Irish Mensa Lecture & Discussion: The Ground We Stand On

Each month we watch a pre-recorded lecture from Gresham College and follow up with a discussion inspired by what we just learned. This month's topic is "The Ground We Stand On".

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ABSTRACT

The land is often seen as the canvas for human activity: a flat(ish) surface that we can build on, dig into and stand on. Surface area is becoming increasingly valuable – after all, they ain't making any more of the stuff. This lecture will consider land – both rocks and soil – and build up a picture of what the land we stand on is doing, on both short and very long timescales. How should we think about the ground and its future?

SPEAKER

Helen Czerski, physicist and oceanographer, is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London. Her research focus is on the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface.

Czerski has been a regular science presenter on the BBC for 15 years, covering the physics of the natural world in BBC2 landmark documentaries (including "Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey," "Operation Iceberg," and "Super Senses: The Secret Power of Animals"), and the physics of everyday life in a range of BBC4 documentaries (including From "Ice to Fire: The Incredible Science of Temperature," "Sound Waves: The Symphony of Physics," and "Colour: The Spectrum of Science," along with many others). She currently co-hosts BBC Radio 4's flagship climate and environment programme, "Rare Earth."

Her first book, Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life won the Italian Asimov Prize and the Louis J. Battan Author prize from the American Meteorological Society. The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works won the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing. She was awarded the Institute of Physics Gold Medal in 2018 for her work on physics communication, and an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association in 2020. Most recently she won the 2025 American Geophysical Union: Athelstan Spilhaus Award, which recognizes exceptional skill, dedication, and success in informing the public of the value, beauty, and excitement of Earth.

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This is a FREE virtual event, with no need to register in advance. Just click on the Zoom link when it is time to join the meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/4zhte65p
Meeting ID: 662 375 2544
Passcode: 850078

For more information, contact Mary Reilly at mary@craftcottage.ie.