Kavli Royal SocietyInternationalCentre insidescience Autumn 2011 The Societyannouncesthewinners ofits The Society’s secondhomeisopenfor Achieving excellence business andinspiringnew ideas 2011 medals,awards andprizes

Fundraising news Throughout its history, gifts from Fellows and friends have helped the Royal Society to maintain a degree of financial independence and react quickly to immediate challenges. From its earliest legacy gift of £400 from John Wilkins in 1675, to the success of the £100 million 350th Anniversary Campaign, gifts and legacies from Fellows and friends have built the Society’s endowment and helped maintain its independence. Many of the Message from the Society’s core activities such as prize lectures, discussion meetings, independent policy advice, prizes and research grants would not have been Executive Director possible without such gifts. Your support will help maintain the Society’s outstanding work and allow future generations of scientists to make their own The Society marks its anniversary each year on Anniversary Day history at the Royal Society. in November and this is a good opportunity to reflect on the year’s achievements. It is also when the Society formally recognises the For more information about regular giving to the contribution of excellent scientists, several of whom tell us about Society or remembering us in your will, please the importance of these awards in this issue. contact Alison Pemberton on 020 7451 2666 or email [email protected] Our Charter says that the Society should work towards “extending the boundaries of the arts and sciences” with the result that “such studies may shine conspicuously You can also make a gift online at among the people”. This was true at the Society’s inception, and today it is royalsociety.org/support-us especially evident in the Summer Science Exhibition which shares the scientific endeavour with wide audiences, inspiring them in a broad range of sciences. This year’s exhibition was a great success, with record numbers coming through the Royal Society’s doors. Did you know?

The public has an important role to play in science, something which is being Research published in Proceedings of the Royal explored in a new study from the Society’s Science Policy Centre. Science as a Society B shows that soldiers wearing armour in Public Enterprise, launched earlier this year and will tackle the important question the middle ages used more than twice as much of how, and by whom, scientific data should be accessed in the future. energy as their peers who went without heavy protection. The new research is the first clear In this issue, we also hear from more of our early-career stage researchers who experimental evidence that wearing medieval share their experiences about the impact of the Society’s funding schemes on armour may have limited a soldier’s performance, their careers. Ranging from fellowships promoting international collaboration to and could help historians better understand the the more recently established Education Research Fellowships, which support outcomes of crucial medieval European battles evidence-based education research in STEM (science, technology, engineering such as the Battle of Agincourt. and mathematics), these funding schemes are enabling young researchers to become leaders in their fields. The research team included academics from the Universities of Leeds, Milan and Auckland along Whilst the Society’s anniversary provides a time for reflection, it also offers the with experts from the Royal Armouries in Leeds. opportunity to look towards the challenges that lie ahead. The Society’s strategic Researchers worked with highly skilled fight review will be reaching a conclusion over the next few months and will offer a fresh interpreters from the Royal Armouries Museum, perspective on the Society’s goals for the coming years; I look forward to sharing who wore exact replicas of four more information about this with you in future issues of Inside Science. different types of European armour. They undertook a range of walking and running exercises, during which their oxygen usage and breathing patterns were measured, providing researchers with a picture of Dr Julie Maxton, Executive Director how much energy was being used by the participants.

2 Inside Science – Autumn 2011 Supporting education research Education Research Fellowships support evidence- based education research in STEM (science, technology, Education Research Fellow Dr Ian Jones, engineering and mathematics) from Loughborough University

With support from the Ogden Trust, the Worshipful Education Committee, and have attended Advisory Committee Company of Actuaries and the Shuttleworth Foundation, on Mathematics Education (ACME) events focused on GCSEs the Royal Society provides outstanding early-career education and assessment. Recently, I was involved in a two day seminar researchers with the opportunity to become leaders in their on the relationship between education research, policy and field. The aim is to develop and support robust, evidence- practice organised by the Society. I have also been invited based research that can inform national education policy and to join the Society’s ‘Vision’ Committee for Science and practice, and to this end, the current Education Research Mathematics Education 5-19 which will analyse the current Fellows have close links with the Society’s Education Team. landscape and make recommendations for future directions. Dr Ian Jones, from Loughborough University, was one of the These opportunities have immeasurably enhanced my current inaugural recipients of the Fellowship in 2009: research as well as my future career prospects beyond the “My research project is called ‘Reducing the mismatch duration of the fellowship.” between intentions and outcomes in GCSE mathematics’. A recent award holder, Dr Judith Hillier from Oxford University, It is widely acknowledged that GCSE exams are poor at has a project entitled ‘Developing an explanatory framework assessing higher order mathematical thinking skills, and that for key physics concepts’: this has a detrimental impact on teaching and learning in classrooms. I am investigating the reasons for the dubious “I am really excited and grateful for this fantastic opportunity validity of current exams, and testing alternative models that to research this fascinating aspect of physics education. can help improve the situation by putting expert judgment at I know it will be of great benefit to me, not only as a physics the heart of mathematics assessment. educator, but also in helping to establish my research career in this field.” My award runs until 2014 and it enables my current research and provides invaluable further opportunities. Each year, Find out more at royalsociety.org/education I present my findings to the Royal Society’s influential

