SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Convenor Valerie Conniff email valerie@vconniff.plus.com
The meetings are a presentation on a scientific or technical topic from a speaker or audiovisual presentation, followed by a question and answer session. Visits to places of scientific interest are arranged, usually during the spring or summer.
The group meets on the 2nd Tuesday afternoon of every month, except August, at Mitchel Troy Village Hall from 2.30 to 4.00pm. There is no restriction on membership and the subscription of £10 per year covers hire costs and speaker expenses. Meetings are open to the general membership but a charge of £2 per meeting is requested to cover set up costs.
The group meets on the 2nd Tuesday afternoon of every month, except August, at Mitchel Troy Village Hall from 2.30 to 4.00pm. There is no restriction on membership and the subscription of £10 per year covers hire costs and speaker expenses. Meetings are open to the general membership but a charge of £2 per meeting is requested to cover set up costs.
Next Science and Technology Meeting Tuesday 14th May, 2.30pm, Mitchel Troy Village Hall
'Radar from 1935 to the Cold War” A presentation by Mike Burslow, Malvern U3A
'Radar from 1935 to the Cold War” A presentation by Mike Burslow, Malvern U3A
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A message from Val We are a friendly group and an important part of our meetings is the informal discussion over a cup of tea after we have finished questioning our invited Speaker. There is no limit on membership and I welcome new members to our Science and Technology Group. No personal technical qualification is required to join the group, just a keen interest in science and technology in its broadest sense. Best wishes Val Previous Meetings and Trips |
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Trident Energy Recovery Facility, Cardiff 30.4.2019
All Monmouthshire’s black bag (unrecyclable) waste , in addition to similar waste from several other Welsh counties and some industries, goes to the Viridor Energy Recovery Facilty in Cardiff where it undergoes a series of treatments which produce valuable products and no toxic waste. Basically, the rubbish is incinerated to produce steam which drives turbines to produce electricity. The waste gases from the incineration are treated with chemicals (carbon, lime and urea) to convert the toxic gases into solid, safe ash. This ash is sold to the construction industry ,either to make building bricks or used in road construction. The resulting vapour emerging from the plant is harmless. particle and odour free. The plant operates continuously 24/7 and processes 350,000 tons of waste annually. It generates 250 GKWh for the National Grid and diverts 95% of the residual waste from landfill. From the exterior appearance of the building it is difficult to believe its function. It has a modern, streamlined design and there is no odour or smoke . The whole operation is computer-controlled and can be run efficiently with a very small workforce. We were privileged to be given access to the control room and a conducted tour of the plant in operation. As this is such an efficient and effective way to reduce waste and generate energy, it left us wondering why more of these plants are not being built. They are certainly not a blot on the landscape , if designed with the same thought that has gone in to the Cardiff facility. Valerie Conniff |
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Plastic: destroyer or saviour of the Environment. 9th April 2019 Prof Averil Macdonald
Averil has been giving talks on plastics since 2000 and is very much concerned with simplistic attitudes like 92% voting to ban plastics without realising how they are at the heart our lives.
What are plastic polymers? They form a long chain of molecules doing things that natural materials cannot do. Polyethylene oxide can create 3D networks and last for 1000s of years. Yet at the end of its life it can be burnt as a fuel – who knows in the future waste tips could be recycled for this fuel.
To get things in context:
Food waste – up to a third of food wasted between ‘farm and fork’ Plastic helps to reduce this eg a cucumber lasts 3 days without, but 14 days with, a plastic wrapper.
Is plastic really an insulator? No! For example: Inkjet printers use plastic electronic circuits.
Intelligent shopping trolley reading RFID tags instead of bar codes and no check outs. just automatic account debit after passing under an archway reader. Apple’s London shop already does this.
The problem remains with us – we need to be more responsible. Jim Handley
Traditional Chinese Medicine ---- a presentation by Colin Biddle March 12th 2019
This was a fascinating talk given by an experienced practitioner, punctuated by case histories of the successful treatment of patients using the complementary therapies of traditional Chinese medicine. Started at around 1000BC, it is based on the principle of the five elements: water, metal, earth, wood and fire. Each of these elements relates to different parts of the body. Health is considered as a harmonious balance of these five elements and any imbalance gives rise to disease. In contrast to conventional Western medicine, which treats the symptom of the disease, Chinese medicine focuses on treating the whole person and finding the source of the symptom.
Colin gave an example of how, when presented with a patient with a headache, conventional doctors prescribe the same medication for each without investigating the cause. A practitioner of Chinese medicine would first talk to the patient, finding out about their lifestyle and then determining the source of the pain before deciding on treatment i.e. the person, not the symptom, is treated.
It was pointed out that, in Chinese medicine, diagnosing a patient relies solely on the senses, sight, sound, motion, odour and touch. Medical instruments are not a feature. Western medicine has tended to overlook the use of touch since the introduction of sophisticated medical machines.The yin yang concept of balance can also be applied to the body. A healthy body is one with a balance between the yin and yang. If either predominates, then ill-health will result. The pulse is very important in diagnosis as it reflects imbalances in the body and helps to determine the underlying cause. This is a more complex procedure than in Western medicine. There are 3 pulses in each wrist that are examined for the diagnosis.
Other forms of diagnosis include examining the tongue, which has many relationships and connections in the body.
