redwhine   10 #1 Posted May 7, 2014 Who? Stephen Pearse, Rebecca Slack, James Andow  What's the talk about?  ScienceGrrl Sheffield and Sheffield Skeptics In The Pub are pleased to bring you the inaugural PubHD Sheffield Event!  At each event, three PhD* students, from any academic discipline, explain their work to an audience in a pub in exchange for a pint or two. Each talk lasts 10 minutes, with an extra 10 minutes for questions and discussion.  A flip chart or white board will be available, but powerpoint presentations are forbidden at these informal and friendly events which aim to entertain and amuse as well as educate! Props and other aids to understanding are very welcome.  The first event will take place in the Wilson Room, upstairs at the University Arms, 197 Brook Hill, on Tuesday 13th May at 7:30pm. The event is completely free to attend but small donations are encouraged to help water the speakers and fund future events.  Stephen Pearse – University of Sheffield, Dept. of Music  Stephen Pearse is a composer and audio software engineer nearing the completion of a PhD in the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield. “Agent Based Graphic Sound Synthesis and Composition” explores new methods for “drawing” music.  Alongside a body of compositions, his research also comprises of a complex set of audio systems. One of these systems, “Compose With Sounds” is currently in use in hundreds of schools across the EU in multiple languages. His compositions have been performed across Europe and United States.  Rebecca Slack – University of Sheffield, Dept. of Psychology  Changes in the blood in the brain can be measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). fMRI uses these changes to predict neuronal brain cell activity. fMRI has found huge popularity as a tool in psychology, biology, medicine, and even religion. This is because participants can perform specific mental activities and fMRI can highlight which parts of the brain show associated changes. However, fMRI brain scans are far from error proof.  Rebecca's research is hoping to improve what could be an invaluable technique to understand what goes on inside the brain. Having studied mathematics at Imperial College at undergraduate level, Rebecca became very interested in the applied side of things, relating maths to water flow in pipes, the trickle of golden syrup and predator prey cycles in mathematical biology. She decided to take a masters course in cognitive and computational neuroscience to see if she could apply her maths skills to the brain.  James Andow – University of Nottingham – Dept. of Philosophy  James Andow has recently completed his PhD. He asks questions like `What is the best way to philosophise?’ `Are there important differences between what philosophers do and what other academics do? and, in particular, `What role should intuitions have in philosophy?’ Sometimes he answers them. You can find him on Twitter @andowjames.  *Masters students and post-docs also welcome!  http://sheffield.skepticsinthepub.org/Event.aspx/2102/PubhD-A-Thesis-Explained-in-10-Minutes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