A voyage around the brain Almost 2,000 students aged 14-19 visited the Society for this year’s Summer Science Exhibition and many attended the schools show to learn about the amazing capabilities of the brain. There, they made model brains from plasticine and learnt about brain function by investigating the sensory abilities of their skin. They also explored their own hearing thresholds and tested their short term memory. The show was led by Dr Holly Bridge, a Royal Society University Research Fellow from the , whose research looks at how visual information is processed in the brain:

“It was a great honour to be asked to give the schools show this year and trying to create a show to keep up to 100 teenagers at a time engaged gave me lots to think about. However, watching the students enthusiastically (and generally noisily!) participate in the show was incredibly rewarding. Additionally, the silence that descended on the room as I presented different types of brain damage was very powerful. It was a great experience and I have already planned to give similar talks elsewhere in the autumn.”

A webcast of the show can be watched at royalsociety.org/events/human-brain

Inside Science – Autumn 2011 3 Growing ideas

The Society’s second home in North Buckinghamshire has been inspiring collaboration and new ideas during its first year of operation

Since opening in June 2010, The Kavli outlines some of the reasons for the Royal Society International Centre has venue’s success: been establishing a reputation as a “With the help of The Kavli Foundation, home for innovative thought. Positioned we have been able to provide an within eighty acres of grounds which atmosphere conducive to constructive include formal gardens and a lake, discussions around important the Centre provides a unique space scientific developments, and to assist for academic reflection and discussion. in formulating solutions to multi- Furthermore, the range of lecture disciplinary problems. theatres, meeting rooms and facilities meeting rooms to large lecture rooms make it a choice conferencing venue for The Kavli Royal Society International for up to one hundred participants and a wide variety of audiences. Centre provides superb facilities for we of course provide delicious onsite a multitude of future events and is Sir Peter Knight FRS, who took up catering.“ available for meetings and workshops post as the Centre’s Principal from any part of the academic and The Centre hosts part of the Society’s in October 2010, scientific community. scientific programme including Royal Society Theo Murphy international We offer a number of flexible scientific meetings and satellite meetings event spaces, from (which follow Discussion Meetings at intimate the Society’s London premises). Over 900 attendees have already participated in the Society’s meetings there so far, with several giving testimonials to the quality of events held there.