Once the diagnosis has been completed, there are various forms of treatment including acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary advice, massage, exercises, cupping and moxibustion (the application of heat to acupuncture points or injured areas).
Applying acupuncture needles to points on a meridian of the body can correct and rebalance the flow of energy. There are over 300 acupuncture points on the meridian system!
It is remarkable that this system, developed thousands of years ago, still applies today. Valerie Conniff
Visit to Heads of the Valley Site, February 26th 2019
Most of you will be familiar with the roadworks on the A465, Heads of the Valley road between Gilwern and Brynmawr, where they are converting it to dual carriageway. On Tuesday 26thFebruary, 14 Monmouth U3A members travelled to Gilwern to see the work involved in that conversion.
It is a 5 mile stretch of road along the steep sided Clydach Valley. The steepness of the valley and being sensitive to the environment are issues of the area that have made the roadworks so challenging. As the road is traversing the steep valley sides, most of the time the two carriageways are on different levels; sometimes as much as 10m (33ft) different in height. They have had to cut away huge volumes of rock from the valley walls, or build up other stretches, to build the new carriageway. In some places they have had to build long bridges to carry the road across the river at the bottom of the valley.
Jeff Mapps, the Costain public relations officer who did the presentation, started by telling us the number of 1000s of tonnes of steel, rock, concrete and top soil that have been removed or used to build the road. The numbers are just mind boggling. They have reused all the materials that they have had to remove: rock has been crushed and used as hard core, top soil has been saved and reused in landscaping. They had to demolish a very dilapidated, unused, old chapel; so they incorporated its building stones in the retaining wall next to its old site, and put up a plaque to explain the story.
The Welsh Government wanted the bridges to be integrated into the environment, interesting and different. Each bridge (road and foot) is different, fits in with the environment where possible and some are beautiful. You will be able to navigate the road by its bridges.
Demolishing some of the old bridges or putting up new ones has been major work that has required the whole road to be closed over night or for a whole weekend. We were shown some time lapse video both of bridges being demolished, and put up. Most fascinating. During the whole works, they have kept the traffic flowing most of the time, changing the traffic flow between carriageways so that they can work on the other side. Impressive!
Bats have been a challenge, as they are a protected species, so they have had to protect their roosts and habitat. One thing I like, they built a bat house, a single storey building with big vaulted roof and restricted access (lots of bat sized entries, but only 1 human size door!). It was occupied within two weeks.
The new steeper valley walls and changed water courses can cause flash flooding, so they have had to put in huge water tanks to hold the flash flood water, then release it slowly into the rivers and streams. This also helps to take out the sediment, so that the waterways don’t get clogged with the extra sediment. Normally these holding tanks are done as ponds on the sides of the road (which are actually good for wildlife too), but the steepness of the valley has again caused issues, as there isn’t the space for the normal ponds, so they have had to build huge underground holding tanks at the sides of the road.
The local people and economy have benefitted most of the time; though undoubtedly, some people have not. Costains (the contractors building the road) have employed local people whenever possible, and have offered 60 apprenticeships so far for local school leavers. All the steel has come from less than 40 miles away. The local shops and businesses profit from the extra income provided by the hundreds of people working on the project.
The Gilwern to Brynmawr stretch of A465 (section 2) started work beginning 2015. The main works is due to finish this summer (I think that means most of the roadworks part of it), with the whole thing finished end of this year. The original budget was £22O million, but that has overrun due to the complexity of the project. If you’re interested, google “A465 section 2” or “A465 section 2 video”.
Sections 5 & 6 from Dowlais Top to Hirwaun are next. This will be funded by venture capitalists, so who knows when that will actually happen. I will say that next time I drive along the Gilwern to Brynmawr stretch of the A465, I will have a new found appreciation of what had to be done to build it and to keep the environment safe both during and after it was built.
Wendy Lefevre.
Monmouth U3A Science and Technology Group Meeting 12thFebruary 2019
The Trouble with Men. Speaker Dai John, Prostate Cymru
Dai John from Prostate Cymru gave the S&T group a very lively talk on the perils of being a man and in particular ignoring the signs that could indicate serious disease.
Basically, the trouble with men is the masculine approach to illness by sticking their heads in the sand until it is too late. The biological drives that men have may have been useful in hunter gathering and fighting off sabre tooth tigers but they are useless when it comes to dealing with illness; being ‘too macho’ to go to the doctor can be a very blinkered approach. The female of the species is very much better at looking after herself. Men for example are much more prone to cardiovascular disease and are 14% more likely to get cancer and 37% more likely to die from it, largely through ignoring the signs the body gives us. Obesity is another modern problem having not only cardiovascular risks but the added risk of causing cancer. In a sobering but amusing example Dai reported that 37% of Welshmen are unable to see their own penis as a result of abdominal fat.
Putting humour into his talk was the key element of Dai’s speaking style. Making us laugh but delivering a very serious message. After a brief diversion into human psychology and the ability of men to internalise their feelings and not reaching a psychological balance Dai then gave us a lesson in male anatomy.
