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UCCRI is an Interdisciplinary Research Centre, with a network of over 150 researchers from all 6 Schools of the University of Cambridge. The Institute supports multidisciplinary research on biodiversity conservation and the social context within which humans engage with nature. It works from a base in the David Attenborough Building, which is designed to enhance collaboration and the sharing of perspectives across organisational and disciplinary boundaries.
URL: http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/59874
Updated: 35 min 41 sec ago

Thu 06 Feb 18:45: Alice Hibbert-Ware: Nature Study and the Little Owl Food Enquiry (1936-7)

Sat, 25/01/2025 - 19:15
Alice Hibbert-Ware: Nature Study and the Little Owl Food Enquiry (1936-7)

This talk will explore the life of Alice Hibbert-Ware, a little-known naturalist with a Cambridge connection.

Hibbert-Ware was a teacher and promoter of school nature study in the early twentieth century, and also undertook a survey of the Little Owl’s eating habits in the 1930s, which contributed to the bird’s protection at a time when landowners blamed them for attacking game bird chicks. The enquiry was a fascinating early case of “citizen science”, with volunteers recruited via a public call in the press, including BBC Radio and the ZSL ’s Zoo magazine.

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Thu 13 Feb 18:45: Squirrels of the British Isles: Red, Grey, and Black!

Sat, 25/01/2025 - 19:14
Squirrels of the British Isles: Red, Grey, and Black!

This talk will look at the current squirrel population of the UK from the ancient, native red squirrel to the relatively recent introductions of the American grey squirrel.

We will look at the changing ranges of these two species over time. We will look at what has been done so far, and what could be done in the future to protect the red squirrel. We will also look at the genetics of squirrel colouration, looking at the fascinating origin of the black genetic variant of the grey squirrel.

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Thu 30 Jan 18:45: The Marine World

Sat, 25/01/2025 - 18:59
The Marine World

This talk will survey life in the ocean, from seashore pools, through underwater forests and grassy meadows, to tropical reefs, the wide open ocean and the deep, dark depths.

The oceans are home to an astonishing array of marine creatures, from tiny coral polyps to immense whales. New marine species are being discovered and described every year, especially from the deep ocean. Submersibles and special cameras are needed to see these, but with just a pair of wellies and sharp eyes you can see many fascinating animals and seaweeds on our own seashores.

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Mon 24 Feb 13:00: Human Judgement and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

Fri, 24/01/2025 - 16:50
Human Judgement and Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

A weather forecast is only useful if appropriate decisions are made on the basis of the forecast. This presents a challenge, because weather forecasts are innately uncertain. How do we ensure that the likelihood of an event, particularly for extreme and impactful weather, is understood and acted upon? This is where psychology meets physics, and where the application of mathematical understanding is key.

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Fri 24 Jan 17:30: Bits with Soul

Thu, 23/01/2025 - 14:53
Bits with Soul

When people think of codes, coding, and computers, they often think of socially challenged nerds like me, writing “code” (whatever that might be) in a darkened basement, all soulless ones and zeros and glowing screens. But in fact computer science (the study of information, computation, and communication) gives us an enormously rich new lens through which to look at and explore the world. By encoding everything in the same, digital bits, we can mechanise the analysis and transformation of that information; we can explore it in ways that are simply inaccessible to manual techniques; we can engage our creativity to write programs whose complexity rivals the most sophisticated artefacts that human beings have produced—and yet fit on a USB drive; we can even learn from data in ways that have made “ChatGPT” into a verb practically overnight.

Given how closely digital technology is interwoven in our lives, having a visceral sense of how this stuff works, what it can do well, and how it can fail, is essential for us to survive and thrive, and should be part of every child’s education.

In my talk I will share some of the joy, beauty, and creativity of computer science. This is serious, because it impinges on our daily lives. But it is also rich, beautiful, and fun.

