Group members cover a very wide range of disciplines, and capabilities, from those having little or no knowledge of science through a range of experience and different professions.

Meetings vary from being purely discussion based with all members participating, through more structured talks with pictures and examples, which can be shown using a visualiser, to prepared talks using slides. Since the group started in 2016, discussions have been wide ranging and sometimes demanding! During the Lockdown meetings continued via Zoom.

The group’s objective is to address a subject with no complicated maths so that group members can grasp the basic concepts without necessarily becoming experts in the subject; a recent example was Heat Pumps where fundamental research on the web identified the potential benefits, shortcomings, and costs relative to fossil fuel heating. One group member was able to support some of the most important information with actual examples.

The Coordinators’ home will be the main venue. Meetings may be held elsewhere to allow access to specialist equipment, e.g., a fun afternoon was spent in the garden examining the potential of air power against waterpower for “lemonade bottle” rockets.

Subjects covered to date have included:

Gaia Philosophy, Colour, Camouflage, Flight, Bees and Bee Keeping, Microscopy, Cameras and Lenses, The Immune System, Coffee and Alcohol, Hydrogen Houses, Heat Pumps, History of the Written Word, Communication by Radio, The Falkirk Wheel, Weather Forecasting.

New group members keen to learn or talk about scientific matters are welcome. Come and talk about your specialist subject or simply why things interest you.