Using a variety of props Dai explained that the bladder (a rugby ball) is fed with urine by the kidneys (two potatoes). The urine leaves the body via the ureter (a piece of hose) through the penis (a cucumber). However, because the penis has a dual function of excretion of urine and release of sexual cells (sperm) from the testes (two ranges) the testes connect to the prostate (a doughnut) which encircles the urethra at the base of the bladder. The prostate supplies the fluid (semen) in which the sperm are transported. The prostate acts as a valve to stop the urine flowing when a man has an erection to ensure only semen is released during sexual activity.
The trouble with the prostate is that it naturally swells as men get older in a syndrome known as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH), this is present in 60% of men by the age of 60 and 85% by the age of 80. This is hormonally driven and interestingly does not occur in eunuchs, although Dai did not suggest that all the men immediately went for castration. The signs and symptoms of BPH include: frequency of urination, particularly at night, difficulty starting to urinate, difficulty emptying the bladder and weak urinary stream.
Fortunately, there are now many things that can be done to alleviate issues with BPH including reducing caffeine intake, since caffeine can irritate the bladder, a variety of medicines to reduce swelling and increase flow and lasers and superheated steam to remove the swelling. Men will be relieved to know that putting an instrument up the penis (transurethral route) is now considered rather old fashioned.
Dai then tackled the more serious prostate cancer, about 36,000 men are diagnosed with it every year and about 12,000 men die from it each year. There is no standard screening done for prostate cancer unlike the cervical cancer screening done for women. The good news is that it is rare below the age of 46 years of age and if detected early enough (when no symptoms exist) it is 99% curable. The bad news is that it is one of the cancers most likely to metastasise and it is these metastases that will kill you. Public figures like Bill Turnbull (BBC Breakfast) have found this to their cost.
Detection of prostate cancer is done though four main methods.
Firstly, men presenting with signs of BPH can have a digital rectal examination by the GP. This will reveal swelling and an expert urologist can detect surface changes on the prostate that can indicate cancer.
Secondly there is a Prostate specific antigen (PSA) which can be detected in the blood. The prostate is glandular and releases hormones into the blood which the test can detect. However, the PSA test can be fooled by a lot of things that have stimulated the prostate including recent sexual activity and heavy exercise. There is an age-related increase in PSA levels but anyone having a level higher than about 5 needs to have further examination. If there are metastases these also secrete hormones, so very high levels of PSA are indicative of secondary cancers.
Thirdly there is high-contrast MRI scan which can detect changes in cell division rates which are indicative of cancer. These have become more accurate recently due to more modern machines being better at pinpointing the at-risk areas.
Finally, there is biopsy. At one time this was done by the trans-urethral approach but is now normally done by the rectal route. There are some risks with this approach including infection in the bowel from having to penetrate it to get the probe to the prostate. Again, advanced techniques have made this less risky.
The risk of getting prostate cancer varies depending on both family history and ethnicity. If there is no family history about 1 in 8 men is at risk of getting prostate cancer, if you have an Afro Caribbean background the risk rises to 1 in 4, and if family members have had it the risk rises to 1 in 3 men.
The treatments available includes doing nothing at all simply monitoring the prostate. Radiotherapy which is similar to external beam radiotherapy used in other diseases, or brachytherapy in which a radioactive seed is inserted into the prostate this generates alpha particles to destroy prostate tissue. Surgery to remove the prostate completely is also an option. Using sophisticated ‘Da Vinci’ robots is the most precise form of surgery which also has the quickest recovery time. It is however, not widely available in Wales, although fortunately our nearest centre for this is in Cardiff.
Dai provided some final thoughts on his own experiences on having prostate cancer and the steps he took to get the treatment he needed. His experiences led him to Prostate Cymru and the volunteer role he has now in the Awareness department. Through the campaigning and fund raising of organisations like Prostate Cymru the picture for men suffering the disease has improved greatly in Wales but it still requires the male concerned to take the first steps by consulting a GP and not taking ‘no’ for an answer if the GP is reluctant to do the required tests and referrals. Guy Moody
January 29th 2019 Visit to Llanfoist Household Waste Recycling Centre
On 29thJanuary 2019, 19 members of the Science and Technology group visited Llanfoist household waste recycling centre. We were met by Rebecca Blount, one of Monmouthshire’s four recycling education officers, who outlined the imminent changes to our domestic waste recycling and the deliberations and considerations that have led to these changes. The new measures should improve both the quality and quantity of recycled materials. We had time to explore the “One Planet Centre”, which is the main information centre and were then taken on a tour of the site. Monmouthshire is in the top league of the recycling tables for Wales, achieving a recycling rate close to the Wales Government target of 70%. Diane Booker
Tuesday 8th January 2019 – Biodistance in Britain: What teeth tell us about population migrations from the Iron Age to the early Medieval Period. Katie Falliace, Post-graduate student in Bioarchaeology, University of Cardiff
For the first meeting of 2019 the group heard from Katie Falliace, a PhD student at Cardiff University, about her research project. With a varied academic background including a BSc in Archaeology from Cardiff and an MS in Forensic Anthropology from Boston in the United States Katie Faillace’s talk was an interesting blend of history and science, especially dentistry. Biodistance, we learned, refers to how similar people are to each other, biologically, and can be comparisons over time or geography, or both.
