news

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH ISSUE 18 • AUTUMN 2007

RESOURCE THE NEWSLETTER OF SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL ACADEMY

World-class research talent recognised

On 28 September, fifty-three researchers, representing some of the most outstanding young scientists and innovators working in Scotland today, were recognised at the Society’s Annual Research Awards Reception. The Society continues to administer various Research Fellowship schemes operated through Fellowship selection Committees, and this year awarded grants totalling £1.7m. With the exception of the BBSRC and STFC Enterprise Fellowships, all of the Fellowships are held in Scottish Higher Education Institutions, thus retaining Scottish researchers in Scotland and attracting others from elsewhere in the UK and overseas. Awards range from summer vacation scholarships for undergraduates in Astronomy to Prizes presented to academics eminent in their fields. The awards would not be possible without the continuing financial support of organisations such as BP, the Caledonian Research Foundation, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC), The Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and other specific-purpose legacies bequeathed to the Society.

Left: Lessells Travel Scholar, Susan Deeny, receives award from RSE President, Sir Michael Atiyah.

Stimulating debate Inspiring children The Planet’s Future Recognising Excellence

PRIZES AND MEDALS Alexander Ninian Bruce Prize Professor Christopher Secombes FRSE, Head of School, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, for his outstanding contribution to our understanding of the immune system of fish, particularly salmonids.

James Scott Prize Lectureship Professor Stephen Barnett FRS FRSE Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, for his outstanding contribution to the field of Quantum Optics.

Keith Medal Professor Antonio DeSimone Professor of Scienza delle Costruzioni, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy Professor Robert Kohn Professor of Mathematics, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York Professor Stephen Barnett FRS FRSE University, USA These Prizes and Medals were awarded Professor Stefan Müller at the Research Awards Reception along Director, Max Plank Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany with the Research Fellowships and Professor Felix Otto Enterprise Awards given in 2007. The Institut für Angewandte Mathematik, Bonn, Germany Awards and recipients are listed in full For their paper “A compactness result in the gradient theory of phase transitions” on pages 4 and 5. which was published in Proceedings A, Volume 131, Number 4, 17 August 2001 pp833-844.

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD PRESENTED

Reflections on the The Amazing Ubiquitous Cellphone

Before he and six other industry veterans set up Qualcomm in 1985, chairman Dr Jacobs worked for Linkabit Corp. Founded by Dr Jacobs and Dr Viterbi in 1969, Linkabit was one of the stars of the American telecoms industry and many leading telecoms companies, including Qualcomm, are branches of the Linkabit family tree. When Dr Jacobs sold his interest in that company, he found himself unable to ‘sit back and relax’. Linkabit was a hard act to follow but Dr Jacobs and his partners soon put Qualcomm on the map in wireless telecoms. For Dr Jacobs and his industry partners, the explosive growth of the mobile phone market has been nothing less than amazing, and today, there are three billion wireless subscribers worldwide, including 500 million using third-generation technology. Annual shipments total roughly one billion cell phones, many of them featuring Qualcomm technology. The 2007 IEEE/RSE/Wolfson James Clerk Dr Jacobs took his audience on a whirlwind tour of some of the landmarks in this Maxwell Award was given jointly to Dr development, reminding everyone how far we have come since the launch of the first Irwin M Jacobs and Dr Andrew Viterbi, co- mobile ‘brick’ in the late 1980s. “Technology is moving ahead very fast” said Dr founders of Qualcomm Incorporated, for Jacobs, “but now it’s time to focus on the best uses for the technology”. fundamental contributions, innovation and leadership that enabled the growth The new generation of cell phones are more intelligent, enabling users to download of wireless communications. Dr Viterbi new applications including games, financial software, educational programmes and was present to receive his Award at the medical data. Television is the next frontier, with current networks capable of carrying Fellows’ Summer Sóiree held at 25 channels broadcasting multimedia programmes in real time and up to 100 channels Edinburgh’s Telford College in July 2007. in total. Wireless technology is also having an increasing impact on life in developing Prior to the start of the formal business of countries, “empowering citizens” in remote areas by providing information such as the Annual Statutory Meeting on 1 healthcare advice or financial news. October, Dr Jacobs (pictured above) was In the last 22 years, Dr Jacobs has not only witnessed a revolution in wireless presented with his Award, after which he technology, he is also one of the people who helped to precipitate it two decades ago gave a talk entitled Reflections on the and continues to drive it today. Amazing Ubiquitous Cellphone. 2 President’s Perspective

James Clerk Maxwell is generally regarded as the greatest physicist after Newton. While Newton laid down the laws of mechanics and universal gravitation, Maxwell did the same for electromagnetism, showing in particular that light was part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our modern technological society, from the computer to telecommunications, rests firmly on the foundations established by Maxwell. Albert Einstein was one of Maxwell’s great admirers and it was Maxwell’s emphasis on the basic role of fields of force that led Einstein to his general theory of relativity and the modern understanding of gravity. Maxwell was born in Edinburgh in 1831 and studied at Edinburgh Academy and Edinburgh University. In 1850 he moved on to Cambridge. After holding chairs at Aberdeen and King’s College London, he retired to his Statue looking towards the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Sketch by Alexander Stoddart. family estate at Glenlair in Dumfriesshire, where he wrote his great As Fellows may be aware, the Royal Society of Edinburgh has now secured full, treatise on Electricity and Magnetism. In unconditional planning permission for a statue of James Clerk Maxwell to be erected 1871 he returned to Cambridge as the in Edinburgh’s George Street, close to the present building of the RSE, as pictured. first holder of the Cavendish chair and Entirely in keeping with this prestigious site, the statue will be cast in bronze and the Laboratory that he established went Maxwell shown dressed in costume of his time. I am encouraged that many people on to achieve remarkable distinction, appear to share my view that a scientist of Maxwell’s stature should be better producing a long list of Nobel Prize recognised in Scotland and that the project has been so widely welcomed. winners, including J.J. Thomson, Rayleigh and Rutherford. Sadly Edinburgh World Heritage were the first external body to contribute £10,000 to the Maxwell died in his prime at the early Fund and, as with others who offer donations at this level, will have their name age of 48. engraved on the plinth. We are also grateful to the City of Edinburgh, the Cockburn Association and Historic Scotland for their encouragement and confidence in our initiative. Our target is £300,000. Any surplus funds, after covering all costs associated with the statue, will go into a Clerk Maxwell fund of the RSE, which will be used to support RSE objectives in science and the humanities. The sculptor, Alexander Stoddart, (www.alexanderstoddart.com) has extensive experience of public monuments. It is our hope that the statue of Maxwell can be completed by October 2008, the end of my term as President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. To Donate to the project, cheques should be made payable to ‘The Royal Society of Edinburgh - Clerk Maxwell Fund’ and sent to: The President, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ. For US Donors, it is possible to make donations to the RSE through the American Fund for Charities (AFC). www.royalsoced.org.uk/maxwell The RSE is a registered Scottish charity (No. SC000470) Maxwell pictured in the handsome Sir Michael Atiyah, OM, FRS, PRSE, HonFREng, HonFMedSci, HonFFA portrait that hangs in the Hall, Trinity College, Cambridge

