| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| When: | Monthly on Wednesday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm |
| Venue: | Napier Hall |
We are a lively and friendly group that either meet at the hall or visit a site of Scientific or Technological interest.
The Group is currently looking for someone to take over as Convenor so if you would be interested in doing so please click on the Group Coordinator to send her an email.
Meetings vary between presentations, workshops and visits, and the occasional fun social event. Members give presentations or lead workshops if they have a particular expertise, but some prefer to listen and learn. Most of the Science and Technology disciplines are represented in the Group.
Previous topics have ranged from Antarctica, through a Bat walk, Gunpowder and various Mathematical topics to Systems Engineering and local Environment issues. Visits have included the Atomic Weapons Museum, a Distillery and a Roman Glass Blowing foundry as well as visits to various manufacturers in the area. Many of us also remember a glorious day spent surveying the foreshore at Studland.
You did not have to be a Scientist to join us, just possess a lively and enquiring mind.
Future Events
Members take turns in organising monthly meetings, with more active participation in these meetings from all of us. The roster for the coming months is shown below:
| Nov 6th 2024 | Mike Gledhill | Video about Brian May's investigation into whether badgers are responsible for the spread of TB to farm animals or if there are other causes. |
| Dec 4th 2024 | Juliet Taylor | Christmas lunch, Juliet will investigate the Farmer Inn at Catherington |
| Jan 8th 2025 | Geoff Dennison | |
| Feb 5th 2025 | Athol King | |
| March 5th 2025 | Geoff Southgate | |
| April 2nd 2025 | Penny Knowler | |
| May 7th 2025 | Juliet Taylor | |
| June 4th 2025 | Steve Skinner | |
| July 2nd 2025 | Tony Dudley |
Members can send Tony Syms any ideas on subjects they would like to see covered or on which they could give a presentation, however short. Tony’s excellent story about Galileo and his discovery of the moons of Jupiter is an example of what can be done in respect of the latter.
Following his decision to step down from the role of Group Convenor, Mike Gledhill will liaise with Penny Knowler, Suzy Gardiner and Athol King about booking Napier Hall and unlocking and setting it up for meetings, as well as using and maintaining the members list in Beacon for communicating with the Group.
Currently the Napier Hall is booked on a yearly basis en bloc for the afternoon of the first Wednesday of each month (except December), Mike Gledhill has a key to the Hall and a U3A projector. Juliet supplies teas and biscuits etc. We need about 15 members to attend each meeting at £2 per head to break even on Hall Hire and paying Juliet’s expenses.
Mike Gledhill will circulate a list of what the Group has covered over the past several years after it was set up by Geoff and Carole Smith to the extent that the information was recorded.
Science Symposium
Back in July 2014, the Group organized and hosted a Science Symposium in Merchistoun Hall to which members of similar Interest Groups from the other U3As in Hampshire were invited.
It had been hoped that given the apparent success and popularity of the day, other u3as might organize similar events in the future, however this has not happened.