1. 'Angels & Demons'
Theme At Solstice Public Lecture
In Dan Brown's novel, Angels &
Demons, the world-famous centre of science, CERN, featured as a haven for
scientists who gathered to explore the wonders of the Universe, in
particular, a miraculous new material called antimatter which was created
and then stolen by a religious cult in attempt to destroy the Vatican.
In reality, the Large Hadron Collider at
CERN is believed by some to be a danger much more deadly than antimatter. As new
avenues of research into the subtle workings of time and space are explored, it
is hoped that scientists will discover the elusive God Particle. There are some,
however, that are concerned with the side effects of running this experiment. It
is expected that the LHC will create microscopic black holes, which will then
simply fizzle out. But some people have expressed concern that the black holes
will not disappear, but instead, grow and grow, eventually consuming the Earth
and everything around it.
At 8pm on Monday, June 14th, in Trinity
College Dublin, Dr. Cormac O' Raifeartaigh of Waterford Institute of Technology
(WIT) will present our Summer Public Lecture
entitled 'Black
Holes, The Large Hadron Collider and The God Particle'. In his talk, Dr
O'Raifeartaigh will investigate the
facts and the fiction behind the Large Hadron Collider, including the expected
outcomes and the possible threats.
Dr O'
Raifeartaigh is one of Ireland's leading scientists, and his work has brought
the Universe, black holes, and CERN into the public eye. He is a regular
contributor to the Irish Times, and runs his own blog, Antimatter.
This
is promising to be one of our biggest talks to date this year and pre-booking is
advisable to avoid disappointment. For more information about this
fascinating lecture click HERE.
To
book tickets simply click the link below or call us on (01) 847 0777.
A DVD is available to order online and you
can pre-order today.
2. Irish
Lunar Dedicated Website
Irish amateur astronomer and Moon enthusiast
Donnacha O' Driscoll has set up his own website - www.celticskys.ie - dedicated to
his observations of the Moon and all things Lunar related. With some
wonderful photographs and excellent information about Moon observation and
mapping, this website is an great base for beginners and weathered
astronomers alike. Donnacha also has an excellent 'Useful
Links' page which connects his site to other
astronomical bodies such as the BBC's Sky at Night website and
the Armagh Observatory. To check out Donnacha's website visit www.celticskys.ie.
3.
Events