Spotlight on Science: International Development & Eating for Fitness

Developing countries are currently faced with a set of specific problems, ranging from agricultural production to health, for which scientific, engineering, agricultural, medical and social skills are needed if they are to develop a technically skilled population to deal with these issues, and to grow their economies.

Tonight (March 17) Sir David King, the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor and the 1920 Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge will be discussing these issues facing developing countries and how it impacts global economic development.

Sir David King was appointed the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Office of Science and Technology in October 2000. He advises the Prime Minister directly on scientific issues.

The lecture will be held from 7.30-8.30 pm at the Babbage Lecture Theatre on the New Museums site, Downing Street, Cambridge.

Tomorrow night (March 18), a panel of leading nutrition scientists will be available to answer questions on good nutrition and can help you change your diet for life. The event is sponsored by MRC Human Nutrition Research.

The discussion will be held from 4:30pm - 6pm at Michael House Cafe, St. Michael's Church, Trinity Street, Cambridge.

These lectures are in a series of seven in the Cambridge Science Festival’s ‘Spotlight on Science’ lecture series. The Festival’s ‘Spotlight on Science’ lecture series includes environmental focused lecture ‘Priorities for People and Planet’ as well as health and technology lectures ‘Autism and the Extreme Male Brain’ and ‘The Mathematics of Luck, Risk & Gambling’.

The Cambridge Science Festival’s big Science weekend will start tomorrow (Saturday, March 18) when most of the laboratory tours, demonstrations and hands-on activities will take place. The big Science weekend will be opened tomorrow by Carol Vorderman, celebrity mathematician and University of Cambridge graduate in the Courtyard, Downing Site, Downing Street, Cambridge.

The Science Festival runs until Sunday, 26 March. It provides people of all ages the opportunity to explore science through hands on activities and talks hosted by people who study or work with science, engineering and technology.

Now in its 13th year, the Cambridge Science Festival hosts over 100 events and is one of National Science Week’s major initiatives. Its aim is to interest school children and adults in the scientific research going on throughout the University, and to encourage school pupils to consider studying science in the future. The events also provide the general public with the chance to ask questions of researchers at the University of Cambridge and for scientists to engage with the public on issues of interest and concern.

The full programme of the events will be available on the festival’s website. Interested parties can also call the information line on 01223 766766. Those interested in any of the events that require booking, should book soon due to some venues’ space limitations.

The 2006 Cambridge Science Festival is sponsored by Cambridge University Press, The Technology Partnership, Microsoft Research, the Vodafone UK Foundation, Science Magazine and Oracle. Supporters of the Festival include Cambridge Evening News and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.