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Fri 21 Feb 14:00: Post-doc talks

Thu, 23/01/2025 - 11:59
Post-doc talks

Abstract not available

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Mon 03 Feb 13:00: The atmospheric response to Arctic amplification: Insights from idealised models

Wed, 22/01/2025 - 10:59
The atmospheric response to Arctic amplification: Insights from idealised models

Over recent decades the Arctic has warmed about three times as much as the global average, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification (AA). There has been much interest in the extent to which AA can influence mid-latitude climate, with some studies suggesting that it may drive more frequent or long-lived weather extremes. However, general circulation models (GCMs) simulate widely diverging responses to polar heating, both in the mean atmospheric circulation and its variability. In this talk I will present two examples of recent work from my group, in which an idealised model, Isca, helps to explain some of the causes of this uncertainty. In the first, I will discuss the response of the persistence of surface temperature anomalies to AA. I will show that this response is large but absent in most GCM experiments due to the method by which they remove sea-ice. The persistence response is largest in the Arctic, but extends to mid-latitudes, where it is dynamically-driven, caused by a slowing of meridional wind anomalies. In the second example, I will discuss the ‘stratospheric pathway’, by which AA may dynamically impact lower latitudes. I will show that, by varying a single parameter that controls the mean strength of the stratospheric polar vortex, a range of stratospheric responses (both a strengthening and a weakening of the polar vortex) can be obtained, similar to the range seen in GCMs. These range of stratospheric responses, in turn, significantly impact the magnitude of the shift of the eddy-driven jet.

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Mon 10 Feb 13:00: The structure and lifecycle of stratified mixing in forced shear flows

Tue, 21/01/2025 - 12:02
The structure and lifecycle of stratified mixing in forced shear flows

Our environment is shaped by stably stratified air and water masses and the turbulent mixing of heat and chemicals within them. This talk addresses the challenge of understanding and predicting the density-stratified turbulent mixing driven by shear instabilities at high Reynolds numbers (Re > 10^5). These shear instabilities are a key process in the turbulent energy cascade in the ocean, spanning a great range of scales, from coherent instabilities at kilometre scales to the smallest eddies at micrometre scales. We present observational data taken by collaborators from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution at the mouth of the Connecticut River, a shallow salt-wedge estuary. Multi-beam echo-sounding imagery provides access to the spatial structure and temporal evolution of the intense interfacial mixing with unprecedented detail. The data demonstrate that mixing occurs primarily by turbulence in the ‘braids’ connecting the ‘cores’ of Kelvin-Helmholtz billows, rather than within the cores themselves. This secondary braid turbulence appears to be continuously forced by the baroclinic generation of shear in the tilted braid. This finding challenges the prevailing paradigm built upon direct numerical simulations (DNS) at lower Reynolds and Prandtl numbers, where mixing tends to occur primarily by overturning in the billow cores. This distinction may represent a shift in our understanding of mixing in highly dissipative hotspots driven by large-scale shear — not only in estuaries but also in wind-driven surface currents and deep oceanic overflows.

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Fri 07 Mar 16:00: The mathematics and physics of wound healing

Tue, 21/01/2025 - 10:19
The mathematics and physics of wound healing

I will discuss some recent work looking quantitatively at the process of wound healing using ideas from thermodynamics, continuum and statistical mechanics. Wound healing is a highly conserved process required for survival of an animal after tissue damage. The wound repair process is not only of great interest in its own right but is also a laboratory to study complex tissue dynamics and regeneration.

Many wounds involve damage to an epithelial (barrier) tissue (like skin) that separates different regions of the body of a living organism. I will describe some recent work on studying wound healing in two dimensional epithelial tissues of a fruit fly pupal wing. This epithelium was chosen because it is transparent and accessible to sophisticated imaging techniques. We use live confocal time-lapse microscopy to follow the behaviour of cells in a tissue before and after wounding.

I will focus on three cell-behaviours that are generally accepted to contribute to wound re-epithelialisation: cell shape deformation, cell division, and cell migration.

I will describe how we are beginning to use a combination of mathematics, physics and biology to disentangle some of the organising principles behind the complex orchestrated dynamics that lead to wound healing.

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Fri 14 Feb 17:30: Epigenetics: A Code upon a Code?

Tue, 21/01/2025 - 08:05
Epigenetics: A Code upon a Code?

Abstract

On top of the heritable genetic code that is our DNA , sits another layer of information that influences our genes. Studying the properties and functions of this ‘epi-genetic’ information has revealed a whole new aspect of genome biology with implications for health and disease, providing compelling explanations for how we might respond to our environment, and making us consider whether DNA is the only code we transmit from one generation to the next.

