Drug Abuse – Science, Society and Solutions Event in Tullamore

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Dr Richie Maguire, Sean Kinsella, Dr Craig Slattery and Jackie Gorman at the Drugs of Abuse, Science, Society and Solutions event in Tullamore as part of the Midlands Science Festival.

A range of Science Week activities has been running in the midlands for the past week through the Midlands Science Festival. A topical, engaging and inspirational event took place in Tullamore last night [Thursday] exploring the science of drug abuse with a  focus on the linked topics of science, solution and solutions. With the Citizens Assembly on Drug Use currently underway in Ireland, this event was  a timely opportunity to learn more about the scientific and societal issues that drugs use raises.

The panel of speakers included Dr Richard Maguire, Principal Analyst, Medical Bureau of Road Safety and formerly of the National Drug Treatment Centre and Sean Kinsella, Health & Wellness Coach. Sean is an expert by experience and you can read more about his journey from addiction to a life of helping others through similar issues in various news articles online. The event was hosted by leading science communicator Dr Craig Slattery of UCD’s Conway Institute on behalf of Midlands Science.

The Midlands Science Festival is an initiative of Midlands Science and it is supported by Science Foundation Ireland and is a regional festival as part of national Science Week. Taking place from 12th-19th November, the theme for Science Week 2023 is ‘Human?’, which asks people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world, and how the decisions we make today will impact the people and world of the future.

There was a very engaged discussion with the audience at this event and people who attended were profoundly moved by the way in which Sean Kinsella shared his story of moving from homelessness and heroin addiction to a life now focussed on helping others with similar issues. It was clear that Sean believes that recovery is possible and that the narrative about drugs use needs to have more lived experience at the centre of discussions so as to have a real impact in making things better for everyone.  Jackie Gorman, CEO of Midlands Science commented ; “this event on drug abuse was a very engaged event with so many questions, comments and indeed experiences shared from the audience. I would like to thank all of our speakers Dr Richie Maguire, Dr Craig Slattery and Sean Kinsella who shared his expertise through experience to great effect. The discussions to be had in society about drug use need to be informed by science and also involved lived experience and we are delighted to have hosted this event in Tullamore as part of the Midlands Science Festival.” More information on Midlands Science is available on www.midlandsscience.ie

Seachtain náisiúnta na hEolaíochta i mBaile Átha Luain

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Cillian Butler ag baint taitnimh as imeachtaí na Seachtaine Eolaíochta as Gaeilge i mBaile Átha Luain mar chuid den Midlands Science Festival.

Bhí ceardlann faoin eolaíocht ag Midlands Science i mBaile Átha Luain an tseachtain seo chaite. I nGaeilge a bhí an cheardlann agus bhí grúpa mór páistí i láthair.Is í Seachtain náisiúnta na hEolaíochta í – 12 go 19 Samhain 2023. Seachtain í seo chun an eolaíocht a cheiliúradh agus i mbliana is é an téama an duine. Tá claochlú déanta ar chruthaitheacht an duine, ar fhiosracht agus ar choincheapa an chaoi a mairimid, an chaoi a n-idirghníomhaíonn muid lena chéile, agus an caidreamh atá againn lenár bplainéad. Mhúnlaigh forbairtí dochreidte ár dtuiscint orainn féin agus ar ár ndomhan. Uaireanta mothaíonn sé go bhfuil athruithe as ár smacht, ó éigeandáil timpeallachta go dtí go mbíonn an teicneolaíocht ag dul i ngleic leo. Cad atá amach romhainn, agus cén ról a bheidh ag an eolaíocht chuige seo? Conas a mhúnlóidh na gníomhartha a ghlacfaimid anois ár n-eispéireas daonna comhchoiteann san fhadtéarma? I ndomhan éiginnte, tá cinnteacht amháin ann ó thalmhaíocht go AI, nach é an chaoi a mairimid inniu ná an chaoi a mairimid amach anseo.

Rinne na páistí roinnt turgnaimh, seo ceann le triail a bhaint as.

Lampaí  Laibhe – Tóg do lampa laibhe féin abhaile leat i ndiaidh na ceardlainne seo!

Am ag teastáil: 20 nóiméad.

Trealamh ag teastáil:

Próca gloine (le clúdach)

Uisce

Ola

Dathúchán bia

Treoracha:

Líon an próca gloine ¾ le huisce.

Cuir isteach 3-4 braoiníní dathúchán bia

Líon an chuid eile den phróca le hola

Cuir an clúdach ar an bpróca

Croith an lampa laibhe agus féach!

Conas a oibríonn sé?

Ar an gcéad dul síos fanann an ola ag barr an phróca toisc go bhfuil sé níos éadroime ná an t-uisce. Is féidir linn a rá freisin go bhfuil an t-uisce níos dlúithe ná an ola. Ní mheascann na leachtanna seo. Ní mhaith leis an ola an t-uisce. Níl na móilíní in ann meascadh lena chéile.

Dúirt Jackie Gorman “Bhí sé iontach an oiread sin páistí a fheiceáil ag glacadh páirte sa cheardlann seo. Is  seachtain iontach í Seachtain na hEolaíochta agus is iontach an rud é páistí a fheiceáil ag déanamh gníomhaíochtaí trí Ghaeilge.”

Tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ar www.midlandsscience.ie

Exploring the Science of Swimming in Lough Ree

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Swimmers including 10 year old Amy Walsh from Athlone, enjoying a swim in Lough Ree as part of the Midlands Science Festival event Splash which explored the science of cold water swimming.