3 Scotland’s Research Talent

AWARDEES 2007 The following awards were made at the Annual Awards Ceremony held at the RSE on Friday 28 September 2007 Cormack Vacation Research Lessells Travel Scholarships Professor Carla Sassi Scholarships Dr Daniel Clark Facolta di Lingue e Letterature Straniere, Euan Bennet Department of Electrical, Electronic and Universita Di Verona, Verona, to visit the Wave Mechanics - A New Approach to Computing Engineering at Heriot-Watt Department of English Studies, Modelling the Large Scale Structure of University received funding to visit the University of Stirling the Universe. University of Melbourne, Australia to Caribbean–Scottish Passages: Department of Physics and Astronomy, study Multi-Sensor Multi-Target Tracking representations of colonial relations in University of Glasgow with RandomSets. Scottish literature. Ewan Dickson Kim de Mora Professor Deniz Zeyrek Solar Flare Electron Spectra with Institute for Materials and Processes, Department of Foreign Language Anomalous Dips energy emission from University of Edinburgh, received his Education & Cognitive Science, Middle solar flares. award to visit the Department of Systems East Technical University, Ankara, to visit Department of Physics and Astronomy, Biology, Harvard Medical School, USA to the School of Informatics, University of University of Glasgow research Glucose sensing in yeast: design Edinburgh Judith Ferguson and construction of an artificial control Developing a Turkish Discourse Application of WKB Theory to 3D MHD. system. Treebank. School of Mathematics and Statistics, Susan Deeny CRF European Travel Fellowships University of St Andrews School of Engineering and Electronics, - Visits to Europe Jonathan Higgins University of Edinburgh, received her Dr Andrew Newby A Monte Carlo estimate of the scattering award to attend a course at the College School of History & Classics, University of intergalactic resonance photons from of Engineering, University of Canterbury, of Edinburgh, to visit the Centre for a central source. New Zealand to study Predicting Fire Nordic Studies, University of Helskinki Institute for Astronomy, University of Performance of Concrete Structures. The Nordic ‘Free Peasantry’ and Edinburgh David Mitchell Victorian Scotland. Martin McDonald School of Mathematics, University of Dr Josefa Toribio-Mateas Automated Feature Tracking in TRACE Edinburgh, received his award to travel to Department of Philosophy, University of Solar UV Data. the Department of Electrical Engineering, Edinburgh, to visit the Department of Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame, USA to study Logic, History & Philosophy of Science, University of Glasgow Theory and Applications of Algebraic University of Barcelona Laura J Porter Channel Codes with Moderate Block- Conceptualism vs. Nonconceptualism. Physics of Sungrazing Comets. Size. Dr Arnoud Visser Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Classics, University of St CRF European Travel Fellowships - University of Glasgow Andrews, to visit the Catholic University Visits to Scotland John Rostron of Leuven, Belgium Dr Maurizio Campanelli Angular Momentum Evolution of Confessionalising Augustine: The Istituto Storico Italiano per il Media Evo, Intermediate to Low-Mass Stars on the Impact of Erasmus on the Collected Rome to visit the Department of Main Sequence. Works of Augustine. Mediaeval History, University of St School of Physics and Astronomy, Professor Chris Warhurst Andrews University of St Andrews Department of Human Resource Fourteenth-century Rome and Europe in Cormack Undergraduate Prize Management, University of Strathclyde, the Cronica of Anonimo Romano. Jennifer Noble to visit the Institute of Work & Dr Emilio Jose Luque Azcona An Alcohol Problem! Understanding the Technology, University of Duisburg & El Colegio de America, Universidad Pablo first step in the formation of CH OH in Essen 3 de Olavide, Seville, to visit the School of star forming regions from H 0:CO International Comparative Analysis of 2 the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt reactions. Low Wage Work in the UK and German University Department of Physics, University of Hotel Industries. Heritage and identity in Edinburgh: Strathclyde analysis of the debate around the Master Cormack Postgraduate Prize Plan for the Caltongate. Rita Tojeiro Non-Gaussianity in the Wilkinson For full details of awards available in Microwave Anisotropy Probe data using 2008 see the RSE web page at the peak-peak correlation function. www.royalsoced.org.uk/ Institute for Astronomy, Royal research_fellowships/index.htm Observatory Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh

