Science and technology

Lifelong learning

If you are not a member of our u3a and would like to join, please click here. Lifelong learning is an area of particular relevance to U3As. We have several groups in this faculty, details of which can be viewed using the buttons at the foot of the page. We hope there will be a few that appeal to you.

To contact the leaders for the three groups below directly, please send an email as follows:

Environment in the News group - u3abasingstoke.environment1@gmail.com

Literature group - u3abasingstokeliterature@gmail.com

Transport - u3atransport@gmail.com

If you would like to contact the leader of any other group, please use the Contact us form. Your enquiry will then be forwarded to the leader of the group in question.

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Science and technology

Our friendly meetings cover a wide range of topics presented by members of the group, with some visiting speakers. Whilst the presentations will have some technical content, the speakers know that audience members will rarely have specific knowledge of their field, so presentations are never difficult to understand. Hence, you just have to have an interest in science/technology to enjoy them.

Recent presentations covered:

DNA in genealogy
Galaxies, quasars, and the Big Bang
50+ years of high-speed trains around the world
The development of radar
Route-guidance and route-planning

We also enjoy some interesting visits to sites (e.g. research centres) related to our studies. Recent visits have included:

the Diamond Light Source at Harwell
the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, near St Albans
Brooklands museum

We hold meetings in a face-to-face environment at Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke, where there is free parking. Our meetings start at 10.00am, with coffee and tea available from 9.45am. Click here for maps and direction.

Our aim is to for the presentation to last about 45-50 minutes, with time for questions afterwards. Also, there is the opportunity to chat with colleagues and the presenter before and after the presentation.

If you have a topic that will be of interest to this group, please let one of the group leaders know and we will aim to fit your presentation into the schedule.

Members of the S&T group receive an email reminder about a week before each presentation, giving details of the venue (a room in Queen Mary's College), the speaker and the presentation.

Our programme for 2022-23 consists of:

2022

· October 4th: How Cells Control your life - David

· November 1st: Brains - what happens during an impact? - James, Norwich

· December 6th: The internet - John

2023

· January 10th: What is gravity: Oh that's easy. Isn't it?? - Neill, Wokingham U3A

· February 7th: Infinity - Rod

· March 7th: Zoonoses - Diane: Test Villages U3A

· April 4th: Battery powered trains - Peter

· May 2nd: Man flu, bird flu, seasonal flu – Jane, Reading U3A

· June 6th: To be advised