4 Inside Science – Autumn 2011 Profile of an Editor

Professor David Glover FRS

Royal Society Publishing officially launched Open Biology will fill a hole in the Society’s a new journal Open Biology in April 2011. extensive publishing portfolio which ranges Here, the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Professor from Philosophical Transactions, the world’s David Glover FRS tells us more about the oldest scientific periodical, to this new journal Society’s venture into open access publishing using the open access publishing strategy. and his plans for the journals future. I am encouraged to take on this challenge The organiser of a recent meeting because of the tremendous resource that explained: What is your area of research? the Society has in its Fellowship and in the “The lovely house and grounds do a My work over the past 25 or so years has Research Fellows that it supports financially. great job of extracting people from focused upon gaining an understanding of I know I can count on them to provide the their daily duties to focus on the how cells progress through the mitotic and support that this venture needs and to topic of the meeting. Being able to meiotic division cycles. We’ve mainly used encourage the international community assemble a smaller group of people Drosophila as an experimental organism and to use our journal. allowed for real discussions, and the in the late 1980s we were fortunate enough prestige of the Royal Society helped to discover its genes for several important What is your vision for the journal? draw in high calibre international cell cycle regulators. As the molecules we We want the journal to cover all aspects of participants.” study are highly conserved throughout biology at a molecular and cellular level. Thus, As well as hosting Society events, evolution, this has led ourselves and others we aim to cover cell biology, developmental the Centre is available to the wider to study their counterparts in man. This and structural biology, molecular biology, academic community for conferences has major medical significance since many biochemistry, neuroscience, immunology, and other events including team- of these molecules are poorly regulated in microbiology and genetics. I want the journal building away-days. Academics human tumours. There have been attempts to publish the highest quality research and and charities also benefit from to exploit this knowledge in collaboration to take full advantage of all that electronic lower rates. To find out more about with clinical scientists studying cancer and in publishing has to offer in providing links the facilities on offer there, visit translational work with the biotechnology and between the component parts of a paper and www.chicheleyhall.co.uk or pharmaceutical industry. wider resources. We’ll aim to have regular contact our conferencing team at contributions of lively scientific reviews [email protected] alongside the highest quality research in a format that is universally accessible by anyone. It’s important that we have the reputation for a review system that is both rapid and fair. Above all, I want Open Biology to be a high profile journal run by biologists What is the attraction of becoming for biologists. Open Biology’s Editor-in-Chief? I have had a long standing involvement How do I submit an article to your journal? in scientific publishing because I see First and foremost, select your best piece of communication and dissemination of our current research or write your most insightful findings as core to our activities as scientists. review and then consult our website I see a real need in our community for a high rsob.royalsocietypublishing.org profile open access journal covering a broad range of biology at the molecular and I look forward to receiving and publishing cellular level. your papers.

Inside Science – Autumn 2011 5 The Large Hadron Collider produces enough data to fill 21 DVDs every second © CERN The door to open data New Science Policy Centre report addresses the question of open data

Research and its results have an enormous impact on the recognition and the profits gained from bringing a good everyday lives of citizens. Science makes use of increasingly idea to market, there is important evidence that opening complex methods of data production and analytic models, up information can be a net positive for the UK economy especially in publicly debated areas such as climate science. as a whole. As science is changing, so is its relationship to the public. At the same time, systems of acknowledgement and reward These challenges have prompted the Royal Society’s study need to evolve to recognise scientists who share their Science as a Public Enterprise, which will examine how datasets. Scientific contributions other than the traditional scientific information can best be opened up. A high level peer-reviewed paper should also be recognised. working group convened earlier this year to consider some of Personal Information the issues with making open data work, which include: Scientists have tended to regard their data as personal Reproducibility, Re-use and Public Access property. Such views are no longer viable where research Big science projects now produce almost unimaginably large is publicly funded. A new culture of open data and sharing amounts of data. The Large Hadron Collider produces enough of research results can change the culture of intellectual data to fill 21 DVDs every second. It is also harder for scientists ownership not just in science, but for everyone dealing in to reproduce research results in the era of big science when knowledge, information and innovation. A regime of open underlying assumptions are inaccessible. More care in sharing access to scientific data does, however, pose problematic data and providing information about research methods can questions: How should we cope with the need for ensure reproducibility as a value at the heart of the scientific confidentiality and data security? How would intellectual method. Opening up data could also help a wide variety of property rights be protected? And, how should we balance actors, from business to government to members of the personal privacy against wider public benefit? public, create additional value from these untapped datasets. Collaborating on a Global Scale Costs of Opening Up Given the global nature of today’s scientific endeavour, for Opening up scientific information will require investment. open data to work, scientists from all jurisdictions will have Much of these costs will be due to the difficulty of annotating to allow their data to be shared which presents several and describing data clearly enough to allow other researchers, challenges on an international scale. and especially members of the public, to re-use them. What Earlier this year, the Science as a Public Enterprise study proportion of our research budgets should we devote issued a call for evidence to get views on these issues from to making scientific information publicly accessible? And, academia, business, industry, Government, interest groups who should pay? and members of the public. The study is being led by Competitive Pressures Professor Geoffrey Boulton FRS FRSE and a report on its Open data and data re-use promise benefits not only for findings will be published in 2012. research but also for the commercial application of scientific To keep up to date with the project visit: royalsociety.org/ data. Though it may seem that giving up the ownership policy/sape of datasets to the community could endanger scientific

6 Inside Science – Autumn 2011 Leading the path to China’s future

Royal Society award recognises growth in China’s science base

Mr Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (pictured right), was awarded the Society’s prestigious King Charles II medal at a ceremony held at the Royal Society earlier in the year.

