STS Seminar Series 2012-13
Department of Science and Technology Studies
University College London

The series is free and open to the public

All seminars take place at 4.15pm
Venue: Room 105, 24 Gordon Square
Building Location:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/roombooking/building-location/?id=026

Monday 22 October
Science in History Series (in collaboration with UCL HEP)
Peter Atkins, Oxford
"The Nature of Energy"

What is energy? Although we use it in every aspect of our lives, pay
enormous sums for it, and fear for its future availability, few can say
exactly what it is. That the concept is important is reflected by the
fact that once the concept had been identified in the early nineteenth
century, it swept to prominence. After presenting an explanation of it,
I shall consider the laws that govern it. These are the laws of
thermodynamics. Each law raises a variety of questions. For instance,
what is temperature?
Why does the total energy of the universe remain the same? Where do the
laws of Nature come from? How much energy is there in the universe? But
as well as dealing with the quantity of energy, we have to consider its
quality. That means we have to understand the concept of entropy too, a
concept that greatly puzzled the Victorians. I shall present a
qualitative account of this hugely important concept. Through it, we
shall see what drives every action in the universe.


Forthcoming Seminars:

Monday 12 November
Sabina Leonelli , Centre for Genomics and Society (Egenis), Exeter
"Life in the Digital Age: The Impact of Open Data and Data-Sharing"
Technologies on Biological Research"

Monday 26 November
Helen Curry, HPS, Cambridge
"Atoms in agriculture: nuclear science as agricultural outreach in the"
United States, 1945-1960

Monday 10 December
Jack Stilgoe, STS, UCL
"Governing intent: Experiments in responsible geoengineering


--
Dr. Chiara Ambrosio
Lecturer in History and Philosophy of Science
Department of Science and Technology Studies
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT

Phone: +44 02076790166
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/staff/ambrosio
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/basc