will hear why prediction is so illusive but we will also hear that all is not lost and that there is ‘another way’.
“Although lacking the timing precision of a prediction, new developments in earthquake-weather forecasts allow us to estimate how big the largest earthquakes are likely to be – and where (but not precisely when) they are likely to occur. This lecture we explore how this knowledge can be used in a preventative manner today, and in the planning of cities that are yet to be built.”
Ireland is the top producer of plastic waste in Europe, with an average of 61kg per person every year – almost double what the UK produce annually. That is the equivalent of nearly 2,000 water bottles, or 5,550 disposal coffee cups, per person. Plastic is not biodegradable so over time litter like bottles and bags are broken down into smaller pieces called microplastics that can harm marine life and even make it into the human food supply.
Speaking at today’s launch, Professor Gordon Chambers, Professor of Physics in DIT and Coordinator of The Microplastics Awareness Project, said: “Ireland is meeting all EU targets for recovery and recycling of packaging waste, but there is still a long way to go. Many people aren’t aware of the damage single-use plastics and tiny microbeads in toiletries are doing to our environment and our coast. For example, 83 per cent of Dublin Bay Prawns have ingested microplastics, and by 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish.
“Education and awareness is an important part of tackling the threat of microplastics on our coast which is why we’re launching The Microplastics Awareness Project today. Even simple changes like a school policy on using refillable bottles for lunch drinks or shopping smart when it comes to plastic packaging or microplastic ingredients can make a difference to slow the flow of plastic into the environment.”
Bringing Science into the Community
The project is an initiative of Dublin Institute of Technology and will be piloted in coastal communities in Dublin this year. The pilot will be led by a team of experienced scientists from the School of Physics and Clinical & Optometric Sciences: Dr Siobhan Daly, Professor Gordon Chambers and Dr Michelle Giltrap from the School of Food Science and Environmental Health.
At today’s launch, Dr Siobhan Daly, Assistant Head at DIT School of Physics and Clinical & Optometric Sciences said, “Our team of scientists are passionate about bringing science to life and raising awareness of the significant threats that plastics pose to our environment. The workshops will be engaging and fun with a strong scientific foundation. We believe the workshops will give young people the knowledge and skills to be the agents of change within their families and communities.
“We find that children and young people come to explore questions such as these with an open mind and therefore, can explore the threat of microplastics in the widest sense and bring this openness to others that make decisions – families, communities, industry, and government – to prompt them to make change happen.”
Marking Earth Day
To mark Earth Day 2018: End Plastic Pollution this Sunday, 22nd April, The Microplastics Awareness Project is encouraging parents to track their use of single-use plastics over a week with their children, explore their plastic dependence together as a family and start to identify areas for change.
The Microplastics Awareness Project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under the Discover Programme Call 2017. The Discover Programme seeks to promote the awareness and engagement of the Irish public with science, technology, engineering and maths.
Space, telescopes, meteors, earthquakes and other geohazards will form part of the exciting line-up of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Sciences (DIAS) School of Cosmic Physics 2017 Science Week programme.
Science Week takes place nationwide from 12th to 19th November and the DIAS School of Cosmic Physics is offering a schedule of free interactive events and outreach activities led by their researchers.
Events and activities taking place at DIAS School of Cosmic Physics during Science Week include:
Daily talks on massive stars, meteors and space travel for primary and secondary school students from Dr Jonathan Mackey and other DIAS Researchers at Dunsink Observatory.
Talks on meteors for groups from the Irish Girl Guides and secondary school students, from DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics PhD Candidate, Sam Green at Dunsink Observatory.
All of the public events will be offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and members of the public are encouraged to book early.
Announcing details of their Science Week programme today, Dr Eucharia Meehan, Director of DIAS, said: “We’re delighted to announce our programme of events for this year’s Science Week.
“Science Week is an ideal opportunity for the public to engage with the work of our researchers and this year we have some exciting talks from researchers in the School of Cosmic Physics.
“We would encourage anyone with a curiosity about science, space and the natural world to explore with the Dublin Institute for Advanced Sciences this Science Week.”