Exploring the Science of Swimming in Lough Ree

Almost 100 brave swimmers dived into a cold Lough Ree on Sunday morning with the water temperature registering a chilly 8 degrees and it was all in the name of Science Week !! The swim and talk that followed was all part of an event called “Splash – Dive Into the Science of Wellness”, as part of the Midlands Science Festival.

The Festival is supported by Science Foundation Ireland as part of national Science Week. Taking place from 12th-19th November, the theme for Science Week 2023 is ‘Human?’, which asks people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world, and how the decisions we make today will impact the people and world of the future.

The swimmers returned to the Hudson Bay Hotel for hot food and refreshments and then took part in a discussion with Nuala Moore. She is the holder of two Guinness World Records for Extreme Cold Water Swimming and she took participants through her journey of swimming which took her from swims in Dingle to swimming in the Bering Strait and around Cape Horn. Following her presentation, there was a discussion on cold water swimming, the science of this activity and the health benefits it can promote. As Westmeath now has a large open water swimming community, participants included members of local open water swimming groups such as the Westmeath Noels and Nualas and the Westmeath Orcas. Nuala has swum in some of the most dangerous, remote and coldest waters in the world including Drake’s Passage. Her biography “Limitless” was recently published by Gill Books.

Jackie Gorman, CEO of Midlands Science commented ; “open water and cold water swimming has become extremely popular in Ireland over the past number of years and science helps to understand both how to care for ourselves in this activity and also the health benefits that the activity can provide. It was an honour to welcome a swimmer such as Nuala Moore to the midlands, she has achieved so much and is an inspiration to us all. She inspires us to think outside of the limitations we may set for ourselves.”

The event was part of the Midlands Science Festival and a range of activities are running across the midlands region until November 20th. More details can be found on www.midlandsscience.ie

Sing Up for Science in Tullamore

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Tullamore Library was alive with sound of music last night as it hosted a special concert for the Midlands Science Festival. Sing Up For Science was a unique concert with Bohemian Strings and Dr Claire O’Connell. The concert took the audience through a variety of classical and pop favourites and also included a rapid name that tune game with a few seconds of a tune played for the audience. Many people won a prize for guessing tunes in a matter of seconds, including a young five year old participant who identified The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love.” !!

The Midlands Science Festival is supported by Science Foundation Ireland as part of national Science Week. Taking place from 12th-19th November, the theme for Science Week 2023 is ‘Human?’, which asks people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world, and how the decisions we make today will impact the people and world of the future.

What could be more human than playing music and enjoying it ? After a lovely opening with “Spring” by Vivaldi, the music took a turn to the world of heavy metal with the string quartet playing AC/DC’s well known tune “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Lots of humming, singing and foot tapping ensued to the Aussie rocker’s well-known anthem. MC for the night Dr Claire O’Connell shared some interesting research on classical and heavy metal. In 2008 psychological data was collected globally from classical music fans and fans of heavy metal. It turns out there are some similarities between the two groups. They are both highly creative, extremely gentle, and confidently self-assured.

The quartet also played Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles and Dr O’Connell reminded the audience that this well-loved tuned was all about human loneliness. From a scientific perspective, we now know that social isolation in older age is not good for a person’s health and wellbeing, and a 2019 study by The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) found that almost one third of adults aged 50+ in Ireland experienced emotional loneliness at least some of the time and 7.0% often felt lonely. And that was before the pandemic. So as the audience listened to this beautiful song about all the lonely people, the audience was encouraged to build compassionate connections with people as it could be good for everyone’s health.

The event was booked out and there was a full house of music lovers on the night who learned a lot about science along the way. Bohemian Strings are a quartet who have played with the Beach Boys, Richard Clayderman and Mick Flannery among many others. The event was part of the Midlands Science Festival which runs until November 20th and more events can be found on www.midlandsscience.ie

Science Scrum in Athlone

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Buccaneers Rugby Club had a large crowd in attendance last Tuesday night for a special science week event exploring the science of rugby with Jack Carty and Rosie Foley. They were in conversation with leading science communicator Dr Craig Slattery of UCD and the conversation explored how much technology has evolved in the past number of years, allowing more and more monitoring of performance and training plans. The event was part of the Midlands Science Festival and showed how science relating to rugby involves everything from fitness to physics.

For instance, the use of GPS technology on the pitch provides players with invaluable performance analysis which previous generations could only have dreamed of. Data generated by companies such as Statsports offers a comprehensive understanding of each player’s strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. By harnessing the power of science, players can reach unprecedented levels of performance. Consider for a moment that the roll of an F16 fighter jet is equivalent to 9gs of force. Some players on the Irish team will give or take tackles registering between 10 and 20gs in any given match.

The science behind rugby extends far beyond performance analysis. On the rugby pitch, mathematics, physics, and fitness interplay to create a dynamic game and there were lots of good stories on the night from Connaught Captain Jack Carty and former Irish International Rosie Foley. Rosie also shared some great examples of her own playing career and that of her father Anthony and her late brother Axel Foley. Questions from the audience included everything from what’s the best foods to eat when training and advice for those considering a career in rugby. A large crowd of almost 100 ranged in age from 10 to 80, demonstrating the universal appeal of the game.

This event is part of the Midlands Science Festival and is supported by Science Foundation Ireland as part of national Science Week. Taking place from 12th-19th November, the theme for Science Week 2023 is ‘Human?’, which asks people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world, and how the decisions we make today will impact the people and world of the future.

According to Pauline Nally of Midlands Science, “Learning more about the science of rugby from two amazing players, Jack Carty and Rosie Foley was an eye-opening experience to their own dedication to excellence and also the increasingly important role that science is playing in the game and in the lives of its players.”