Asking someone to send you an “engineer” will conjure up all sorts of people who build and fix things. But today’s show is about civil engineers. Professor Robert Mair of the University of Cambridge Engineering Department will explain what are they and what do they do. Hear the interview at this link, or listen to the whole show at the link below.
What’s the difference between a civil engineer and a washing machine engineer? Is it that a civil engineer wears a suit? Maybe not, but we’ll be getting the answer and you’ll hear about the civil engineering in “Crossrail”, a £15 billion project to a build train route from Reading, tunnel across London and then on to Essex and Kent. Work started five years ago and the first trains will run in 2019.
Hear about engineering in these show podcasts:
• Learn about aerodynamics and the need for bumps on airplane wings from Prof Holger Babinsky at the University of Cambridge.
• Steve Groves of Nissan tells about the technology behind the world’s best selling electric vehicle. Called the Nissan LEAF this car drives across town without adding pollution or traffic noise.
• Dr Michelle Oyen from bioengineering at the University of Cambridge explains how materials science is put to use in medicine where there’s a need for replacement tissues. We hear about measuring the properties of bone and ‘hydrogels’. We discuss the uptake of engineering by girls.
• An engineering initiative to build the world’s fastest car – called Bloodhound – is aimed at recruiting students to engineering. We speak with the project’s education officer about this unusual car.
What’s on
Maps are crucial tools for survival. An exhibition at The Polar Museum traces the development of maps of the Polar oceans and coastlines. The gallery has a life-size submarine control room, electronic charts and an original 16th century atlas depicting fictional Arctic islands, just to name a few finds. Till Sat 31 May 2014
The Fitzwilliam Museum is exhibiting collections from eight local Museums from artworks to scientific artefacts, historic instruments to zoological specimens. Art, science and exploration is open daily till July 2014
On Wednesday, 28th May 2014, the Cambridge Science Centre on Jesus Lane provides an opportunity to see a robot able to learn to track objects.
On Friday, May 30th 2014, also at the Cambridge Science Centre offers a session called Computer Mind-Readers. Peter Robinson, Professor at the University of Cambridge Computer Lab will show how computers can interpret our emotions. Normal admission charges apply.
More shows
You can pick up Science Show podcasts on iTunes. Just search for ‘105 science’ or ‘Cambridge 105’
The next broadcast on Cambridge 105 will be at our summer show time of 5:30pm on Saturday 14th June 2014
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