4 BP Trust Personal Research Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scottish Executive Science Fellowships Scotland Support Research Fellowships for Teachers Dr David Krása Fellowship Colin Guthrie Geology’s record collection - Studying Dr Mark Mon-Williams Kelso High School; placement with the reliabiity of palaeomagnetic data by Understanding and alleviating Tweedstart means of nanofabricated magnetic movement problems in the elderly with Angling in the School Curriculum. mineral samples. and without stroke. Stuart Robertson School of GeoSciences, University of School of Psychology, University of James Gillespie’s High School; Edinburgh Aberdeen placement with SSERC Dr Alexander Morozov Lloyds TSB Foundation for E-learning materials for Higher Viscoelastic instabilities in flows of Scotland Workshops Chemistry. polymer solutions. Dr Kathleen Riach Scottish Executive Arts & School of Physics, University of Department of Management, University Humanities Workshops Edinburgh of Glasgow and Dr Gail Low CRF Personal Research Dr Wendy Loretto School of Humanities, University of Fellowships in Biomedical Management School and Economics, Dundee Sciences University of Edinburgh Investigating the archive: An Dr Pleasantine C. Mill The changing working lives of the over- interdisciplinary enquiry into the Phenotypic and molecular 50s: control, choice and flexibility. concept and role of archives. characterisation of novel ENU mouse Dr Marilyn McGee-Lennon Diana Murray mutants affecting hedgehog signalling Department of Computing Science, Royal Commission on the Ancient & during development and disease. University of Glasgow (on behalf of the Historical Monuments of Scotland MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western MATCH consortium) Identifying Scotland - Context and General Hospital, Edinburgh Including Stakeholders in the Design of Collaboration. Dr Alan L. Parker Homecare Systems. Dr John Scally Developing optimised adenoviral Scottish Executive Personal Director of University Collections vectors for in vivo gene delivery and Research Fellowships (Library, Museums and Gallery), therapy. Dr Timothy George University of Edinburgh BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Barley cultivars to cope with nutritional Darwin and Scotland. Centre, University of Glasgow drought. Enterprise Awards – BBSRC Henry Dryerre Scholarship Scottish Crop Research Institute Dr Andrew Almond Lucinda Low Dr Brian Gerardot Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Quantum Optics of Single Spins in a Manchester University of Edinburgh Quantum Dot. Expediting drug discovery by Do glucocorticoids inhibit School of Engineering and Physical determining the 3D structure of small cardiovascular lesion formation by Sciences, Heriot-Watt University key molecules. reducing inflammation in the vascular Dr Christopher Tuttle Dr Michael McArthur wall? The Rational Design of Hybrid Catalysts Department of Molecular Microbiology, Lloyds TSB Foundation for with Computational Methods. John Innes Centre Scotland Research Studentship Department of Pure and Applied DNA-based therapies to combat Robin Coltman Chemistry, University of Strathclyde antibiotic resistance in pathogenic Is the wiring of the brain faulty in Scottish Executive Support bacteria. ageing and in Alzheimer’s Disease? Research Fellowships Sridhar Vasudevan Centre for Neuroscience Research, Dr Peter Bussey Department of Pharmacology, University University of Edinburgh Research on the ZEUS, CDF and FP420 of Oxford Lloyds TSB Foundation for Projects in Experimental Particle Physics, Virtual screening: an innovative method Scotland Personal Research Department of Physics and Astronomy, for drug discovery and development. Fellowship University of Glasgow Dr Christopher Ward Dr Linda Ferrington Dr Graeme Cooke Centre for Molecular Medicine, Does cerebrovascular dysfunction affect Towards Synthetic Flavoenzymes University of Manchester the development of Alzheimer’s disease Department of Chemistry, University of Commercial exploitation of a novel pathology? Glasgow embryonic stem cell technology. Centre for Cognitive & Neural Systems, Professor Richard Ribchester University of Edinburgh Translational Biology of Motor Neurone Disease Department of Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh

5 International

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH ANNUAL EUROPEAN LECTURE Reforming Europe’s Universities - Why and How? Jan Figel’, Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth

Jan Figel’, a European Commissioner since 2004, sees his remit as central to the future success of the European Union. The Union’s goal, as set down in the 2000 Lisbon Strategy, “to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world” can only be achieved through education and training. European universities have a potentially vital role but are currently failing to deliver all that is required of them. Provided below is an excerpt from the report of his lecture, which is available in full on the RSE website at www.royalsoced.org.uk/events/recent.htm#european_lecture Commissioner Figel’ opened by thanking the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) for the invitation to present the 2007 Annual European Lecture. He welcomed the opportunity provided by his visit to start to engage Scottish universities in dialogue about ways in which the university sector throughout the European Union (EU) can better contribute to economic and social policy. For the first time since the establishment of the EU, the strategic importance of education to its future success is now properly recognised. At the European level, political interest in higher education has never been greater. The Commission sees universities within the EU as being too fragmented into small national systems; too uniform compared with the US; generally disconnected from the business sector and the needs of the labour market; over-regulated; and under-funded. The Commissioner defended what Whilst progress is being made towards the creation of a European Higher Education some consider to be a very modest Area (the Bologna Process) Commissioner Figel’ argued that, while curricular reforms are proposed budget for the EIT of 309 important, reform of university governance and funding is also required. Member States million Euros for the period to 2013, elsewhere need to move towards the situation in Britain with universities being making the point that this was only the afforded greater autonomy in return for increased accountability for their performances. direct EU contribution and support for Funding for universities specific areas of work is expected from throughout Europe, including elsewhere, including structural funds, the UK, must increase. In 2004 the 7th Framework Programme and, the EU spent 1.18% of GDP on importantly, from the business sector. higher education compared with In keeping with his desire for dialogue, 2.95% in the US, equivalent to a Commissioner Figel’s lecture was difference of 10,000 Euros per followed by a lively Q&A session in student. In return for less which he acknowledged that university interference by government and funding is a political question but more money, universities will be argued that, in addition to demanding expected to interact more with better value from current spend, other sectors of society, in increased funding is essential if particular with business. universities are to develop their Commissioner Figel’ welcomed potential along the lines he had the endorsement by Member described. States a few days earlier of the proposal for a European Institute of Technology (EIT). Although final approval is subject to the views of the European Parliament, there is confidence in Brussels that the EIT will go ahead and will “act as a pathfinder in reforming Commissioner Figel’ pictured with Neil Mitchison, Head European higher education”. of the European Commission Office in Scotland and Sir Michael Atiyah

6 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE NATIONAL NATURAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION OF CHINA The RSE is pleased to announce the The agreement sets out the signing of a Memorandum of commitment to facilitate, Understanding with The National encourage and support research Natural Science Foundation of China collaboration in all areas (NNSFC). The agreement was signed by between research groups in the NNSFC Vice-President Professor Scotland and China. Zuoyan Zhu and the then RSE Under this agreement the two International Convener, Professor Sir academies also agreed to fund Neil MacCormick FRSE on Sunday 1st academic exchanges between the July 2007 at the Society’s rooms. The two countries through the RSE– signing of the agreement was followed NNSFC Joint Project Scheme. by an informal dinner with members of the RSE International Committee and invited guests.