Teeth provide particularly valuable information as a “phenetic” trait, or the physical representation of a person’s genes, just like eye shape or skin colour. Teeth also retain this “history” over hundreds of years with favourable soil conditions. Soil conditions are not favourable in Wales so Wessex is her chosen research area. Research of this kind was only initiated in the 1990’s so there is a vast amount of data to be unearthed. Teeth, of course, don’t repair themselves so examination can reveal many changes in life-style, including the more obvious such as diet, over the centuries improving understanding of morbidity and mortality.
Eighteen months into her PhD Katie was obviously not able to give us many results or conclusions about the two major cultural “revolutions” in Britain (Iron-Age to Roman and Roman to Medieval). We shall have to wait two or three years for these! Michael Bone
Tuesday November 13th 2018 The Mega Tides of the Severn Estuary: a World Phenomenon on the South Wales coast A presentation by John Burrows, Malvern U3A
The group welcomed several others from the general membership to experience a fascinating account, expertly delivered, on this topic of immense local interest. The record attendance of 55 reflects the interest generated by this title.
It is difficult to cover in a few words the scope and depth of one hour’s detailed description and explanation of the unique natural phenomenon we have on our doorstep. We benefited from the outcomes of John’s extensive research on global mega tides and their relationship to the Severn Estuary , clearly illustrated by photographic and graphical data.
The Severn Estuary has the third highest tide ( 14.7m ) in the world, exceeded only by the Bay of Fundy in Canada ( 16.2 m) and Ungava Bay (15m). However, it is the best place in the world to observe the tide as at Chepstow almost the full tidal range can be seen within 50 metres
The tides are the result of the gravitational pull of the moon (and to a lesser effect the sun) on the rotating earth, attracting water towards it. In Britain, this gives rise to two tides a day and detailed predictions for the tides can be calculated.
The tide brings 5 billion tons of water into the Severn Estuary between Cardiff and Sharpness in 6 hours. It is incredible to visualise this amount of water flowing in and out of the estuary twice a day and this was brought home to us by John’s visual portrayal of a 3 lane queue of tankers stretching all around the world 21 times in order to deliver this volume It would take 20 years! The gravitational force of the moon and sun achieves this in only 6 hours.
During the questions raised after the talk, the final one asked why this potential could not be harnessed to generate renewable energy. The principal objection to this currently is the environmental damage it could cause. Research still needs to be done to solve this problem.
John’s talk was an uplifting experience on a dull November afternoon and we are very grateful to him. Valerie Conniff
Tuesday October 9th PLATE TECTONICS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM – Alan Gray
This was quite a demanding talk as it needed to explain and explore what plate tectonics are here on earth before casting the net much wider to identify what features are present elsewhere in the solar system. Tectonics means 'pertaining to building' and is the process that controls the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. Hence includes mountain building, cratons, rigid plates, volcanoes and earthquakes.
Plate tectonics is the world wide system of rigid plates in motion. Within this are elements of compression, extension and shear thrusts in the earth’s crust giving rise to features like mountains, faulted horst and graben in rift valleys, basin and range in Arizona and the San Andreas strike/slip fault. Wegner in 1912 put forward his theory of continental drift based on the apparent fit of continents together, plus commonality of terranes and fossil records across now separated continents. But this was widely dismissed as it lacked a mechanism to power the movement required. It was only in the 1960’s that plate tectonics came into its own based on advances in knowledge about convection in the mantle and crust, seismic mapping of the sea floor, and the charting of magnetic reversals as new crustal material moved away from mid ocean ridges.
Alan now focused on the planets and moons within the solar system, looking for any common features between them and here on earth. So for example:
1 Sun – has convection cells but no plate tectonics.
2. Mercury – tectonic evidence including thrusting caused by compression, some apparent horst and graben like features and possible basalt like flood flows. But what powered these? Maybe there was something like plate tectonics before the planet cooled.
3. Venus – fascinating evidence [based on radar interpretations] including volcanoes with rock flows, unusual pancake shaped volcanoes, griddled plains, landslides, and 2 large cratons or continents. Perhaps stagnant rather than active plates.
4. Mars – More in common with the earth eg high mountains and deep trenches, rift valleys and signs of liquid water flow, griddled plains, magnetic stripes and so possible reversals and even tsunami like deposit features. Has Olympus Mons with height of 23,000k.
5. Moon – has lava flows [in the Maria], both compression and extension like features and faulting which imply past tectonic activity.
6. Jupiter Europa -- some evidence of extensional cracking, maybe terranes and even plate boundaries but all in ice!
7. Jupiter IO – closest to Jupiter with tidal forces and cyclical stretching generating warmth. Has erupting volcano.
8. Saturn Titan – has liquid methane seas and lakes Could these act like water on earth?
9. Saturn Enceladus – some clues that transverse faulting occurring. Could this mean magma plumes and some form of plate tectonics?
10. Neptune Triton – apparent vulcanicity.
11. Pluto – surface pattern looks like convection cells. If so warmth inside which might power some tectonics.
What next and where? Jim Handley
Averil has been giving talks on plastics since 2000 and is very much concerned with simplistic attitudes like 92% voting to ban plastics without realising how they are at the heart our lives.
What are plastic polymers? They form a long chain of molecules doing things that natural materials cannot do. Polyethylene oxide can create 3D networks and last for 1000s of years. Yet at the end of its life it can be burnt as a fuel – who knows in the future waste tips could be recycled for this fuel.
