Cronton Science department turns up the heat in March

As part of National Climate Week and National STEM Week (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Cronton Sixth Form has welcomed experts in science to give presentations to the Centre of Excellence students in a series of spring lectures.
Dr Laura Randle from Liverpool John Moores University came to Cronton to give a ‘Lemsips and Liver Failure’ talk to the students, about some of the unexpected side effects of drugs and the different branches of science involved in finding steps to solve it.
The students then welcomed Professor Adam Scaife, Head of Climate Control at the Met Office, who launched Climate Week at the College with a presentation about the changing climate in the UK and the role of science in weather prediction.
Most recently, Brendan Martin from Liverpool Astronomical Society (LAS) visited the College to speak to Physics students and a group of visiting students from Wade Deacon High School to give a talk on ‘Supernovae and Spectroscopy’.
Emma Buckley, previously from Tower College said, “It was very interesting to learn about this new aspect of Physics which we will begin to study in class next term.”
Brendan has also invited the students to attend the LAS open day at the Pex Hill observatory on the 13th April when they will be observing sun spots and to join them to make night sky observations.
Phil Taylor, Head of the Centre of Excellence in Science and Maths said, “The students found the talk by Dr Laura Randle amazing, they were fascinated to hear about the amount of research needed to get a drug to market and became aware of how the liver can be affected by drugs that are designed to help cure an area of the body that appears to have nothing to do with the liver.
“Professor Scaife’s presentation provided a strong link between what they have learnt in the classroom and reality.  They all had a better understanding of the effects of greenhouse gases like cardon dioxide on the climate and the planet and commented on the power of science in predicting hurricanes several weeks in advance.
“Our programme of science events in March is designed to tie in with National Initiatives such as Climate Week and STEM Week but also raise the profile of the use, value and importance of the science subjects to our community and to both the local and national economies.  In addition we hope to show that learning about science is exciting and relevant and is the key to increasing job opportunities in a very competitive world.
“A high proportion of the new jobs created in the future will be in areas such as biotechnology, applications of new materials, development of new drugs, alternative energy and making existing energy sources greener and they all will need capable scientists.”