RSE–NNSFC JOINT PROJECT AWARDS MADE IN 2007 Two projects were successful in obtaining funding through the RSE–NNSFC Joint Project Scheme in 2007. The projects will be completed in Spring 2009. The following are brief updates from the Project Leaders.

Scottish-based Project Leader: Dr Dr Douglas Tocher and Dr Xiao-Zhong Scottish-based Xiao-Zhong Zheng, the Institute of Zheng travelled to China, where they Project Leader: Aquaculture, The University of worked closely with their Chinese Professor Chris Stirling partner, Professor Zhaokun Ding and Secombes, China-based Project Leader: his group, including a post-doctoral (pictured right) Professor Zhaokun Ding, Marine worker and two PhD students, and the School of Biology Institute, Shantou University trained then all in the main laboratory Biological Study of the desaturases of omega-3 techniques required for the cloning of Sciences, The highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) gene cDNAs. Total RNA was extracted University of biosynthesis in the Cobia (Rachycentron from Cobia liver and muscle tissue Aberdeen canadum). sample and cDNA was synthesized. China-based Primers had been designed and Project Leader: produced in Scotland and were taken Professor Pin Nie, the Institute of to China to initiate the PCR cloning. Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy The primers proved successful, and of Science several promising fragments were Study of MHC and gamma interferon obtained including one that was the genotype and disease susceptibility to exact size match for the primer pair viral pathogens in farmed fish species. used. Subsequent sequence analysis in Dr Qian Gao from the Institute of Scotland has confirmed that this Hydrobiology is currently visiting the fragment was part of the Cobia University of Aberdeen, and is studying desaturase gene. Therefore, the the interferon receptors in fish, which Chinese group can now use the are unclassified to date. His studies are sequence information from this initial Dr Zheng outside the Department building in going well and relate to the project’s fragment to continue the PCR cloning Nanning beside the posters advertising the main aim of improving understanding techniques to isolate the full-length presentations of antiviral resistance in fish. This cDNA sequence. In addition, Dr Tocher autumn Professor Stet and Professor and Dr Zheng gave oral presentations Secombes visited the Institute in to staff and students in Nanning to Wuhan for two weeks beginning 13th show recent research progress and October to initiate some of the other describe the research techniques in this aspects of the programme. area.

7 International INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

One of the main purposes of the RSE International Programme is to award short-term travel grants to enable Scottish researchers to establish links with colleagues in other Scottish-based host: Dr Zoe Shipton, countries with a view to a long lasting collaboration, through joint publications and University of Glasgow joint applications for longer term funds. These International Exchange Awards are available to all researchers of at least postdoctoral level. The awards are particularly Visitor: Dr Steven Micklethwaite, The appropriate for researchers at the early stages of their careers, to facilitate the Australian National University establishment of international connections. There are four deadlines per year for The hydraulic properties of geological applications. Full details are available on the RSE website at www.royalsoced.org.uk/ faults are critical for a range of international resources important to society, such as the formation of mineral deposits, The following are excerpts from five reports of visits supported by the International tapping of geothermal fluids, Exchange Programme. development of petroleum reservoirs, stability of man-made dams and the Scottish-based host: Dr David Middleton, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh storage of CO2. The visit focused on the Visitor: Dr Pramote Triboun, Bangkok Herbarium, Thailand application of numerical modelling and field techniques to gold mineralised fault systems from Australia, but detailed discussions touched on all the themes outlined above. The program was extremely successful, providing opportunity for collaborative research, the development of a manuscript for publication, discussions on the future use of software developed at Strathclyde University (MOPEDZ) for modelling fault growth, the presentations of seminars and training of PhD students at Glasgow University, a mini-workshop fieldtrip, and discussions on development of proposals for future research between The flowers of Paraboea glanduliflora the Glasgow Universities and Dr The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is one of the world’s leading herbarium Micklethwaite. for holdings of tropical Asian plants. In addition there has been a long history of research on Gesneriaceae. This makes RBGE an indispensable location for research on Southeast Asian Gesneriaceae. The Gesneriaceae of Thailand are currently poorly known but a programme of research has been initiated as a collaborative project between Scottish and Thai botanists to provide a thorough taxonomic account of the family within five years. Pramote Triboun is the principal Thai collaborator and the work he is currently undertaking is a revision of the genera Paraboea and Trisepalum in Thailand. It is work on these two genera that he undertook when in Edinburgh using the specimens from RBGE’s herbarium and other materials sent on loan to Edinburgh for Dr Pramote’s work. Over 400 specimens were examined for morphological characters, species were delimited and preliminary descriptions prepared. Although more research will be continued on these genera in Thailand, Dr Pramote’s current assessment is that there are 40 species of Paraboea and 12 species of Trisepalum in Thailand, including six new species of each genus. Discussions were also held with Dr Michael Möller of RBGE. Dr Möller conducts research on the evolutionary relationships within Gesneriaceae and Dr Triboun will Branching fracture traces cutting through provide materials from his fieldwork in Thailand for these investigations. ancient rocks at Glencoe – possible evidence Dr Triboun’s work, once completed, will provide an important contribution to the for fossil seismic events. overall revision of the Gesneriaceae for the Flora of Thailand.

