Talk 200: ‘The unmasking of everything’ with Professor Michael Shaver
In our latest Talk 200 lecture and podcast series Professor Mike Shaver, Professor of Polymer Science and Director of Sustainable Futures at The University of Manchester, discusses the complex nature of our material world, with a particular focus on plastics. He examines our presumptions around plastic packaging waste, the complexity of these materials in essential objects – from credit cards to conveyor belts to cars – and the interrelationships between these materials and sustainability.
Professor Shaver explores how to recover value by unmaking these systems at end-of-life, and why unpicking this complexity is essential for a more sustainable future.
The event also included a question-and-answer session with members of the audience and those joining online, as well as a panel discussion led by Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research at Manchester, and including Dr Helen Holmes, Deputy Director of Sustainable Futures; Dr Rosa Cuéllar-Franca, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering; and Dr Ciaran Lahive, a Research Fellow at the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub.
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About Talk 200
Talk 200 is a new lecture and podcast series from The University of Manchester, launching to mark our bicentenary: 200 years of making a difference. This year we’re reflecting on our past, celebrating our present and looking to the future – and Talk 200 invites listeners to be part of the journey.
Released throughout 2024, the series will comprise a mix of in-person and live-streamed lectures and recorded podcast episodes. Our podcast host, Manchester aficionado, author and University of Manchester alumnus Andy Spinoza, will be joined by a diverse line-up of guests from our community. Topics such as health, digital and AI, climate change, and equality and justice will be covered, among others.