Each year sees the Ri team up with the University of the Third Age (U3A) to put on an afternoon of debate and discussion by some of the best speakers the Ri has been lucky enough to host over the past year or so. This year’s talks are:

Surviving Armageddon – Prof Bill McGuire
What do economy-busting earthquakes, giant tsunami, volcanic super-eruptions, threatening asteroids and climate change have in common? All are global geophysical events (GGEs, or gee-gees) that we will have to face in the future or that are with us now, and all are the focus of intensive study by scientists, aimed at preventing, predicting or at least limiting their impact on civilisation. These real and present dangers are the subject of perennial and disturbing interest, and have us on the edge of our seats watching blockbuster films such as Deep impact and The day after tomorrow. But it is not all doom and gloom – we just need to know how to separate fact from fantasy. Using the latest chilling data and taking care to draw a clear line between scientific fact and fiction, Bill will discuss the various ways that scientists are already considering to manage the gee-gee threat – some wild and wacky, others serious and considered. From ‘space reflectors’ to prevent global warming and pressure-relieving ‘robot excavators’ to stop volcanic eruptions, to more feasible plans for nudging asteroids out of Earth’s path, and building effective tsunami warning systems, Bill will provide some possible solutions to the gee-gee menace.

Oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease: the enemy within – Prof Salvador Moncada
Biochemical processes in the body generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are normally mopped up by antioxidant defence mechanisms. Under certain conditions an imbalance can develop between the antioxidant defences and the formation of ROS. The resulting accumulation of ROS, called oxidative stress, enables them to interact with physiological mediators in the body. Such an interaction inactivates those mediators and can result in the formation of toxic products. An example of this is nitric oxide (NO), a blood vessel dilator and anti-thrombotic agent generated in the lining of blood vessels, which reacts with superoxide anion (O2-). This interaction inactivates NO, leading to a condition in which the blood vessels fail to respond normally to the beneficial stimuli of the blood vessel dilators. This condition is predictive of cardiovascular disease and occurs in subjects with risk factors but no overt symptoms of disease. The reaction between NO and O2- also leads to the formation of peroxynitrite, a powerful oxidant species that has been implicated in conditions such as hypercholesterolaemia, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Another example is prostacyclin, the generation of which is decreased by lipid peroxides produced by the interaction between normal lipids in the body and ROS.

The truth about hormones – Vivienne Parry
Just what is going on when we’re tetchy, spotty, fearful, tearful or just plain awful? Hormones rule your internal world: they control your growth, metabolism, weight, water balance, body clocks, fertility, muscle bulk, mood, speed of ageing, whether you want sex or not (and whether you enjoy it!), and even who you fall in love with. Their effects may occur in seconds and be over in a flash, or take months and last for 30 years. While we can name some hormones, we rarely know what they actually do. But that doesn’t stop us claiming ‘it’s my hormones’ whenever our behaviour seems erratic. As it happens, we’re probably right – it is our hormones – and yes, we are completely in the thrall of things we know nothing about. In an attempt to let us in on the truth about hormones, Vivienne will expose a secret empire of stunning complexity and elegance. She will explain the myriad ways these powerful and mysterious slaves of the body’s communication system affect us, and the controversy and outrage that so often accompany them.

In association with the Universities of the Third Age