8 Dr Glenn Iason, Macaulay Institute Dr Stephen Woodward, University of Aberdeen Visited: Dr Julianne O’Reilly-Wapstra Visited: Dr. Caroline Mohammed, University of Hobart, Australia and Professor Brad Potts, University The main aim of this visit was to establish research collaboration between Dr of Tasmania, Australia Woodward’s group in Aberdeen and that of Dr Caroline Mohammed at the University The secondary chemistry of plants is an of Tasmania. The visit was highly successful; Dr Woodward contributed to field and important determinant of their laboratory work associated with a project on browsing damage to radiata pine, was resistance to herbivores and pathogens, involved in considerable discussion on other research underway in Tasmania and and mediates their interactions with presented seminars on resistance of spruce to root disease and on decay fungi in other plants animals and microbes. This coarse woody debris in spruce plantations. There were many productive exchanges of visit by Glenn Iason of the Macaulay expertise and ideas on tree pathology problems, including work on root diseases of Institute, Aberdeen, to the University of trees, on foliage pathogens and on early detection of disease. Tasmania, Hobart, Australia aimed to As a result of the visit, there will be further exchanges of postgraduate students and investigate the chemical variation postdoctoral scientists between the two laboratories over the next year, and further within and between the two remaining research projects combining the groups in Hobart and Aberdeen are planned. populations of Eucalyptus morrisbyi, The image shows a young (2 both of which are found close to years old) radiata pine with Hobart, Tasmania. A rapid method of severe browsing damage. The quantifying these chemical differences main stem has been girdled has been developed in Australia and above the lower branch whorl, applied to this system, in order to help hence we can see the yellowing understand how and why this rare of the dying upper crown, along plant has declined. During the visit, Dr with bright green foliage on the Iason obtained first hand experience of still healthy lower crown. the method and applied it to Eucalyptus morrisbyi. He drew comparisons between the chemical ecology of the eucalypt-dominated ecosystems, with Scotland’s own native Scots pine woodlands, which are chemically very similar.

Professor Chim Lang, University of Dundee Visited: Dr Paolo Colombo and Professor Donna Mancini MD, Columbia University, USA Despite continuing advances in the therapy of heart failure, the mortality of this syndrome remains high. Heart transplantation, with 1-year survival rates now exceeding 85%, has emerged as an important adjunct to medical therapy. However, the resultant increase in referrals to heart transplantation centres has widened the gap between the number of potential transplant recipients and available donor organs. Therefore we need reliable prognostic markers to better select our patients. Peak oxygen consumption has been used to help select patients, but it may be influenced by confounding factors including muscle deconditioning and obesity. Technological advance has greatly simplified the non-invasive measurement of cardiac output. This visit enabled collaboration with Professor Donna Mancini in evaluating an inert gas-rebreathing system in determining cardiac output in patients being evaluated for heart transplantation at Columbia University. We found the system to be easy to use. More importantly, the measures of cardiac output were The foliage of one of only two remaining prognostically superior to peak oxygen consumption in our cohort of patients. These populations of Eucalyptus morrisbyi being findings have significant clinical implications and may help us to better select examined by Glenn Iason. This population is patients for heart transplantation. The visit also allowed me to collaborate with Dr in decline, a contributory factor to which Colombo, who had pioneered the endothelial cell sampling technique. This may be the insect attack suffered by the collaborative work will be useful in my research into developing a comprehensive foliage. biomarker model of endothelial function in humans.

9 [email protected]

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL RSE EVENTS. To book tickets online, visit www.royalsoced.org.uk or phone events ticket line - 0131 240 2780. Contact [email protected] for further information. Unless stated otherwise, events are held at the RSE.

NOVEMBER 2007 Thursday 1 November 2007 at 5.30 pm Wednesday 14 November 2007 LECTURE at The Kelvin Gallery, The Science of Improvement: Why Scotland Needs its Public Intellectuals University of Glasgow Professor C Duncan Rice FRSE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS CONFERENCE Aberdeen Kelvin 2007 The Scottish Enlightenment made no distinction Lord Kelvin was a giant of the 19th between public and private scholarship. The Century Science, his fundamental intellectuals of the age felt they were working on contributions to thermal physics, the “science of improvement” for the country and electromagnetism and optics being the wider world. Why does the public intellectual matched by practical achievements still matter? How can formal thinking in ranging from undersea amplifiers to universities reach outside the academy? How do marine compasses. In Glasgow, where we mobilise a new generation of public Kelvin held the chair of Natural intellectuals? How can they and our great Philosophy for over 50 years, the 100th universities inspire and inform our evolving anniversary of his death will be democracy? Professor Rice will explore the idea celebrated by inviting four leading and role of the public intellectual in contemporary scientists to look where the fields Kelvin Scotland. started are now and where they are going. Professor Michael Berry will talk on vortices in light, Professor Ed Hinds Monday 12 November 2007 at 5.30 pm on cold atoms, Professor Wilson Sibbett LECTURE on telecommunications and Professor Classical Music and the Subject of Modernity Denis Weaire on Foams and Kelvin’s Professor John Butt FRSE, Professor of Music, University of Glasgow Legacy. While classical music is difficult to isolate entirely from all other forms of music in terms of its materials and structure, it is more securely defined in relation to a particular historical tendency which embraces an ensemble of cultural practices. One of the ways it relates in particular to modernity is through its association with a particular range of human subjects. This lecture is organised jointly with the British Academy.

