Name: Microtools for Major Challenges: How scientists are solving the ongoing environmental crisis.
Start: 2026-05-20T19:00:00
End: 2026-05-20T21:00:00
Location: The Liberty Bar

Uncover the stories hidden beneath our feet and beneath the waves. From the geology that shapes how long our roads last, to ancient fossils revealing the rise of complex life, explore Earth’s dynamic past and present. Discover how glaciers once transformed Ireland’s landscape, how citizen science is helping tackle the biodiversity crisis, and how chemistry is turning plastic waste into valuable new resources. A fascinating journey through time, nature, and innovation.

The Hidden Geology Beneath Your Tyre

Tuhin Chakraborty (Postdoctoral Researcher)

Why do roads crack, wear out, or fail? This talk reveals the hidden geology inside Irish roads and how tiny minerals and rocks control how long they last, and how we can build better ones.

The power of us: How people bird observations can help tackle the biodiversity crisis.

Ramiro Daniel Crego (Lecturer in Zoology/Animal Ecology )

This talk explores how people and scientists are joining forces to collect and analyse the large amounts of data required to tackle the biodiversity crisis while reconnecting us with the natural world.

From tiny fossils to the origin of complex life

Heda Agic (Lecturer)

For most of Earth’s history, life on Earth was tiny and microbial. Then in the Ediacaran Period, large creatures appeared, including the first animals. I will talk about how complex life arose in dynamic environments and what these enigmatic fossils tells us about origins of animals.

Glacial Irish Seas: A Glimpse in the Past, the Key to the Future

Vasiliki Tzafaridi (Master student)

25000 years ago, the Irish Sea was covered by a glacier and its eventual retreat rapidly changed the environment. Subsurface images and marine sediments help us model these changes for modern use.

Breaking Bad Plastics: Turning Waste into Useful Chemicals & Materials

Gillian Collins (Lecturer in Sustainable Materials)

What if plastic waste didn’t have to be waste at all? This talk looks at how chemistry can break plastics down into useful chemicals and materials, turning everyday rubbish into valuable new resources. It’s about rethinking plastic not as a problem, but as an opportunity.

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Culture Code