The award was created to recognise heads of state and governments who have made extraordinary contributions to furthering scientific research in their own countries. It was made to Premier Wen in recognition of his leadership in developing an ambitious programme of national research investment, resulting in China becoming second only to the US on R&D spend and the world number two in publishing Premier Wen’s scientific papers. signature in the Royal Society’s Premier Wen has been a crucial advocate for science and visitor’s book he has demonstrated a commitment to developing China’s The President of the Society presented me with the King capacity for curiosity-driven research as well as recognising the Charles II Medal. It is not only an honour for me, but also role of science and innovation in sustainable development. a recognition of China’s advances in science and technology and a symbol of friendly co-operation between China and the On accepting his award, Premier UK in science and technology.” Wen delivered what is expected to be The Royal Society has enjoyed a rich history of intellectual, his final speech in cultural and material exchanges with China which dates Europe as China’s back to the 17th century. This extends to the present day Premier, entitled ‘The as demonstrated by China being awarded more Newton Path to China’s Future’, Fellowships than any other nation. The Society has also he said: developed a key partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with which we have held joint workshops, most “It is a great honour to recently on Synthetic Biology. attend this ceremony held for me by the Royal Society and to To find out more about the award, watch videos and read visit this prestigious institution. a transcript of the full speech, visit: royalsociety.org/news/wen-jiabao-visit Nuclear non-proliferation

In October 2011, the Royal Society launched a report arrangements have to make nuclear power more on nuclear non-proliferation and best practices for secure? And, what role does the UK have in the future managing spent nuclear fuel and waste. At a time of nuclear power and nuclear non proliferation? To when many countries are re-considering their nuclear help answer these questions, the group has gathered power programmes, this project has been investigating evidence from experts in the UK and from across the the potential security risks associated with a ‘nuclear world. Publication of the project’s findings was delayed renaissance’. to take into account the post-tsunami events in Japan.

Professor Roger Cashmore FRS has led a cross- The project was made possible thanks to financial disciplinary working group to consider: how can the support from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth nuclear fuel cycle be managed from cradle to grave? Office (FCO). The full report is available on the Royal What should be best practice based on 50 years of Society’s website. operational experience in key nuclear power countries? To find out more visit: royalsociety.org/non-proliferation What potential do new technologies and governance

Inside Science – Autumn 2011 7 Active Research Facilitating international collaboration with Newton International Fellowships

The Newton International Fellowship Originally based at the Federal University Scheme provides an opportunity for of Pelotas in Brazil, Pedro’s Newton the best early stage post-doctoral International Fellowship brought him researchers from all over the world to the Institute of Child Health (ICH) to work at UK research institutions. at University College London to work Dr Pedro Hallal carries out his research with Jonathan Wells, Professor of on the effects of physical activity Anthropology and Paediatric Nutrition: on health, inspired by an early interest “One of the main strengths of our in sport: collaboration is that we do have “Just like every Brazilian man, I wanted very similar research areas but they to be a football player. I had trials but complement each other. His focus is on didn’t pass, so I explored other ways body composition and my focus is on Dr Pedro Hallal to pursue my interest in sport and did physical activity, obviously the two are an undergraduate degree in physical very closely related. cancers and several others. The education. I followed this with a Masters effects depend on the disease and the I have also learnt how to measure body Large scale physical in epidemiology which directly connects underlying mechanisms vary, there is activity intervention composition much more accurately to in Brazil public health and physical activity.” much more we need to know. take into account variables such as body shape, bone density, body volume and However, it is important to highlight water content. I have been trained in that physical activity is good not only some very sophisticated methods and for preventing chronic disease, there have already taken this knowledge back are several other benefits, such as the to Brazil.” opportunity to make friends, improve wellbeing and decrease feelings of Given the global rise in obesity, stress. We want people to exercise research in this area is of increasing because they like to, not because they importance: see it as an obligation.” “There is a wide range of literature To encourage its population to exercise showing that the more active you more, the Brazilian Government has are, the less likely you will suffer from promoted a programme of large chronic diseases including coronary scale interventions in cities across heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some the country, encouraging residents