Kelvin was three times President of The This lecture presents the thesis that Royal Society of Edinburgh. what we generally term ‘classical music’ in the western tradition is integral to To register interest in this meeting please the very concept of ‘modernity’. This is contact: Claire Garland, The Institute of something that makes it exceptional, Physics, 76 Portland Place, London, W1B and bound to a specific historical 1NT context, rather than something that can [email protected] - phone 0207470 be regarded as a timeless norm within 4800 world music. www.kelvin2007.org

10 Monday 19 November 2007 at Thursday 29 - Friday 30 Monday 3 December 2007 at 5.15 pm November 2007 at The Royal 5.30 pm MOCK TRIAL College of Physicians, 9 Queen LECTURE Are Our Civil Liberties Being Street, Edinburgh Cellular Clocks Eroded? CALEDONIAN RESEARCH FOUNDATION Professor Ole Laerum CorrFRSE, BIOMEDICAL CONFERENCE President, Norwegian Academy of Inflammation and Inflammatory Science and Letters and Professor of Disease Experimental Pathology and Inflammation has long been recognised Oncology, The Gade Institute, as a beneficial response of the body to University of Bergen injury or infection. It is now recognised as a complex interplay between constitutive cells, multiple mediator cascades and migratory cells from the bloodstream which, paradoxically, is also implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of important diseases. These include atherosclerosis, arthritis and This event promises to be a frank COPD, and, when the formidable array debate about the perceived of its redundant effector mechanisms is degradation of civil liberties within turned against the host, the Scotland, the UK and Europe. development of safe, incisive therapy is Detention without charge, police spy problematical. drones, CCTV, id cards and challenges to the independence of the judiciary – Practically all functions in the body vary are these symptoms of a Big Brother from time to time. Such variations are state or a necessary response to new often cyclic, where the variations occur threats? Jim Naughtie, the judge, will as regular rhythms. Such rhythms can ask you to decide. Using a dynamic have a periodicity ranging from mock trial format, Lord Falconer QC seconds, to day and night (circadian) and Baroness Helena Kennedy QC will and up to annual variations. In recent each call witnesses to examine this years it has been found that all cells in critical issue. Audience members will the body have clock functions, enabling be asked to form the jury and decide them to keep time and also to be in whose argument they find more equilibrium with the rest of the body. convincing. This lecture is a survey of how cellular clocks operate and how cyclic variations In the conference we will explore the in different functions are important mechanisms by which this normally aspects of human daily life. beneficial defence process may cause disease and how a new understanding of its mechanisms is leading to novel treatments for inflammatory disorders. A Conference fee will apply. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Supported by the Caledonian Research Foundation

This lecture forms part of an RSE Ordinary Meeting and so shall be preceeded by Society business. The full list of RSE events appears on the RSE website, www.royalsoced.org.uk/events and in the RSE events diary, available from the Events Team - [email protected].

11 Free, fully organised educational activities for young Young People people throughout Scotland

SET (Science, Engineering and Technology) Summer School Startup Science Master Classes “A fun and relaxed way to find out what university life is all about” Saturday morning science masterclasses are arranged for S1/S2 students, emphasising the role of science, engineering and technology in society. These imaginative events enable students to investigate a variety of topics in greater detail, through hands- on, fun activities. Startup Science masterclasses are run in partnership with organisations throughout Scotland. The next classes to be run are taking place during the autumn term at Dundee, Glasgow, St Andrews and Heriot-Watt Universities.

Maths Masterclasses Pupils from Edinburgh and Midlothian schools during second course These lively Saturday morning workshops aim to show that maths is Eighty-six S5 and S6 pupils from schools Mid-week, the pupils had a change of fun and creative, whilst presenting in East and West Lothian, Midlothian and scenery, attending some group-work children in their final years of primary Edinburgh attended the Heriot-Watt/ sessions and a presentation at the RSE. school with challenging investigations, Royal Society of Edinburgh SET Summer The group-work covered the different designed to develop problem-solving, School for two courses which took place approaches to studying at University intuition and analytical skills. this summer, during 23 – 27 July and 30 compared to school and best-practice July – 3 August. The SET summer week in exam preparation. The presentation provides a relaxed and informal introduced the students to the role of The RSE@schools lecture opportunity for local school pupils to the RSE, providing examples of current programme experience university life and gives them and past inspirational Fellows and This autumn RSE@schools speakers are the chance to explore the broad range of giving details of grants and awards that visiting schools throughout Scotland to subjects on offer. could be made available to them talk about a variety of topics, including: should they continue their studies in The week started with a treasure hunt Dr Greig Chisholm - Capturing Colour research areas that could benefit around the University Campus organised with Chemistry at Belmont Academy by a team of staff and two former Scotland and beyond. Professor Thomas Krauss - Lazing down students, to help the pupils get their Following the RSE visit, a social and the Internet at Keith Academy and Ellon bearings and to make them aware of the team-building exercise took place at the Academy social side of University life as well as the Fountain Park bowling alley, where staff various support facilities available to them and pupils competed to achieve as Dr Adrian Linacre - DNA profiling? Its should they decide to continue into many ‘strikes’ as possible! use in famous cases at Lanark Grammar higher education. Sessions included: School On the Friday afternoon of each week ‘How students get by financially’ and the pupils, in groups, gave ‘How to balance your studies with your Dr Nicola Stanely Wall - Bacteria live in presentations to staff and parents/ social life’. Communities at Clyde Valley High carers about what they felt they had School The pupils then experienced a number of gained from the SET summer week. Professor John Brown - Black Holes and interactive SET workshops in a variety of Their feedback was positive and White Rabbits at Linlithgow Academy subject areas, including civil engineering, enthusiastic. mechanical engineering, computer Dr Val Mann - What has your Granny The two SET Summer weeks were run in science, chemistry, actuarial maths, sports got in common with a Spaceman? at partnership with Heriot-Watt University psychology and physics. Kilchuimen Academy and are also supported by City of The summer school also offered core- Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian Professor Murray Campbell - Serpents skills workshops intended to improve and West Lothian councils. and Synthesisers at Dollar Academy skills, such as presenting and note-taking, Dr Jonathon Chubb - Watching Genes that are helpful in the final years of at James Watt College school, at university, as well as in employment.

