November Science Cafe:The Chemistry of Light

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The Swansea Science Cafe offers opportunities for anyone to find out more about new, exciting and topical areas of science. Designed to be informal and entertaining, the cafe typically runs on the last Wednesday of every month at the Dylan Thomas Centre. Entry is free and talks start at 7:30pm.

Title: The Chemistry of Light

Speaker: Dr Peter Douglas of Swansea University

Date: Wednesday 28th November

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

Admission: Admission is free and all welcome

Event Summary
The lecture, which is co-sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, will show the importance of photochemistry in our world, include more than thirty demonstrations, and is divided into three sections.
(i) How light is made
This section demonstrates how light can be generated electrically, thermally and chemically, and how visible light can be generated from ultraviolet light, i.e. fluorescence and phosphorescence.
(ii) How light is used today in technology and everyday life
In this section the use of light in the technologies of everyday life is demonstrated. This includes its use in photography, electronics, entertainment, plastics, medicine and security.
(iii) How light might be used in the future to solve two of the most important problems facing mankind i.e. the production of clean water and clean energy
The lecture ends with demonstrations illustrating ways in which light can be used to purify polluted water, and how sunlight can be used as the ideal non-polluting energy source by conversion into electricity or a chemical fuel.

or email: c.allton@swansea.ac.uk / e.c.pope@swansea.ac.uk

About Science Cafe Wales

Each month, a leading expert in their field will give a brief introductory talk followed by a friendly informal chat. You can sit back, relax with a drink and listen or get involved in the discussion and debate. The Science Café organisers are committed to promoting public engagement with science and to making science accountable.

Science Café Wales are held in casual settings in Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor. They are informal and accessible and entrance is entirely free. They usually start with a short talk from the speaker, usually a scientist or writer, followed by a quick break and then an hour or so of discussion afterwards.

Previous topics have included dark matter, the common cold, Dr Who, the Big Bang and alternative therapies.

The first Cafes Scientifiques in the UK were held in Leeds in 1998. From there cafés gradually spread across the country.

Currently, some 40 or so cafés meet regularly to hear scientists or writers on science talk about their work and discuss it with diverse audiences.