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Tsunamis, animal camouflage and a 'behind the scenes' tour of TV's Coast

Press release issued: 22 January 2007

Dr Alice Roberts, TV presenter of BBC 2’s Coast and Don’t Die Young will be one of the well-known experts exploring a range of fascinating topics in a series of public talks launched by Bristol University this week. Animal camouflage, the science of our coastline, wave power, tsunamis and Bristol’s link with the slave trade are just some of the subjects the public will have an opportunity to discover more about.

Dr Alice Roberts, TV presenter of BBC 2’s Coast and Don’t Die Young will be one of the well-known experts exploring a range of fascinating topics in a series of public talks launched by Bristol University this week. Animal camouflage, the science of our coastline, wave power, tsunamis and Bristol’s link with the slave trade are just some of the subjects the public will have an opportunity to discover more about.

Animal camouflage provides some of the most striking examples of adaptation on Earth. In order to understand how animal camouflage works, experts need to understand how other animals perceive colour patterns. Professor of Behavioural Ecology, Innes Cuthill will look at how a combination of evolutionary biology, psychology and computer science can help us understand how camouflage works in nature. His talk, ‘Animal camouflage through animal eyes’. This talk takes place on Wednesday, 24 January at Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall, Eastfield Road, Bristol.

To mark the upcoming 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, Professor of the History and Cultures of Colonialism, Stephen Howe, will discuss how slavery is remembered and debated over, both locally and nationally. His talk, ‘Debating Slavery and Abolition: memory and forgetting’, takes place on Thursday, 1 February at Waddelow Hall, Broadmead Baptist Church, Broadmead, Bristol.

Two years after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, the most deadly tsunami ever recorded, many of the survivors still live in fear of encountering such a destructive force again. Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Howell Peregrine will explain how tides, which are generated by the moon and sun, and tsunamis, generated by earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions share common traits in their wavelength. In his talk, ‘Water waves at the coast: tidal bores and tsunamis’ he will explain what wavelengths are and what we can learn from observing them. This talk takes place on Wednesday, 7 February at Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall, Eastfield Road, Bristol.

In the next talk ‘The science of Coast’, Dr Alice Roberts, one of the presenters of the popular BBC 2 television series Coast, which documents the history, archaeology, wildlife and technology of our coastline, takes us on a ‘behind the scenes’ tour.  She will explore some of the programme’s science stories, including a look at rocket testing on the Isle of Wight and an analysis of the light at St Ives. She will also explain why the coast is at the forefront of the energy debate.  This talk takes place on Thursday, 15 February at Waddelow Hall, Broadmead Baptist Church, Broadmead, Bristol. Dr Alice Roberts is a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Anatomy.

Our coastline is a fragile environment. Storm waves can be both damaging and dangerous and even gentle waves can mould the coastline by transporting sediment. Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Howell Peregrine will explore the impact of waves and their effects in his talk ‘Water waves at the coast: wind waves and their effects’ on Wednesday, 21 February at Westbury-on-Trym Village Hall, Eastfield Road, Bristol.

The interactive talks are organised by the University’s Community Engagement Team based in the Centre for Public Engagement. All talks take place from 1 to 2 pm.  No pre-booking is necessary and members of the audience are welcome to bring their sandwiches.

Further information

Please contact Caroline Clancy for further information.
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