8 Inside Science – Autumn 2011 Farewell to exercise. Pedro discovered early in Foreign his career the importance of ensuring that key messages from the field are communicated to policy makers, as a Secretary result his work has had a direct impact on policy: Professor Lorna Casselton FRS has encouraged to exchange scientific ideas “Some may think it is not the role of the spent the past five years as the Royal with scientists in other countries. Today, Government to intervene in this area but Society’s international ambassador for that is increasingly important, science is a more physically active population gets science and collaboration in her role not constrained by national boundaries less sick, takes less medicine and spends as the Society’s Foreign Secretary and and international engagement is of more time outdoors – so there are both Vice-President. Professor Casselton has utmost importance. We facilitate health and social benefits. hosted international heads of state on international collaborations at all levels their visits to Society and represented but are aware of how important it is My work has directly influenced the the Society on boards of several to promote young scientists. We aim Ministry of Health to launch this strategy international scientific organisations. to attract the very best of these to of physical activity networks and She has actively participated in the work in the UK via our international interventions in every city in Brazil. I still Society’s capacity building programmes grant schemes and we invite the UK’s work a lot with the Ministry of Health, in Africa, highlights of which include brightest young scientists to make and would say that any country that is speaking at the opening of the Ethiopian friends and collaborate with their serious about promoting physical activity Academy of Science, the world’s counterparts in other countries in our levels has to invest in partnerships youngest national academy of science. Frontiers of Science meetings.” between scientists and policy makers.” “It has been a great privilege to On 30 November, Professor Casselton As the tenure of his Fellowship comes represent the Society all over the world. will stand down from this role that to an end, Pedro can look forward to The Royal Society has a reputation for she has greatly enjoyed. She will further funding for up to ten years to excellence in everything that it does be succeeded by Professor Martyn support networking and continued and it continues to lead by example. Poliakoff CBE FRS on the Society’s collaboration with colleagues in the UK. From its very beginning, Fellows were Anniversary Day. He plans to return to the UK next year for the launch of a five part series about physical activity in the Lancet to which he has Africa awards contributed.

Recently, Pedro also African science will benefit from an extra £3.4 million thanks to a scheme received an Investigator run by the Royal Society. The Leverhulme – Royal Society Africa Awards Award from the Wellcome have already seen £3.3 million invested in science in Africa over the Trust which he plans to use last three years. Because of its success, the Leverhulme Trust has to start a birth cohort study in 2015 now agreed to extend funding for the scheme for another three years. for all the children born in his home This next phase will provide Awards of up to £180,000 over three years town of Pelotas. He will look at the for bi-lateral collaborations between researchers in the UK and Ghana physical activities of these children and or Tanzania. Funding will cover research costs, travel and subsistence, their parents and follow this up over as well as procurement and maintenance of equipment. It will also the course of their lifetime to provide cover PhD scholarships for students based in those countries following a comprehensive case study which continued consultation with award holders. promises to be a significant milestone The scheme was launched in October 2008 and it aims to advance research of for his field. significance for the well-being of Africa and its people. One of the scheme’s The Newton International Fellowship success stories so far stems from a collaboration between researchers at the Scheme is jointly run by the British Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology in Ghana and the University Academy and the Royal Society. of Edinburgh entitled ‘Safe Drinking Water using Appropriate Technologies for It offers funding for a period of up Ghana (SADWAT-GHANA)’. The scientists are trying to produce safe drinking water to two years. Find out more at: using laterite, a soil-type rich in iron and aluminium, as a sorbent. www.newtonfellowships.org For more information visit: royalsociety.org/grants

Inside Science – Autumn 2011 9 Six days of Summer Science Record numbers visit the Royal Society’s premises in London for this year’s Summer Science Exhibition

This year’s Summer Science Exhibition may be over but here Tuesday also saw the first event of our supporting programme, are a few highlights from a week that brought over 13,000 a café scientifique about string theory with Royal Society visitors to interact with 22 cutting edge scientific exhibits and University Research Fellow Dr David Tong. There was also a an exciting programme of events that offered a new dimension popular panel discussion entitled Neuroscience of emotion, to the Society’s annual Exhibition. chaired by Professor Ray Dolan FRS.