The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) School of Cosmic Physics will tomorrow (19.10.17) host Professor Giovanna Tinetti of University College London for a public lecture on the exoplanets of the Milky Way. The lecture, entitled ‘Brave New Worlds: The Planets in our Galaxy’ will take place at 6.30pm in Theatre C (O’Connor Theatre – Room H2.22), Science Hub, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4.
Over the past 20 years, over 3,500 exoplanets – i.e. planets that orbit stars other than our Sun – have been discovered in distant planetary systems of the Milky Way. Tomorrow’s lecture will explore these exoplanets and the Earth’s place in our galaxy and, ultimately, in the universe.
Having your head frozen for potential future resuscitation is a service that will be on offer to the public within 5-10 years, according to the UK’s stem cell bank. They tell us more below, Touchy subject perhaps for some but it’s happening like it or not.
Famously something Walt Disney did, having your head frozen when you die is thought to be a way of preserving enough of your personality, intellect and memories to be able to bring you fully back to life at some point in the future when technology is more advanced.
But this service has previously been within the reach of only the very rich, such as Disney, while less affluent people have missed the opportunity to do this when they die. And now, say StemProtect.co.uk, we are looking at a near future in which the service is available to everyone – for a small cost of course.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. The Cryogenic Storage Vault currently operates more than 45 cryogenic tanks that hold animal germplasm, plant tissue culture, and seeds are stored at -196 °C (-321 °F) in liquid storage or to -193 C. (-315 °F) in vapor storage degrees centigrade (-321 °F). NCGRP is the largest agricultural genebank facility in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff includes 34 full-time USDA/ARS employees (7 of whom are Ph. D.–level scientists), plus 8 part-time and 16 student employees. The FY13 budget for the center is $4.7 million.The FY13 budget for the center is $4.7 million. For more information, see http://www.usda.gov. USDA photo by Lance Cheung.
Portable double walled vacuum insulated tanks such as “Little Maggie” is in a laboratory, holding liquid nitrogen used to begin the essential, safe cryogenic freezing process of samples that will be stored at -196 °C (-321 °F) in liquid storage and -193 C. (-315 °F) in vapor storage, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP), in Ft. Collins, CO, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. NCGRP is the largest agricultural genebank facility in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff includes 34 full-time USDA/ARS employees (7 of whom are Ph.D. level-scientists), plus 8 part-time and 16 student employees. The FY13 budget for the center is $4.7 million. For more information about U.S. Agriculture, NCGRP, and GRIN see http://www.usda.gov, http://www.ars.usda.gov/Aboutus/docs.htm?docid=17892, http://www.ars-grin.gov/ USDA photo by Lance Cheung.
Mark Hall spokesperson for StemProtect.co.uk said: “We’re accustomed to making jokes about freezing heads when we die, and of course everyone knows Walt Disney did it – often that’s their only point of reference. But soon we could see this practice becoming commonplace because advances in technology have made it much more affordable.”
“And of course, while we’re not at the point yet where we can bring someone back to life from this procedure, we believe it’s just around the corner.”
StemProtect.co.uk agree that this does raise some weighty ethical questions, however: “We don’t yet know what the emotional impact would be of bringing someone back to life this way even when we are physically able to do it. That’s not a question for science but for us as human beings, and it’s a question we might not be able to answer until the first person is brought back to life after being frozen.”
The service will be offered at a cost of £5000 for 250 years. Which Mr Hall points out “That’s cheaper than some funerals”
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) Cryogenic Storage Vault in Ft. Collins, CO, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. The Cryogenic Storage Vault currently operates more than 45 cryogenic tanks that hold animal germplasm, plant tissue culture, and seeds are stored at -196 °C (-321 °F) in liquid storage or to -193 C. (-315 °F) in vapor storage degrees centigrade (-321 °F). NCGRP is the largest agricultural genebank facility in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff includes 34 full-time USDA/ARS employees (7 of whom are Ph. D.–level scientists), plus 8 part-time and 16 student employees. The FY13 budget for the center is $4.7 million.The FY13 budget for the center is $4.7 million. For more information, see http://www.usda.gov. USDA photo by Lance Cheung.
