Join us in Infusion Coffee Shop in Dundee Science Centre at 6pm on Wednesday the 15th of September for the first talk in our new 2010/2011 Cafe Science Series! This year we have talks on invisibility, biofuels, foot care, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and so much more. But our first talk from Charles Paxton (University of St Andrews) is all about Sea Monsters and Statistics.

The hunt for unknown animals like the great sea serpent and the kraken is often considered a pseudoscience but statistics can tell us some interesting things about sea monster reports and the probabilities of finding unknown animals. The hunt for Nessie may be more scientific than you think.

Sea monsters have been reported since antiquity but only recently has this topic come under statistical scrutiny. Recent research suggests there may be large numbers of large marine and freshwater animals awaiting discovery by science. Given this, is it time to re-evaluate reports of unknown aquatic animals?

Again statistics can help understand biases in eyewitness testimony. Statistics can also be used to obtain the probabilities of extinct animals being alive today and even how big they can get. In the future there will be monsters…

This is a FREE event, and everyone is welcome to attend. Doors will open at 5.30pm for a 6pm start, with a question and answer session after the talk.

Since the first test-tube baby was born in 1979, thousands more children have been conceived using more and more sophisticated techniques.

Join us at the Infusion Cafe at Dundee Science Centre – Sensation for an informative and relaxed discussion on the changes to family life & how babies are created in the modern age.

Egg donors, sperm donors and surrogate mothers are becoming increasingly involved in creating life and new families in the 21st Century.

How does the family unit adapt to these new contributions and relationships?

What are the ethical, moral and legal issues to consider?

Join a panel of scientists, lawyers and those with personal experience of assisted conception at Infusion Coffee Shop in Dundee Science Centre on Wednesday 11th August at 7pm as they try to help answer your questions and listen to your views.

This should be a relaxed and thought-provoking talk, followed by questions from the audience. If you have a burning question you would like the panel to address you can e-mail it to us in advance at cafescience@dundee.ac.uk

Free event. Everyone welcome