12 Tall Tales of the Mind and Brain Christmas Lecture

Conference Wobbling on the Shoulders of Giants The RSE conference for schools and the public took place at Dynamic Earth on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th September 2007. The Conference aimed to unravel psychology and neuroscience topics that are seen in the popular press but often misinterpreted - so-called Tall Tales. The programme was designed to complement the Higher Human Biology and Psychology curricula. Topics challenged conventional thinking and explored myths and ‘old wives tales’. A total of 506 pupils attended the Conference over the two days. Resource Pack In addition, an RSE ‘Tall Tales about Mind and Brain’ Resource Pack for Teachers was created, produced and sent to all schools that have a higher human biology and/or psychology department, irrespective of whether or not they attended the conference. This resource can now be downloaded from the RSE website at www.royalsoced.org.uk/schools/tall_tales/index.htm. Continuing Professional Development Johnny Ball A Continuing Professional Development Workshop was also held after the Conference on 5 September, for 21 teachers who had pre-registered. The CPD Monday 17 December 2007 session was designed to provide further theoretical knowledge, innovative teaching University of Edinburgh ideas, useful sources of information and an opportunity to network and establish 1.30 pm – 3 pm - Schools lecture new contacts. 6 pm – 7.30 pm - Public lecture Tuesday 18 December 2007 University of Glasgow The RSE Annual Inspiration Awards 11 am – 12.30 pm - Schools lecture This year the Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday 29 October at the RSE. 1.30 pm – 3 pm - Schools lecture The awards will be announced by Professor Miles Padgett, the Young People’s Convener and presented by Sir Michael Atiyah, President of the Society. Johnny Ball’s motivational lecture aims to encourage young people to consider University studies and career paths in Maths, Science and Technology. In a The Autumn Roadshow 2007 time of uncertainty, when the world is in a mess and experiencing threats to This year’s Autumn Roadshow is planned to take place its very existence, the media invariably in Falkirk on 26 and 27 November 2007. Exact focuses on past scientific failings that details are still to be confirmed but planning is have brought it to this precarious underway and 9 Primary schools in Falkirk will take position. In contrast, this lecture takes part. Workshops provided will include: a look at the successes and benefits of A Hands-on Maths Workshop for P6/7 pupils science and technology over the past delivered by Professor Jack and Teresa Carr 50 years. Johnny encourages young people today to be more confident A Hands-on Bridge Building Workshop for P6/P7 about the future. The lecture offers pupils by Professor Miles Padgett insights into how, as technology moves An Evening Interactive Talk for the general public, forward, we might produce a world for parents and carers, teachers and sixth-form students the next generation, that is better than from the local High Schools. Does God Play Dice? by anyone has ever before imagined Professor Miles Padgett possible.

For further information on all of the above, visit our website - www.royalsoced.org.uk/schools or contact the RSE Education Team - 0131 240 5035 - [email protected]

13 Fellows’ Notice Board

ANNUAL STATUTORY MEETING ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COUNCIL FOR SESSION 2007/08

The Annual Statutory Meeting ending All Fellows entitled to vote had been sent a ballot paper by the General Secretary on 30 the 224th Session took place in the August. Professors David Fergusson and Iain Boyd Whyte were confirmed as Scrutineers Society’s Wolfson Theatre on Monday 1 at the meeting on 3 September and examined all the returned ballot papers on 27 October 2007. The formal business September. There were 610 returned ballot forms of which 601 were clean papers. All followed a talk given by Dr Irwin M of those proposed for election had been elected by an overwhelming majority. Sir Jacobs, who was also presented with Michael thanked the Scrutineers and congratulated those elected for the first time and the 2007 IEEE/RSE/Wolfson James Clerk those re-elected. He also thanked the retiring Office-Bearers and Councillors, Maxwell award by the President. Due specifically Andrew Miller, John Mavor, Neil McCormick and Rona McKie. to technical difficulties the meeting was Membership of Council and the Executive Board for the 225th Session will be as not webcast live as had been intended, follows: but the proceedings were recorded in full and can be viewed by Fellows at the Council Executive Board RSE website - www.royalsoced.org.uk/ video/index.htm using the password President General Secretary provided. Sir Michael Atiyah OM Professor Geoffrey Boulton OBE

Vice-Presidents Treasurer Professor Jan McDonald Mr Edward Cunningham CBE Lord Patel of Dunkeld Professor Tariq Durrani OBE Curator Professor John Howie CBE General Secretary Professor Geoffrey Boulton OBE International Convener Professor Sir David Edward KCMG, QC, PC Treasurer Mr Edward Cunningham CBE Programme Convener Professor David Ingram OBE Fellowship Secretary Professor Andrew Walker Research Awards Convener Professor Peter Holmes OBE Councillors Professor Sir John Arbuthnott Young People’s Convener Professor Sue Black OBE Professor Miles Padgett Sir Michael Atiyah with Dr Irwin Jacobs in Professor April McMahon front of the portrait of James Clerk Maxwell Ms Shonaig Macpherson CBE Professor Christopher Whatley

Message from the newly elected General Secretary, Professor Geoffrey Boulton OBE, FRS, FRSE, Regius Professor and Vice-Principal of the University of Edinburgh (pictured right). The role of a national academy is easy to define, difficult to deliver, and in the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s case, further complicated by the shifting cultural, social and political landscape of Scotland. Effectively engaging with these changes is an important challenge to the Society. Apart from working to support the objectives set out in the Society’s Annual Report, my particular current enthusiasms are for inspiring the young, involving young researchers and Fellows from business in the Society’s work, influencing policy-makers and for the Society to be an important part of Scotland’s window on the world. I am temperamentally inclined to seek novel and possibly radical ways of increasing the Society’s impact in Scotland and beyond, and will hope to elicit creative ideas from the Fellowship.