To get things in context:
- Only 4% of oil is turned into polymers, 96% is still used as a fuel.
- Sources of waste in our oceans – 2% from Europe and the USA, 82% from Asia, 16% from the rest of the world.
- 88% to 95% enters the ocean from 10 rivers, none of which is in Europe.
- Microplastics – 28% from tyres, 24% from city dust, 35% from clothing
- Clothing – less damaging if washed in bags, in cold water and less frequently!
Food waste – up to a third of food wasted between ‘farm and fork’ Plastic helps to reduce this eg a cucumber lasts 3 days without, but 14 days with, a plastic wrapper.
- Plastic in medicine:
- Cataracts – lenses
- Heart – valves and veins
- Arthritic – knees and hips
- Disaster areas – replacement blood
- Diabetics – new lenses to monitor blood sugar levels
- Hospital washing bags –dissolve in water with no contamination
- Networks to mimic human cells for testing medicine.
- Hydrogen fuel cells to produce electricity use polymer membrane.
- Space station using above fuel cells and drinking the water by-product.
Is plastic really an insulator? No! For example: Inkjet printers use plastic electronic circuits.
Intelligent shopping trolley reading RFID tags instead of bar codes and no check outs. just automatic account debit after passing under an archway reader. Apple’s London shop already does this.
- Internet fridge monitoring what’s inside.
- Roll up TVs stuck to wall with bluetak and taking power from coils in wall.
- Plastic newspaper download onto 1 sheet, including moving images
- Glasses as wearable technology eg download map or identify who you are meeting.
- Clothing to monitor heart, blood pressure or aiding people at home.
The problem remains with us – we need to be more responsible. Jim Handley
Traditional Chinese Medicine ---- a presentation by Colin Biddle March 12th 2019
This was a fascinating talk given by an experienced practitioner, punctuated by case histories of the successful treatment of patients using the complementary therapies of traditional Chinese medicine. Started at around 1000BC, it is based on the principle of the five elements: water, metal, earth, wood and fire. Each of these elements relates to different parts of the body. Health is considered as a harmonious balance of these five elements and any imbalance gives rise to disease. In contrast to conventional Western medicine, which treats the symptom of the disease, Chinese medicine focuses on treating the whole person and finding the source of the symptom.
Colin gave an example of how, when presented with a patient with a headache, conventional doctors prescribe the same medication for each without investigating the cause. A practitioner of Chinese medicine would first talk to the patient, finding out about their lifestyle and then determining the source of the pain before deciding on treatment i.e. the person, not the symptom, is treated.
It was pointed out that, in Chinese medicine, diagnosing a patient relies solely on the senses, sight, sound, motion, odour and touch. Medical instruments are not a feature. Western medicine has tended to overlook the use of touch since the introduction of sophisticated medical machines.The yin yang concept of balance can also be applied to the body. A healthy body is one with a balance between the yin and yang. If either predominates, then ill-health will result. The pulse is very important in diagnosis as it reflects imbalances in the body and helps to determine the underlying cause. This is a more complex procedure than in Western medicine. There are 3 pulses in each wrist that are examined for the diagnosis.
Other forms of diagnosis include examining the tongue, which has many relationships and connections in the body.
Once the diagnosis has been completed, there are various forms of treatment including acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary advice, massage, exercises, cupping and moxibustion (the application of heat to acupuncture points or injured areas).
Applying acupuncture needles to points on a meridian of the body can correct and rebalance the flow of energy. There are over 300 acupuncture points on the meridian system!
It is remarkable that this system, developed thousands of years ago, still applies today. Valerie Conniff
Visit to Heads of the Valley Site, February 26th 2019
Most of you will be familiar with the roadworks on the A465, Heads of the Valley road between Gilwern and Brynmawr, where they are converting it to dual carriageway. On Tuesday 26thFebruary, 14 Monmouth U3A members travelled to Gilwern to see the work involved in that conversion.
It is a 5 mile stretch of road along the steep sided Clydach Valley. The steepness of the valley and being sensitive to the environment are issues of the area that have made the roadworks so challenging. As the road is traversing the steep valley sides, most of the time the two carriageways are on different levels; sometimes as much as 10m (33ft) different in height. They have had to cut away huge volumes of rock from the valley walls, or build up other stretches, to build the new carriageway. In some places they have had to build long bridges to carry the road across the river at the bottom of the valley.
Jeff Mapps, the Costain public relations officer who did the presentation, started by telling us the number of 1000s of tonnes of steel, rock, concrete and top soil that have been removed or used to build the road. The numbers are just mind boggling. They have reused all the materials that they have had to remove: rock has been crushed and used as hard core, top soil has been saved and reused in landscaping. They had to demolish a very dilapidated, unused, old chapel; so they incorporated its building stones in the retaining wall next to its old site, and put up a plaque to explain the story.
The Welsh Government wanted the bridges to be integrated into the environment, interesting and different. Each bridge (road and foot) is different, fits in with the environment where possible and some are beautiful. You will be able to navigate the road by its bridges.
Demolishing some of the old bridges or putting up new ones has been major work that has required the whole road to be closed over night or for a whole weekend. We were shown some time lapse video both of bridges being demolished, and put up. Most fascinating. During the whole works, they have kept the traffic flowing most of the time, changing the traffic flow between carriageways so that they can work on the other side. Impressive!
