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Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 2020 Volume 153 Part 1 Numbers 477 & 478 “... for the encouragement of studies and investigations in Science Art Literature and Philosophy ...” THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES OFFICE BEARERS FOR 2020 Patron Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC Governor of New South Wales President Em. Professor Ian Sloan AO FRSN PhD (UCL) FAA Vice-Presidents Em. Professor D Brynn Hibbert AM FRSN PhD (Lond) CCheM FRSC FRACI Dr Susan Pond AM FRSN DSc (UQ) FRACP FTSE FAHMS FAICD Ms Judith Wheeldon AM FRSN BS (Wis) MEd (Syd) FACE Hon. Secretary (Ed.) Em. Professor Robert Marks FRSN MEngSci PhD (Stan) FRSA Hon. Secretary(Gen) Mr Bruce RaMage MRSN Hon. Treasurer Mr Richard WilMott MRSN Hon. Librarian Mr John Hardie FRSN FHEA FGS MACE Hon. WebMaster Em. Professor Lindsay Botten FRSN PhD (Tas) FOSA FAIP FAusMS Councillors Mr Ian Bryce MRSN Em. Professor Robert Clancy AM FRSN PhD (Mon) FRACP FRCPSC The Honorable Virginia Judge FRSN Mr Stuart Midgley MRSN Em. Professor Bruce Milthorpe FRSN BA PhD (ANU) Grad Dip Ed Ms Nyrie PalMer MRSN Em Professor Christina Slade FRSN BA PhD (ANU) Grad Dip Ed Adjunct Professor Robert Whittaker AM FRSN FAIB Hunter Branch Secretary Em. Professor Eugenie Lumbers AM DistFRSN MBBS MD DSci Southern Highlands Branch Rep. Ms Anne Wood FRSN Executive Office The Association Specialists EDITORIAL BOARD Em. Prof. Robert Marks FRSN FRSA MEngSci ResCert MS PhD (Stan) – Hon. Editor Prof. Richard Banati FRSN MD PhD Prof. Michael Burton FRSN MA MMaths (Cantab) PhD (Edinb) FASA FAIP Dr. Jessica Milner Davis FRSN PhD (UNSW) Dr Len Fisher OAM FRSN BA BSc(Hns) MA MSc PhD (UNSW) FRSC FRACI FInstP FLS Dr Donald Hector AM FRSN BE(CheM) PhD (Syd) FICheME FIEAust FAICD Em. Prof. David Brynn Hibbert AM FRSN PhD (Lond) CCheM FRSC FRACI Dr Nick LoMb BSc (Syd) PhD (Syd) FASA FRSA Prof. TiMothy Schmidt FRSN BSc (Syd) PhD (Cantab) Website: http://www.royalsoc.org.au The Society traces its origin to the Philosophical Society of Australasia founded in Sydney in 1821. The Society exists for “the encouragement of studies and investigations in Science Art Literature and Philosophy”: publishing results of scientific investigations in its Journal and Proceedings; conducting Monthly Meetings; awarding prizes and Medals; and by liaising with other learned societies within Australia and internationally. MeMbership is open to any person whose application is acceptable to the Society. Subscriptions for the Journal are also accepted. The Society welcoMes, froM Members and non- members, manuscripts of research and review articles in all branches of science, art, literature and philosophy for publication in the Journal and Proceedings. 2 Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 153, part 1, 2020, pp. 1–3. ISSN 0035-9173/20/010001-03 Editorial: The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics Robert E. Marks his issue has been produced during performance by her on the same occasion of Tthe pandemic. Although it is mainly Bach’s Solo Violin Partita No. 1 in G minor a record of the Four Academies Forum, BWV 1001. This is a departure for theJournal , of last November, it also contains other although not the first article on music.3 papers — not least a timely paper by Graham Although memories of the smoke and Bell FRSN outlining a test for changes in haze have faded with winter and the pan- taste (and smell) that might be evidence of demic, the fires last summer were horrific, infection by COVID-19. This test, although lasting almost six months on the back of not definitive, can be performed at home, a fierce drought.4 I was aware of Stephen and might lead to further, more rigorous J. Pyne, at Arizona State University, the testing for any possible infection.1 doyen of writers on bushfires and wild In late June2, the Society held its Annual fires. He has written several books on such Dinner, via Zoom. Four of us gathered chez fires in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere.5 moi to have dinner and watch proceedings. In particular, thirty years ago he wrote a Brian Schmidt DistFRSN, introduced by book specifically on the history of bushfires the Governor, our Patron, Margaret Bea- in Australia, Burning Bush (1991). I had the zley, spoke on “Evidence and education in idea of approaching him to commission a a post-truth and post-COVID world.” The paper which might build on the 1991 book, Governor’s learned introduction, followed in the light of last summer’s fires. He was by Professor Schmidt’s address, are both very receptive to my invitation, being on published here. the point of publishing an op-ed piece on There is also a paper by David Hush the topic in the Guardian.6 More of a reflec- FRSN, presented on the occasion of the tion on past and future fires, the paper here world premiere performance, on 27 Febru- introduces the notion of the Pyrocene era, ary 2020 at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, of his Partita for Solo Violin, in the tradition of J. S. Bach and others. This piece 3 See, for instance, David Hush. Reflections on Mozart. Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of was commissioned by the Royal Society, a New South Wales 151: 209–212, 2018. first. As well as a discussion of the history 4 A weekend house of mine in the Blue Mountains of solo sonatas for violin, the paper includes was utterly destroyed four days before Christmas. The hyper-text links to recordings of this perfor- ashes of Olivia Newton-John’s father, Brinley (1914– mance by Anna Da Silva Chen, as well as a 1992), are (still) buried on the property. 5 Sadly, my copies were incinerated last December. It’s Kindle from now on for me. 1 Graham tells me that a pre-pub version of the paper has led to an invitation from the Japanese 6 Stephen J. Pyne, “The Australian fires are a har- Association for Smell and Taste Science (JASTS) for binger of things to come. Don’t ignore their warning, their virtual conference in October. The Guardian, 7 January 2020. https://www.theguard ian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/07/australia-fires- 2 June 27th, the 199th birthday of the Society. warning 1 Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales Marks — The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics affecting not just Australia (although espe- on the counter-intuitive lack of stability of cially affecting Australia) but also Califor- large complex eco-systems; Eugene Wigner nia, the Mediterranean, to begin with, and (1902–1995) had proved this for systems in then, one by one, increasingly flammable physics. But Wigner (1960) had remarked regions across the globe. Incidentally, I was on the “unreasonable effectiveness of math- not alone in thinking of Steve Pyne: an old ematics” in the natural sciences: “The mira- friend of mine, Henry Rosenbloom, pub- cle of the appropriateness of the language lisher of Scribe Books in Melbourne, also of mathematics for the formulation of the approached him. The result of some hard laws of physics is a wonderful gift which we work across the Pacific is The Still-Burning neither understand nor deserve.” Bob May Bush (2020). was one of the first to show that mathemat- Another departure for the Journal was ics also serves this role in the biological and the last issue, Volume 152, Number 3, March ecological sciences. 2020. This venture, between the Royal Soci- As for the Forum, it has stood out for ety and the Australian and New Zealand me as demanding the most work of any of Associations of von Humboldt Fellows, the four Forums I’ve edited. Of the sixteen includes papers from their 2019 Biennial presentations on the day, over six months Symposium at Macquarie University. David later I have received only eight final papers. Black FRSN was the mid-wife to the venture. Yes, the corona virus has disrupted work It is on-line only. Given the topic of the 2017 patterns, but none of the recalcitrants Forum7 and Brian Schmidt’s address here, mentioned the pandemic as a reason for of special interest is the piece by Dietmar their lack of response, if indeed they gave Höttecke.8 any. Since I see the Journal as a publication Sadly, one of our Distinguished Fellows, of record of the Society’s activities, I here Lord Robert May of Oxford, died earlier this publish lightly edited the transcripts of the year. Len Fisher FRSN, his old friend, has eight presentations, the papers for which written an obituary. Lord May’s prolific work are missing in action. The other eight papers in physics, biology, and ecology included a are present. development that is very timely during the There have been some changes to the pandemic: he and co-authors derived the Editorial Board. Following the appoint- reproductive ratio for pandemics (an indica- ment of Len Fisher FRSN last year, this year tion of the speed of spread of the infection), Jessica Milner Davis FRSN has joined the which we have heard much about recently. Board, and we thank the departing Michael As the obituary notes, the May-Wigner theo- Lake for long service to the Journal, first as rem derives from theoretical work of May’s Editor, and then as Editorial Board member, for over twelve years. Thank you to Jason Antony, as always. I also thank John Spence 7 “The Future of Reason in a Post-Truth World,” FRS for the epigraph from Eugene Wigner Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 151: 22–105, 2018.

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