In her lecture, Anne will consider the influence of epigenetics on our genes, share a few insights into how understanding epigenetics is contributing to modern medicine, and encourage us to question at least some of what we think we might know about epigenetics.

Biography

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith is the Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Before this appointment she served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International Partnerships) at the University of Cambridge. A renowned mammalian developmental geneticist, genome biologist and epigeneticist, Professor Ferguson-Smith is the Balfour Professor of Genetics in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics where she served as Head of Department from 2013-2020. She is also a Fellow of Darwin College.

At the University of Cambridge, Professor Ferguson-Smith leads a research group comprised of experimental and computational scientists. They focus on the epigenetic control of genome function, particularly on models of epigenetic inheritance with implications for health and disease. Committed to the training and professional development of new talent, her team’s current work includes investigating how genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors influence cellular and developmental processes.

In 2017, Anne was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2021 received their Buchanan Medal for her pioneering work on epigenetics. In 2023, she was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her research contributions.

Photo – Dasha Tenditna

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Mon 17 Feb 13:00: Stratification and mixing regimes in the global coastal ocean: classifications and trends from models and observations

Mon, 20/01/2025 - 15:27
Stratification and mixing regimes in the global coastal ocean: classifications and trends from models and observations

Abstract not available

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Fri 14 Feb 16:00: Synchronization in Navier-Stokes turbulence and it's role in data-driven modeling

Mon, 20/01/2025 - 14:22
Synchronization in Navier-Stokes turbulence and it's role in data-driven modeling

In Navier-Stokes (NS) turbulence, large-scale turbulent flows determine small-scale flows; in other words, small-scale flows are synchronized to large-scale flows. In 3D turbulence, previous numerical studies suggest that the critical length separating these two scales is determined by the Kolmogorov length. In this talk, I will introduce our theoretical framework for characterizing synchronization phenomena [1]. Specifically, it provides a computational method for the exponential rate of convergence to the synchronized state, and identifies the critical length based on the NS equations via the “transverse” Lyapunov exponent. I will also discuss the synchronization property of 2D NS turbulence and how it differs from the 3D case [2]. These insights into synchronization and critical length scales are essential for developing machine-learning closure models for turbulence, in particular their stable reproducibility [3]. Finally, I will illustrate how “generalized” synchronization is crucial for predicting chaotic dynamics [4].

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Fri 07 Mar 16:00: TBA

Mon, 20/01/2025 - 11:57
TBA

Abstract not available

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Fri 21 Feb 15:00: Post-doc talks

Mon, 20/01/2025 - 10:43
Post-doc talks

Abstract not available

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Fri 14 Mar 16:00: Turbulent zonal jets: self-organization and wave-mean flow interactions

Mon, 20/01/2025 - 10:33
Turbulent zonal jets: self-organization and wave-mean flow interactions

The colourful bands of Jupiter are sustained by intense east-west winds called zonal jets, which extend well below Jupiter’s weather layer into its mantle of liquid hydrogen. These jets constitute a fascinating natural example of how a rapidly-rotating turbulent flow self-organises at large scale. Despite decades of observations and modelling, understanding the long-term, nonlinear equilibration of zonal jets and the feedback with the underlying turbulence and waves is still a challenge. In this seminar, I will discuss the dynamics of zonal jets from a wave-mean flow interaction perspective, using a combination of rapidly-rotating laboratory experiments, numerical models and theoretical analyses. I will highlight the essential role of Rossby waves in the emergence and nonlinear saturation of turbulent jets, as demonstrated experimentally and theoretically with a simple quasi-linear model. Following a similar approach as in the Holton-Lindzen-Plumb model for mean flow reversals in stratified fluids, I will extend this quasi-linear analytical model to study jets’ coarsening, and discuss the final scale and amplitude of zonal winds when they are locally versus globally-driven.

