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Engineering lecturer PJ Cregg recently delivered a captivating talk exploring the intersection of science and art through photography. In this episode, PJ and Rob O’Connor delve into various physical laws depicted in photography, including light reflections and refractions, crepuscular rays (rays of sunlight), and rainbows. They also discuss PJ's research on topics ranging from Claude Shannon’s Information Theory to James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake, highlighting the connections between the arts and the sciences.



This episode is inspired by the Mathematics and Physics Seminar series, which has been a cornerstone of intellectual discourse in SETU (and previously WIT and WRTC) since the 1980s (estimated).

 


To join the mailing list or enquire about the Mathematics & Physics Seminar series contact Dr Brendan McCann, Lecturer in Mathematics at brendan.mccann@setu.ie
For those interested in observing and understanding various natural optical phenomena, PJ recommends M. Minnaert, The Nature of Light & Colour in the open air. (1954) Dover.
PJ’s talk on tides – How Much Do The Planets Influence The Tides? – is available on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY9VIua3n6Y
PJ Cregg’s profile on the SETU website https://www.setu.ie/staff/pj-cregg
Rob O’Connor profile on the SETU website https://www.setu.ie/staff/robert-oconnor

Led by the double-act of Dr. Tom Farrelly (MTU) and Ken McCarthy (SETU), we discuss the N-TUTORR project, which seeks to transform student experience of higher education in the Technological University sector nationally. We delve into some of Tom’s recent research around the use of Artificial Intelligence systems in education and also discuss the Gasta presentation style, championed by Tom.

Here are some links to resources mentioned during the podcast:


N-TUTORR National Project https://www.thea.ie/ntutorr/
“Generative Artificial Intelligence: Implications and Considerations for Higher Education Practice” (2023) by Tom Farrelly and Nick Baker. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111109
Gasta Goes Global http://gasta.me
Ken McCarthy’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenmccarthy/  
Tom Farrelly’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-farrelly-sfhea-6259362a/
Rob O’Connor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoconnorirl/

Autonomous Systems are the jumping off point for this podcast episode with Indrakshi Dey of the Walton Institute at SETU. We talk about how computer science research is progressing in this area, encompassing the world of AI and forming links with partners across all disciplines. This leads on to a chat about how we (humans) tend to anthropomorphise Artificial Intelligence systems. We also discuss Indrakshi’s career to date and how being a woman of colour has given her unique insight across the sector.

Here are some links if you wish to follow up the podcast:


Walton Institute Key Research Areas https://waltoninstitute.ie/research/key-research
CONNECT project https://www.connect-science.net
Indrakshi Dey’s profile at the Walton Institute https://waltoninstitute.ie/about/staff/dr-indrakshi-dey
Indrakshi Dey’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/indrakshi-dey-aa658839/  
Rob O’Connor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoconnorirl/

As we approach International Women’s Day, we discuss the Roses From The Heart project which explores the stories of women and young girls forcibly transported to Australia from places like Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. Artist Dr. Christina Henri describes how her project came about and the impact it has had over its 20 year life span. Christina was in Waterford to link up with partners in SETU and the wider community in Waterford.

Here are some links to resources mentioned during the podcast:


Roses From The Heart Tumblr https://rosesfromtheheart.tumblr.com
Christina Henri and Roses From The Heart on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaHenriRosesFromTheHeart/  
SETU Library https://library.wit.ie
Kieran Cronin’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-cronin/
Rob O’Connor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoconnorirl/

We talk about all things “open access” with David Kane from the SETU library. David talks about how research was published in the past and explains why there’s been a shift towards open access publishing over the last number of years. He describes various models of open access publishing and talks about how your University’s library can likely help you achieve open access publishing. The concept of citation is also discussed, which may be especially useful for undergraduate students or individuals new to research.

Here are some links to resources mentioned during the podcast:


OpenAlex free global research index https://openalex.org
The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)’s mission is to advance practical and robust approaches to research assessment globally and across all scholarly disciplines https://sfdora.org/
Irish Open Access Publishers (IOAP) is a community of practice driven by Irish open access publishers for Irish open access publishers https://www.ioap.ie/
Green, gold, diamond – different models for open access book https://oabooks-toolkit.org/lifecycle/article/13868103-green-gold-diamond-different-models-for-open-access-books
SETU Library https://library.wit.ie/
David Kane’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfkane/
Rob O’Connor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoconnorirl/

In this episode, we have an interview with Nick McCarthy and David Devaney about sustainability and land sciences. Both are members of the EIRC (Eco-Innovation Research Centre) at SETU. Nick’s specialist area is forestry and David’s is agriculture and soil science. They talk about some of the climate change challenges facing Ireland (and the world!) and how science is helping us create more sustainable models for biodiversity, agriculture and forestry management. Nick and David are both enthusiastic speakers who really engage with the topics. Rob also learns some stuff, such as what the word “silviculture” means and the difference between agriculture and horticulture!

·       Information on the Echo-Innovation Research Centre (EIRC) is available https://www.wit.ie/research/centres_and_groups/Eco_Innovation_Centre1   

·       Dr. Nick McCarthy’s staff profile https://www.wit.ie/about_wit/contact_us/staff_directory/nicholas_mccarthy

·       Dr. David Devaney on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-devaney-wit/