(Left – right behind) Colorado State University (CSU) Dean Agricultural Sciences Dr. Craig Beyrouty and CSU President Dr. Anthony Frank and Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Northern Plains Area Director Dr. Larry Chandler stand with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack today as he spoke ov the national security importance of this center, and he announced a $9.8 million grant to a consortium of academic, industry such as Coolplanet Energy Systems and government organizations led by Colorado State University (CSU) and their partners to research using insect-killed trees in the Rockies as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy, during a meeting with the staff and news media in the Cryogenic Storage Vault where 45-50 cryogenic tanks hold animal germplasm, plant tissue culture, and seeds are stored at less than -196 °C (-321 °F) in liquid storage or to -193 C. (-315 °F) in vapor storage degrees centigrade (-321 °F) visits of the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Ft. Collins, CO, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. NCGRP is the largest agricultural genebank facility in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by genebanks around the world: many international scientists travel to the NCGRP for research and training. The NCGRP staff conducts groundbreaking research to develop more efficient and effective means for preserving plant and animal germplasm, and for better understanding the genetic structure of these invaluable materials. The research findings, preservation techniques, and specialized technology developed by the NCGRP have been adopted by
Other ways of preserving vital tissue, such as stem cell banking, are now much more commonplace than ever before, and carry far fewer ethical problems. Unlike freezing a head, which is done to bring a dead individual back to life, the work StemProtect.co.uk do is aimed at preserving information about the body which can be used for medical purposes while the person is still alive.
Public surveys show that people are still not completely happy with the idea of having their heads frozen when they die, even if it does become something that’s affordable to them and realistically within their reach.
Johnny 37, from Leeds, said “ Where do I sign up? Freeze me now and bring me back in a few hundred years please, I take it my bar tab will be cancelled?”
Mr Hibbert, from Yorkshire, said “ Anything to get away from the wife”
Stephen, 45, from Bedford, said: “I don’t even like to think about it. Who would want to be, or know, someone who had been brought back after they died and had their head frozen? I can’t imagine it’s a smooth ride, put it that way.”
And Mary, 75, from Oxford, said: “As a Christian, I don’t think it’s right at all. Once you die, you die, and I’m not scared of that. I’d be more scared of coming back afterwards away from peace and back here where there’s not as much peace.”
Clanwilliam Health is to support Trinity College Dublin’s (TCD) School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in renewing its funding commitment, with a five-year contract valued at more than €1.3 million, it has been announced.
Clanwilliam Health has been supplying pharmacy software and equipment to help the School develop its digital learning environment, providing students with access to state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge software applications.
Clanwillian Health. Picture Jason Clarke
The partnership, first agreed in 2009, has been renewed for five more years, it was announced today. This will mean a total of thirteen years ongoing support for the School of Pharmacy and continued investment by Clanwilliam Health in pharmacy education.
By providing software donations, Clanwilliam Health’s contribution allows TCD’s School of Pharmacy students to gain practical experience by working in a real-life pharmacy setting, and the opportunity to acquire a practical knowledge of the reality of dispensing, drug interactions and pharmacy management practices.
Eileen Byrne, Managing Director, Clanwilliam Health said: “We are delighted to be continuing our support for Trinity College Dublin’s School of Pharmacy and are proud to have such a longstanding relationship with them. Our partnership accounts for the provision of software, drug information databases and accompanying training materials, as well as full access to our support and engineering departments. At Clanwilliam Health, we recognise that pharmacists play a vital role in the health-care system. Ensuring that they are equipped with the right digital capabilities to work in the sector is now a must in today’s connected society and this is an area we are proud to support. Investing in education to support Ireland’s pharmacists of the future is and will continue to be a priority for us.”
Clanwillian Health. Picture Jason Clarke
Dr Cicely Roche, Associate Professor in Practice of Pharmacy, Trinity College Dublin School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said: “We are delighted with the ongoing support from Clanwilliam Health and today it is great to be announcing that this support will continue for the next five years. At the Trinity School of Pharmacy, we strive to provide an environment where excellence in teaching and research is valued and encouragedand this is certainly something Clanwilliam Health understands. The software they provide us with enables us to run technology in our labs which allows our students to gain practical experience in a pharmacy setting. As important as the theory part of our course is to our pharmacists in training, gaining real-life pharmacy experience is an essential and indispensable part of their studies. We are privileged to have this facility on campus thanks to Clanwilliam Health.”