14 FELLOWS’ COFFEE MEETINGS FELLOWS’ GOLF OUTING

Coffee is available in the Fellows’ Room on Tuesday mornings at 10.30 am. Once a month, between October 2007 and March 2008, this will take the form of an informal discussion in the East Wellcome Room. These are informal and friendly occasions, open to all Fellows and, if you are able to attend, you will be made most welcome. Below is the programme for the coming season:

9 October 2007 Illness and Disease: The Butterflies of History - Professor David E M Taylor 6 November 2007 Entanglement in Copenhagen - The trouble with Quantum Mechanics and the Flight from Reality - Dr Malcolm Fluendy 4 December 2007 A Business Unworthy of a Woman? The female performer as celebrity and political agitator on the nineteenth-century British stage - Professor Janet B I McDonald.

8 January 2008 Are you being served? The Civil Service in a changing world - Sir Professors Brian Burchell (left) and Sean Russell Hillhouse. McKee and on the golf course

5 February 2008 The place of the victim and the victim’s family in criminal The 2007 Fellows’ Golf outing was held proceedings - The Rt. Hon. Lord Cameron of Lochbroom. at Buchanan Castle Golf Club on 24 4 March 2008 Science and conservation: their influence on livestock farming in August. The Stewart Cup was won by Scotland - Dr James Irvine Professor Roy Burdon. Suggestions for the 2008 venue are welcome. Please contact APPOINTMENTS, AWARDS, CITATIONS [email protected] Professor Sir Roderick MacSween received an honorary DSc from the University of Glasgow in July 2007. The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland awarded the 2007 Rivers Medal to Andrew Whiten, Wardlaw Professor of Psychology at the University of St Andrews, “for a recent body of work which makes, as a whole, a significant contribution to social, physical or cultural anthropology or archaeology”.

Professor Peter Grant was recently appointed the 8th Regius Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh.

Professor Sarah Broadie, Professor of Philosophy, University of St Andrews, has been made of a member of the Academia Europaea. Professor Timothy Williamson of the University of Oxford is among Scientists, Artists, Civic, Corporate and Philanthropic Leaders recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Professor Roy Burdon, winner of the 2007 trophy Professor Dr Gerhard Ertl HonFRSE was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007.

Dr Adam Neville CBE has been awarded the Gold Medal of the Concrete Society and LEGACIES was elected as Honorary Member of the Brazilian Concrete Institute. .This form of giving makes an extremely valuable contribution to the resources available to registered charities, as well FELLOWS DECEASED as having tax benefits for the donor’s It is with much regret that we record the deaths of the following Fellows: estate. Any Fellow interested in discussing, in confidence, how a legacy Sir John (Harrison) BURNETT Professor Ralston Andrew LAWRIE might contribute further to the life of Professor Heather May DICK Professor Joseph Alan ROPER the Society and its public-benefit activities, is invited to contact the Chief Professor Henry John EVANS Professor Raymond John SCOTHORNE Executive, Dr William Duncan, Sir Abraham GOLDBERG Professor Timothy L S SPRIGGE [email protected] or RSE Treasurer, Edward Cunningham, Professor Richard Milne HOGG Colin Edward THOMPSON [email protected]

15 The View from Space

Around 100 astronauts and The Lecture clearly illustrated, however, that cosmonauts (fliers) spent a week in they are not just gazing out of the spacecraft Scotland in September 2007 for the in rapt admiration. In fact, for as long as Association of Space Explorers (ASE) Space travel has existed, astronauts and twentieth Planetary Congress hosted by cosmonauts have been monitoring changes Careers Scotland. It was the first time in the Earth that can only observed from their this major event has been held in the vantage point high above. They have been UK and was a result of Careers able to record how the earth has changed Scotland’s relationship with NASA and over the 50 years of space flight and, for the international space community. instance, the effects that natural and human impacts have had on climate change. The During the week, two of the talks went on to illustrate the vital role that cosmonauts and one astronaut were space research has and is playing in invited to deliver the first 2007/08 addressing some of these issues. Edinburgh Lecture, which was presented by the Royal Society of The talk ended with a warning: the Edinburgh in association with the observation from Space is on-going, but it is Edinburgh Lectures Partnership. more important that what is revealed is acted upon, in order to solve some of the problems occurring now. The three speakers, Viktor Savinykh, Dr Jay Apt and Vasilyevic Avdeev, gave A summary of the Lecture is available on the fascinating insights into their RSE web site at www.royalsoced.org.uk/ experiences and it was comforting events/recent.htm that even though for them, Space may have involved mostly a routine of detailed experiments and complex technological and engineering tasks, these hard-bitten space farers never lost the sense of magic about where they actually were. Avdeev revealed that when new cosmonauts on their first trip are asked what they would Under the banner Changing change about life aboard a Space Landscapes; Changing Planet, the Station, their almost universal answer sixteenth series of The Edinburgh is “More windows!” Lectures is exploring issues about our universe, our heritage, our society and how it is changing. Nine of Edinburgh’s key organisations are working in partnership to bring together this series, which takes place in Edinburgh between September 2007 and March 2008 (see www.edinburghlectures.org). Viktor Savinykh (right) with Alexei Leonov, the first man to walk in Space on March 18 It was appropriate that the Lecture 1965, pictured at the Society attending a series started with a view of our planet dinner after the Lecture. The portrait, by Sir from the unique perspective of Space - Henry Raeburn, is of John Robison, the first a ‘Gods eye’ view of the planet we General Secretary of the Society who helped inhabit. to reorganise the Russian Imperial Fleet in 1770, on the orders of Catherine the Great.

COPY ADDRESS INFORMATION Please send any copy to Jenny Liddell at 22-26 GEORGE STREET website: www.royalsoced.org.uk the Society - EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND www.rsescotlandfoundation.org.uk [email protected] EH2 2PQ e-mail: [email protected] Any opinions expressed in this Tel: 0131 240 5000 ReSourcE : ISSN No 1473-7841 newsletter are not necessarily those of Fax: 0131 240 5024 replaces RSE News all RSE Fellows events ticketline: 0131 240 2780