Bats have been a challenge, as they are a protected species, so they have had to protect their roosts and habitat. One thing I like, they built a bat house, a single storey building with big vaulted roof and restricted access (lots of bat sized entries, but only 1 human size door!). It was occupied within two weeks.
The new steeper valley walls and changed water courses can cause flash flooding, so they have had to put in huge water tanks to hold the flash flood water, then release it slowly into the rivers and streams. This also helps to take out the sediment, so that the waterways don’t get clogged with the extra sediment. Normally these holding tanks are done as ponds on the sides of the road (which are actually good for wildlife too), but the steepness of the valley has again caused issues, as there isn’t the space for the normal ponds, so they have had to build huge underground holding tanks at the sides of the road.
The local people and economy have benefitted most of the time; though undoubtedly, some people have not. Costains (the contractors building the road) have employed local people whenever possible, and have offered 60 apprenticeships so far for local school leavers. All the steel has come from less than 40 miles away. The local shops and businesses profit from the extra income provided by the hundreds of people working on the project.
The Gilwern to Brynmawr stretch of A465 (section 2) started work beginning 2015. The main works is due to finish this summer (I think that means most of the roadworks part of it), with the whole thing finished end of this year. The original budget was £22O million, but that has overrun due to the complexity of the project. If you’re interested, google “A465 section 2” or “A465 section 2 video”.
Sections 5 & 6 from Dowlais Top to Hirwaun are next. This will be funded by venture capitalists, so who knows when that will actually happen. I will say that next time I drive along the Gilwern to Brynmawr stretch of the A465, I will have a new found appreciation of what had to be done to build it and to keep the environment safe both during and after it was built.
Wendy Lefevre.
Monmouth U3A Science and Technology Group Meeting 12thFebruary 2019
The Trouble with Men. Speaker Dai John, Prostate Cymru
Dai John from Prostate Cymru gave the S&T group a very lively talk on the perils of being a man and in particular ignoring the signs that could indicate serious disease.
Basically, the trouble with men is the masculine approach to illness by sticking their heads in the sand until it is too late. The biological drives that men have may have been useful in hunter gathering and fighting off sabre tooth tigers but they are useless when it comes to dealing with illness; being ‘too macho’ to go to the doctor can be a very blinkered approach. The female of the species is very much better at looking after herself. Men for example are much more prone to cardiovascular disease and are 14% more likely to get cancer and 37% more likely to die from it, largely through ignoring the signs the body gives us. Obesity is another modern problem having not only cardiovascular risks but the added risk of causing cancer. In a sobering but amusing example Dai reported that 37% of Welshmen are unable to see their own penis as a result of abdominal fat.
Putting humour into his talk was the key element of Dai’s speaking style. Making us laugh but delivering a very serious message. After a brief diversion into human psychology and the ability of men to internalise their feelings and not reaching a psychological balance Dai then gave us a lesson in male anatomy.
Using a variety of props Dai explained that the bladder (a rugby ball) is fed with urine by the kidneys (two potatoes). The urine leaves the body via the ureter (a piece of hose) through the penis (a cucumber). However, because the penis has a dual function of excretion of urine and release of sexual cells (sperm) from the testes (two ranges) the testes connect to the prostate (a doughnut) which encircles the urethra at the base of the bladder. The prostate supplies the fluid (semen) in which the sperm are transported. The prostate acts as a valve to stop the urine flowing when a man has an erection to ensure only semen is released during sexual activity.
The trouble with the prostate is that it naturally swells as men get older in a syndrome known as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH), this is present in 60% of men by the age of 60 and 85% by the age of 80. This is hormonally driven and interestingly does not occur in eunuchs, although Dai did not suggest that all the men immediately went for castration. The signs and symptoms of BPH include: frequency of urination, particularly at night, difficulty starting to urinate, difficulty emptying the bladder and weak urinary stream.
Fortunately, there are now many things that can be done to alleviate issues with BPH including reducing caffeine intake, since caffeine can irritate the bladder, a variety of medicines to reduce swelling and increase flow and lasers and superheated steam to remove the swelling. Men will be relieved to know that putting an instrument up the penis (transurethral route) is now considered rather old fashioned.
Dai then tackled the more serious prostate cancer, about 36,000 men are diagnosed with it every year and about 12,000 men die from it each year. There is no standard screening done for prostate cancer unlike the cervical cancer screening done for women. The good news is that it is rare below the age of 46 years of age and if detected early enough (when no symptoms exist) it is 99% curable. The bad news is that it is one of the cancers most likely to metastasise and it is these metastases that will kill you. Public figures like Bill Turnbull (BBC Breakfast) have found this to their cost.
Detection of prostate cancer is done though four main methods.
Firstly, men presenting with signs of BPH can have a digital rectal examination by the GP. This will reveal swelling and an expert urologist can detect surface changes on the prostate that can indicate cancer.
Secondly there is a Prostate specific antigen (PSA) which can be detected in the blood. The prostate is glandular and releases hormones into the blood which the test can detect. However, the PSA test can be fooled by a lot of things that have stimulated the prostate including recent sexual activity and heavy exercise. There is an age-related increase in PSA levels but anyone having a level higher than about 5 needs to have further examination. If there are metastases these also secrete hormones, so very high levels of PSA are indicative of secondary cancers.
