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United Kingdom

in Weston-Super-Mare

Body Language: The Truth at U3A, the University of the Third Age.

Date: Thursday 12 October 2007.
Time: 2:15 PM.
Venue: St. Paul's Church Hall, Weston-super-Mare.

Body Language is an ever-popular topic, judging by the number of books and TV programmes which continue to appear. Body Language experts claim that you will be able to create rapport, increase your influence, even detect deceit, through an understanding of non-verbal communication. Sounds good - and it sells books. But is it true?

TV scientist Harry Witchel answers the question for sell-out audiences at the Cheltenham and Edinburgh Festivals of Science, as well as for members of the Solicitors Family Law Association. He has gone back to the original research, and come to a fascinating conclusion: much of the material in the popular books has been so inaccurately reported that it's not only false, it can be positively misleading. It can actively hurt your chances of achieving the supposed benefits! It can lead you to making false assumptions about other people, and foster a passive approach to communication, costing career, business and social opportunities.

In this session, Harry will explain:
• How the research has been oversimplified to the point of being worthless.
• The mistaken idea that only 7% of communication is in the words (and where it came from).
• How believing the wrong books can cause passivity, lost opportunities and misunderstandings.

And he will go on to show:
• Effective ways to use body language to improve communication.
• How to really detect lying (as far as it is possible).
• A proactive and practical attitude to verbal and non-verbal communication.

This event promises an entertaining, intriguing and informative afternoon.

Cost: £2 donation.
Reservations: 01934 612995.
Email bookings: Not needed.
For U3A on the web click here.

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Denmark

in Copenhagen

Public Thesis Defence: "Pharmacological activation of the hERG channel - a new antiarrhythmic principle?"
Rie Schultz Hansen, MSc University of Copenhagen.

Date: Friday 9 February 2007.
Time: 2:00 PM.
Venue: Panum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.

I will be one of two examiner's at a public defence in support of a Ph.D. thesis. This thesis has resulted in 4 well-received publications already, and another two papers are planned based on the work, so the science should be excellent. I have never examined a thesis in Denmark before, so I do not know how accessible the event will be to non-scientists. The material being defended is very specialised to the hERG field, but the event is definitely a public event, and non-scientists (e.g., the candidate’s friends and family at least) will be in attendance. I presume it will be in English.

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