The Association of Science Education’s annual meeting takes place at Leeds University from January 6-8, incorporating an international programme of conferences from January 4-8. An expected 4,000 teachers, technicians, advisers, inspectors and consultants will attend the extensive programme of lectures, demonstrations and workshops, aimed at all levels of science education.
Opportunities for professional development are offered in 54 training courses, with many visits and social activities. Contact the ASE, tel: 01707 283000; full conference details on the website: www.ase.org.uk Our ability to make precise measurements of time, place and space and its impact on our lives will be explored in “Time and place in the communications age”, the annual touring Faraday lecture. The incredible accuracy achievable today can, for example, measure the fraction of a second that separates an Olympic gold and silver medallist. Run by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, this free lecture will tour 17 towns and cities in the UK from January 18 to March 28, involving more than 60,000 14 to 16-year-old students in interactive experiments. Details: The Faraday Lecture Office, IEE, Michael Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 2AY. Tel: 01438 313311. E-mail: faraday@iee.org.uk Festivals, talks, pub quizzes, school trips, visits to businesses and many other events will be held during National Science Week, March 17-26. If you wish to organise an event, information packs are available from: Maria Roy, British Association for the Advancement of Science, 23 Savile Row, London W1X 2NB. Tel: 0171 973 3078. E-mail: maria.roy@britassoc.org.uk
The full programme will go online at www.britassoc.org.uk in February.
The Design and Technology Association celebrates its 10th anniversary with a three-day conference at the London Institute of Education from April 12-14, where James Dyson will give the keynote address. Other guests include inventor Trevor Baylis and the designers of the London Eye, Andrew Summers and Paul Thompson. There will be an exhibition of students’ work, a large resources exhibition and more than 200 different in-service training opportunities. Full details on conference hotline: 01223 460227 or DATA on 01789 470007.
The Edinburgh International Science Festival takes place on April 2-18. Themes will include: time (cosmology, biological clocks, perceptions of time, pulsars); health and medicine; the natural worlddisasters; new materials (suits that never wear out, bio-degradable clothes, windows which filter harmful rays, edible plates); and festivals devoted to science books and films. Details: 8 Lochend Road, Edinburgh EH6 8BR. Tel: 0131 530 2001. E-mail: esf@scifest.demon.co.uk