Thirdly there is high-contrast MRI scan which can detect changes in cell division rates which are indicative of cancer. These have become more accurate recently due to more modern machines being better at pinpointing the at-risk areas.
Finally, there is biopsy. At one time this was done by the trans-urethral approach but is now normally done by the rectal route. There are some risks with this approach including infection in the bowel from having to penetrate it to get the probe to the prostate. Again, advanced techniques have made this less risky.
The risk of getting prostate cancer varies depending on both family history and ethnicity. If there is no family history about 1 in 8 men is at risk of getting prostate cancer, if you have an Afro Caribbean background the risk rises to 1 in 4, and if family members have had it the risk rises to 1 in 3 men.
The treatments available includes doing nothing at all simply monitoring the prostate. Radiotherapy which is similar to external beam radiotherapy used in other diseases, or brachytherapy in which a radioactive seed is inserted into the prostate this generates alpha particles to destroy prostate tissue. Surgery to remove the prostate completely is also an option. Using sophisticated ‘Da Vinci’ robots is the most precise form of surgery which also has the quickest recovery time. It is however, not widely available in Wales, although fortunately our nearest centre for this is in Cardiff.
Dai provided some final thoughts on his own experiences on having prostate cancer and the steps he took to get the treatment he needed. His experiences led him to Prostate Cymru and the volunteer role he has now in the Awareness department. Through the campaigning and fund raising of organisations like Prostate Cymru the picture for men suffering the disease has improved greatly in Wales but it still requires the male concerned to take the first steps by consulting a GP and not taking ‘no’ for an answer if the GP is reluctant to do the required tests and referrals. Guy Moody
January 29th 2019 Visit to Llanfoist Household Waste Recycling Centre
On 29thJanuary 2019, 19 members of the Science and Technology group visited Llanfoist household waste recycling centre. We were met by Rebecca Blount, one of Monmouthshire’s four recycling education officers, who outlined the imminent changes to our domestic waste recycling and the deliberations and considerations that have led to these changes. The new measures should improve both the quality and quantity of recycled materials. We had time to explore the “One Planet Centre”, which is the main information centre and were then taken on a tour of the site. Monmouthshire is in the top league of the recycling tables for Wales, achieving a recycling rate close to the Wales Government target of 70%. Diane Booker
Tuesday 8th January 2019 – Biodistance in Britain: What teeth tell us about population migrations from the Iron Age to the early Medieval Period. Katie Falliace, Post-graduate student in Bioarchaeology, University of Cardiff
For the first meeting of 2019 the group heard from Katie Falliace, a PhD student at Cardiff University, about her research project. With a varied academic background including a BSc in Archaeology from Cardiff and an MS in Forensic Anthropology from Boston in the United States Katie Faillace’s talk was an interesting blend of history and science, especially dentistry. Biodistance, we learned, refers to how similar people are to each other, biologically, and can be comparisons over time or geography, or both.
Teeth provide particularly valuable information as a “phenetic” trait, or the physical representation of a person’s genes, just like eye shape or skin colour. Teeth also retain this “history” over hundreds of years with favourable soil conditions. Soil conditions are not favourable in Wales so Wessex is her chosen research area. Research of this kind was only initiated in the 1990’s so there is a vast amount of data to be unearthed. Teeth, of course, don’t repair themselves so examination can reveal many changes in life-style, including the more obvious such as diet, over the centuries improving understanding of morbidity and mortality.
Eighteen months into her PhD Katie was obviously not able to give us many results or conclusions about the two major cultural “revolutions” in Britain (Iron-Age to Roman and Roman to Medieval). We shall have to wait two or three years for these! Michael Bone
Tuesday November 13th 2018 The Mega Tides of the Severn Estuary: a World Phenomenon on the South Wales coast A presentation by John Burrows, Malvern U3A
The group welcomed several others from the general membership to experience a fascinating account, expertly delivered, on this topic of immense local interest. The record attendance of 55 reflects the interest generated by this title.
It is difficult to cover in a few words the scope and depth of one hour’s detailed description and explanation of the unique natural phenomenon we have on our doorstep. We benefited from the outcomes of John’s extensive research on global mega tides and their relationship to the Severn Estuary , clearly illustrated by photographic and graphical data.
The Severn Estuary has the third highest tide ( 14.7m ) in the world, exceeded only by the Bay of Fundy in Canada ( 16.2 m) and Ungava Bay (15m). However, it is the best place in the world to observe the tide as at Chepstow almost the full tidal range can be seen within 50 metres
The tides are the result of the gravitational pull of the moon (and to a lesser effect the sun) on the rotating earth, attracting water towards it. In Britain, this gives rise to two tides a day and detailed predictions for the tides can be calculated.
The tide brings 5 billion tons of water into the Severn Estuary between Cardiff and Sharpness in 6 hours. It is incredible to visualise this amount of water flowing in and out of the estuary twice a day and this was brought home to us by John’s visual portrayal of a 3 lane queue of tankers stretching all around the world 21 times in order to deliver this volume It would take 20 years! The gravitational force of the moon and sun achieves this in only 6 hours.
