Can cancer be stopped? and the role of nutrition in brain and eye function are two public lectures in WIT as part of the Robert Boyle Science Festival
WIT plays a central role in Science Week which runs from 8-15 November with Calmast (Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology) the institute's science outreach centre organising the Robert Boyle Science Festival, the South East’s contribution to Science Week.
Over 50 events take place place in Waterford, Lismore, Dungarvan, Carrick-on-Suir and New Ross as part of the Robert Boyle Science festival. Such is the popularity of the events, organisers have reported that 3,500 places for schools booked out in an hour.
WIT lecturers and researchers will be joined by international presenters bringing a wide range of events to the region from workshops on electronics, computing, chemistry and much more for younger audiences, to lectures on personal medicine and the role of nutrition in age related macular degeneration.
Three events open to the public take place at WIT. They are:
Monday, 9 November 7pm-8pm: The Bubble Show! From the London Science Museum.
Tuesday, 10 November 7pm-8pm: The role of nutrition in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Alzheimer's disease, with Prof John Nolan, School of Health Science , WIT.
Wednesday, 11 November 7pm-8pm: Can cancer be stopped? Dr Salvador Macip, University of Leicester. Admission: Free but pre-book necessary. Contact: Eleanor Reade on 051 302037 or email [email protected]
“This year is the 20th Anniversary of Science Week and WIT has from the beginning been one of the biggest participants. We estimate that close on 100,000 have participated in over 1,000 sessions in that time. We expect over 6,000 to attend events we have organised,” said Dr Sheila Donegan, organiser of the Robert Boyle Science Festival, and a director at WIT’s Calmast.
The week will kick off with a family fun day in Lismore on Sunday, 8 November. Lismore Heritage Centre will play host to a hands-on extravaganza for a family fun day, where children and adults are invited to experiment with dozens of interactive science activities and puzzles or enjoy stunning scientific shows.
“Monday evening’s Bubble Show, which is open to the public, is a great introduction to science for young children and is run by the London Science Museum. Demand for science courses continues to increase, and against the backdrop of the CAO opening for applications on 5 November, whether to pursue a future in science may be the topic of conversation in many households. If you want to know how the world works, you are inquisitive, creative, and like problem solving, you’re on the way to a career in STEM,” said organiser of the Robert Boyle Science Festival, and a director at WIT’s Calmast Eoin Gill.
Speaking about the impact that Waterford Institute of Technology can have on young people, Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General, Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said: “The ‘SFI Science in Ireland Barometer’ highlights the importance of science graduates and careers to people in Munster with 90% of those questioned believing that STEM will deliver more jobs to the region in the future.
“Science Week is a great opportunity, at all levels, to get involved. I would encourage every person to check out the events happening in their area because science isn’t just about the classroom, it’s for everyone to enjoy, explore and investigate together. We also hope that it might encourage people to explore science more and maybe even consider studying it more formally.”
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