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Fri 21 Mar 16:00: Nonmonotonic flow curves and shear banding in granular flows

Mon, 20/01/2025 - 10:24
Nonmonotonic flow curves and shear banding in granular flows

Dense granular packings, both dry and suspended in liquid, are among the most abundant materials on earth. They are relevant to manifold geophysical phenomena, e.g., landslides and debris flows, and to industrial processes such as paste extrusion. Understanding their deformation and flow properties is thus of major practical importance. It is also of fundamental interest in statistical physics, fluid mechanics and rheology. Here we use particle simulations to map comprehensively the shear rheology of dry and wet granular matter comprising particles of finite stiffness, in both fixed pressure and fixed volume protocols. At fixed pressure we find nonmonotonic constitutive curves that are shear thinning, whereas at fixed volume we find nonmonotonic constitutive curves that are shear thickening. We show that the presence of one nonmonotonicity does not imply the other. Instead, there exists a signature in the volume fraction measured under fixed pressure that, when present, ensures nonmonotonic constitutive curves at fixed volume. In the context of dry granular flow we show that gradient and vorticity bands arise under fixed pressure and volume respectively, as implied by the constitutive curves. For wet systems our results are consistent with a recent experimental observation of shear thinning at fixed pressure. Reconciling these rich banding dynamics with a detailed mechanistic description accounting also for non-locality and boundary effects remains an open challenge.

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Mon 17 Feb 13:00: Title to be confirmed

Fri, 17/01/2025 - 11:38
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Fri 31 Jan 16:00: Cracking the capillary code: towards mesoscopic self-assembly and functional micromachines

Fri, 17/01/2025 - 11:27
Cracking the capillary code: towards mesoscopic self-assembly and functional micromachines

Self-assembly, a spontaneous process driven by thermal agitation and intermolecular interactions, is crucial for the formation and folding of complex macromolecules, with profound implications for chemistry and biology. While extensively studied at the molecular level, capillary-driven self-assembly has emerged as a promising approach for constructing structures at the mesoscopic scale, bridging the gap between classical bottom-up and top-down fabrication methods. Operating between 10 micrometers to 10 millimeters, this approach has, over two decades, largely produced regular or simplistic structures. This work leverages experimental and statistical physics to unveil methodologies for controlling subtle capillary interactions, enabling the design of intricate and highly complex structures. We demonstrate how these mesoscopic systems act as analogs for molecular phenomena, such as folding, lock-and-key mechanisms, and crystallization processes. Furthermore, by incorporating magnetic actuation, we explore the dynamic self-assembly of functional micromachines. These micromachines present potential applications in interface cleaning, particle sorting, and targeted transport, underscoring the transformative possibilities of capillary-driven systems for soft robotics and materials science.

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Fri 28 Feb 16:00: Fast flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid through a slowly varying contraction

Fri, 17/01/2025 - 10:59
Fast flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid through a slowly varying contraction

Lubrication theory is adapted to incorporate the large normal stresses that occur for order-one Deborah numbers, $De$, the ratio of the relaxation time to the residence time.

Comparing with the pressure drop for a Newtonian viscous fluid with a viscosity equal to that of an Oldroyd-B fluid in steady simple shear, we find numerically a reduced pressure drop through a contraction and an increased pressure drop through an expansion, both changing linearly with $De$ at high $De$. For a constriction there is a smaller pressure drop that plateaus at high $De$. Much of the change in pressure drop occurs in the stress relaxation in a long exit channel.

An asymptotic analysis for high $De$, based on the idea that normal stresses are stretched by an accelerating flow in proportion to the square of the velocity, reveals that the large linear changes in pressure drop are due to higher normal stresses pulling the fluid through the narrowest gap. A secondary cause of the reduction is that the elastic shear stresses do not have time to build up to their steady state equilibrium value while they accelerate through a contraction.

And experiments find differently!

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Fri 14 Feb 17:30: Epigenetics: A Code upon a Code?

Fri, 17/01/2025 - 07:28
Epigenetics: A Code upon a Code?

Biography

Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith is the Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Before this appointment she served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and International Partnerships) at the University of Cambridge. A renowned mammalian developmental geneticist, genome biologist and epigeneticist, Professor Ferguson-Smith is the Balfour Professor of Genetics in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics where she served as Head of Department from 2013-2020. She is also a Fellow of Darwin College.

At the University of Cambridge, Professor Ferguson-Smith leads a research group comprised of experimental and computational scientists. They focus on the epigenetic control of genome function, particularly on models of epigenetic inheritance with implications for health and disease. Committed to the training and professional development of new talent, her team’s current work includes investigating how genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors influence cellular and developmental processes.

In 2017, Anne was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2021 received their Buchanan Medal for her pioneering work on epigenetics. In 2023, she was named Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her research contributions.

Photo – Dasha Tenditna

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