During the questions raised after the talk, the final one asked why this potential could not be harnessed to generate renewable energy. The principal objection to this currently is the environmental damage it could cause. Research still needs to be done to solve this problem.
John’s talk was an uplifting experience on a dull November afternoon and we are very grateful to him. Valerie Conniff
Tuesday October 9th PLATE TECTONICS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM – Alan Gray
This was quite a demanding talk as it needed to explain and explore what plate tectonics are here on earth before casting the net much wider to identify what features are present elsewhere in the solar system. Tectonics means 'pertaining to building' and is the process that controls the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. Hence includes mountain building, cratons, rigid plates, volcanoes and earthquakes.
Plate tectonics is the world wide system of rigid plates in motion. Within this are elements of compression, extension and shear thrusts in the earth’s crust giving rise to features like mountains, faulted horst and graben in rift valleys, basin and range in Arizona and the San Andreas strike/slip fault. Wegner in 1912 put forward his theory of continental drift based on the apparent fit of continents together, plus commonality of terranes and fossil records across now separated continents. But this was widely dismissed as it lacked a mechanism to power the movement required. It was only in the 1960’s that plate tectonics came into its own based on advances in knowledge about convection in the mantle and crust, seismic mapping of the sea floor, and the charting of magnetic reversals as new crustal material moved away from mid ocean ridges.
Alan now focused on the planets and moons within the solar system, looking for any common features between them and here on earth. So for example:
1 Sun – has convection cells but no plate tectonics.
2. Mercury – tectonic evidence including thrusting caused by compression, some apparent horst and graben like features and possible basalt like flood flows. But what powered these? Maybe there was something like plate tectonics before the planet cooled.
3. Venus – fascinating evidence [based on radar interpretations] including volcanoes with rock flows, unusual pancake shaped volcanoes, griddled plains, landslides, and 2 large cratons or continents. Perhaps stagnant rather than active plates.
4. Mars – More in common with the earth eg high mountains and deep trenches, rift valleys and signs of liquid water flow, griddled plains, magnetic stripes and so possible reversals and even tsunami like deposit features. Has Olympus Mons with height of 23,000k.
5. Moon – has lava flows [in the Maria], both compression and extension like features and faulting which imply past tectonic activity.
6. Jupiter Europa -- some evidence of extensional cracking, maybe terranes and even plate boundaries but all in ice!
7. Jupiter IO – closest to Jupiter with tidal forces and cyclical stretching generating warmth. Has erupting volcano.
8. Saturn Titan – has liquid methane seas and lakes Could these act like water on earth?
9. Saturn Enceladus – some clues that transverse faulting occurring. Could this mean magma plumes and some form of plate tectonics?
10. Neptune Triton – apparent vulcanicity.
11. Pluto – surface pattern looks like convection cells. If so warmth inside which might power some tectonics.
What next and where? Jim Handley
Tuesday 11th September 2018 Waterworks Visit
There is a lot to see at the Hereford Waterworks Museum as twenty-two members of the Science and Technology found when we made a visit in September. After a short introductory talk, we were divided into two groups to be shown around the compact site.
The Waterworks has its origins in the Hereford Improvement Act of 1854 which was designed to improve many aspects of public health including a clean water supply. The site where the museum is now located was selected because it was upstream of the city but close to the River Wye. To avoid the works flooding it was constructed on the first river terrace but that meant the water conduits had to be dug 7 metres deep. This at a time when the only labouring tools were a pick and shovel.
The works were opened in October 1856 and at that time the pumping station had two Cornish boilers which raised steam for two beam engines. Over the course of the next 40 years the pumping station was expanded whilst keeping the same architectural style to incorporate more efficient boilers and pumps. The age of steam lasted until 1911 when the first electrically powered pumps were installed.
The site at Hereford is now more than just the local history of water supply and waste management. The Museum is trying where possible to buy and incorporate examples of boilers and pumps that might otherwise be lost.
During the visit we were able to see some of these venerable machines ‘in steam’ as well as static examples of electrical and diesel driven pumps. After the visit I think we all had a great respect for our Victorian ancestors and their engineering skills.
There is a lot to see at the Hereford Waterworks Museum as twenty-two members of the Science and Technology found when we made a visit in September. After a short introductory talk, we were divided into two groups to be shown around the compact site.
The Waterworks has its origins in the Hereford Improvement Act of 1854 which was designed to improve many aspects of public health including a clean water supply. The site where the museum is now located was selected because it was upstream of the city but close to the River Wye. To avoid the works flooding it was constructed on the first river terrace but that meant the water conduits had to be dug 7 metres deep. This at a time when the only labouring tools were a pick and shovel.
The works were opened in October 1856 and at that time the pumping station had two Cornish boilers which raised steam for two beam engines. Over the course of the next 40 years the pumping station was expanded whilst keeping the same architectural style to incorporate more efficient boilers and pumps. The age of steam lasted until 1911 when the first electrically powered pumps were installed.
The site at Hereford is now more than just the local history of water supply and waste management. The Museum is trying where possible to buy and incorporate examples of boilers and pumps that might otherwise be lost.
During the visit we were able to see some of these venerable machines ‘in steam’ as well as static examples of electrical and diesel driven pumps. After the visit I think we all had a great respect for our Victorian ancestors and their engineering skills.
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