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The Science & Technology Group
Organising committee: Tanya Dempster, Paul McKay, Bill Devitt, Kurt and Lynda Kovach - science@ashbyu3a.co.uk -
This group is for both people who have a general interest in science as well as those whose careers have been in this area. We meet monthly with talks given mainly by members on a mixture of science/ engineering topics, some science news, information about famous scientists, good YouTube ideas and even the occasional practical activity.
We normally meet in the main hall at Packington Village Hall, High Street, Packington LE65 1WJ on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 2pm.
Parking is limited, so please try to car-share if possible.
Future programme | ||||
| Date | Time | Venue | Speaker & topic | Details |
| Tue 10th Mar | 2:00 pm | Packington Village Hall. | 'Sir Isaac Newton' by Paul McKay | Isaac Newton is famous for his ground-breaking work in physics and mathematics, including his insight into gravity from watching an apple fall in his garden and splitting light into the colours of the rainbow. But he was a complex character; a recluse for many years, a non-believer in the Anglican Church, an alchemist trying to turn base metals into gold while also Master of the Mint and quarrelling bitterly with fellow scientists. Was he a tetchy flawed genius or just mis-understood? Come along and decide for yourself. |
Tuesday 10th February.
'Are you prepared for when your loved ones fall ill? Would you know what to do if someone collapses?'
Those were the questions that Richard Nevin, an NHS First Responder, asked us.
The usual human reaction is to panic hoping that someone else will know what to do but you knowing what to do and responding quickly saves lives. In Sweden 17% more people survive cardiac events because children are taught how to deal with a collapse in schools, adults also know and there are more defibrillators. It is even part of the driving test!
We all hope such an emergency will never happen to us, nor to those close to us, but Richard is usually called out every 4 hours when on duty. So it is important to be prepared and to be prepared to have a go, you have 10 minutes to save someone’s life. And no you can not be sued for trying to save someone’s life. Just do not stand round, watch and take photos!
Firstly one must look carefully, does the person respond to voice, are they breathing? If there are other people around get them involved, one dialling 999, another ready to wave paramedics down. If the casualty is not breathing you must start CPR asap to keep blood circulating throughout the body. Use both hands and press down hard on the chest depressing it considerably. Keep doing this 2 times a second and get someone else to take over if possible after 1-2 minutes as it is quite exhausting. It does not matter if you do break a rib, that is better than the casualty dying. Then get someone to collect the nearest defibrillator and start using it. The kit contains scissors to cut the clothing so you can apply the pads to the chest, even a razor in case you have a hairy male so the pads can adhere.
We were all amazed at how easy it would be to use, once you open the lid it talks to you giving clear instructions about what and when you do CPR and when you pause for it to shock the heart. It even asks if it is a child or an adult and responds differently. They are designed to “grab and go”.
In films or on TV a cardiac arrest is shown as an instantaneous event but in practice while the heart stops beating regularly it still “wobbles” for about 10 minutes. So you have about ten minutes and can save a life if you try resuscitation.
Where is your nearest defib? Seconds count in such a situation so do you know where the nearest defibrillator is to your home and places you visit? Well look on the website DefibFinder and find the two nearest to your home. Richard told us the location of many in Ashby but clearly they do not exist on housing estates. But defibs can be bought on the internet for about £1,000. So a group of neighbours could club together to buy one and place it centrally. The batteries are long lasting but would eventually need to be replaced.
Ones placed outdoors may be open access or you may need a code, the 999 call will tell you the position of the nearest one and the code to open the wall box. Many have the code C159X.
As a first responder Richard is often at big sporting events and giving community based talks so more people are aware of what to do in an emergency. So if you are a member of another group who could benefit from a talk like this then please get in touch with him. We can provide you with his contact details.
Date for your diary. The next meeting is 10th March at Packington village hall. A talk about Sir Isaac Newton. Most people know of him for his thoughts about gravity and explaining the wonderful colours of the rainbow, but he was a complex character; he was also an alchemist and Master of the Mint. Find out more. This will be followed up later this year with a visit to his house where you can see that famous appletree.