Tuesday 5 July Wednesday 6 July Following the official opening by the Society’s President, The Rt Hon David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities Sir Paul Nurse, exhibitors prepared for their first visitors, one and Science, joined exhibitors from the National Physical of whom was His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. A regular laboratory on their exhibit Raiders of the lost amp to announce, visitor to the Exhibition, HRH enjoys meeting scientists and to gathered media, a boost in funding for UK measurement sampling the demonstrations on their stands. This year, he science. was keen to try his hand at airport security, spotting guns, This was not the only exhibit to get the attention of the press. knives and bombs in baggage x-rays with University of Amongst others, the Interactive bionic vision exhibit from the Southampton exhibitors. University of Oxford captured the imaginations of journalists with potentially life changing technology for the blind and partially sighted. Achieving excellence Annual Awards recognise the profound impact of excellent scientists

Earlier this year, the Royal Society announced the proposal to promote women in STEM, explains: Professor Dan McKenzie recipients of its 2011 Awards, Medals and Prize Lectures. “I’m honoured and really delighted by this important FRS The Awards will be made at a formal ceremony on award. I hope it will encourage the many talented young 30 November, the Society’s Anniversary Day. The chosen female scientists I have the pleasure of working with; it scientists receive these Awards in recognition of their certainly reflects the wonderful mentoring I have received achievements in a wide variety of fields of research – from great role models like Professor Uta Frith. I’m very the uniting factor is the excellence of their work and the excited about the project this award will fund, to produce profound implications their findings have had for others a series of small picture books for young children entitled working in their relevant fields and wider society. Some My Mum’s a Scientist.” Award winners tell us what the achievement has Dr Chris Lintott, winner of the Royal Society Kohn Award meant to them: Professor Francesca for excellence in his engagement with society in matters Happé Professor Dan McKenzie FRS, was awarded the 2011 of science and its societal dimension, said: “It’s a great Copley Medal for his seminal contributions to the honour to receive the Kohn award. Hopefully, it shows understanding of geological and geophysical phenomena that the hard work done by hundreds of thousands including tectonic plates: “I was surprised and delighted of people at .org in classifying , to be awarded the Copley Medal. It is very special to be discovering planets and more, is being noticed by the honoured by one’s colleagues in this way.” scientific community.”

Professor Francesca Happé, winner of the 2011 Royal For the full list of Awards visit: royalsociety.org/awards/ Society Rosalind Franklin Award for her scientific medallists/2011 Dr Chris Lintott achievements, suitability as a role model and her

10 Inside Science – Autumn 2011 Thursday 7 July Sunday 10 July Most exhibitors choose to highlight their group The final day saw the highest daily visitor numbers of with team T-shirts, but the surgeons on Trauma the week. Families were treated to a show by ex-circus surgery: the science of the bleeding obvious performer and Guinness world record holder James Soper opted for scrubs and a large ‘Billy Blood Drop’ who combined the physics of forces with circus tricks in his costume, kindly provided by the National thrilling show The real science of the circus. For those looking Blood Service, for one unlucky team member. for something a little more down to earth, a café scientifique from Dr Simon Fisher explored the difference between human Friday 8 July language and chimp communication. Science met gardening at a café scientifique as a soil scientist and a head gardener shared With that, the Summer Science Exhibition closed for another their wisdom about the little steps everyone year. Exhibitors have now returned to their day jobs, and a can take with their own plot to reduce the harmful effects well-earned rest, but you can still explore the exhibition of climate change. This was followed by a panel discussion on our website, including videos and interviews at royalsociety. Is biodiversity going the way of the dodo? where leading org/sciencelive conservationists debated the likelihood of a mass extinction Save the date: the 2012 Summer brought on by climate change. Science Exhibition will run Saturday 9 July from 3 – 8 July. The weekend at the Exhibition was all about providing something interesting for families, and how better than to offer the youngest members some messy make-and-take science? Budding scientists were able to make their own bouncy ball, while learning about polymers, and a planisphere revealing the marvels of the .

2011s best science books

Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize From a longlist of 13 books, the judges for the 2011 The six shortlisted books for the 2011 Royal Society Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books have Young People’s Book Prize have been selected by our selected a shortlist of six. shortlisting panel and form the basis for events at science centres across the Richard Holmes, Chair of the judges, said: “We judges, UK. The books are currently being both scientists and non-scientists alike, found that we read, enjoyed and judged by over were frequently exploring unfamiliar territory with these 1,000 young people in judging books, and we loved every moment of it. We encountered panels around the country. Once that special thrill of being constantly swept slightly out each panel has selected their winner, of our depth. But we quickly lost our nervousness of the results will be collated to give the subjects that were so eloquently and clearly explained, overall winner of the prize, which will be finding the experience intensely rewarding and eye- announced at a ceremony on 1 December. opening. We urge all readers to take that one step away from the shore, and dive into the thrilling and For more information about the shortlisted books, extraordinary world of science.” the prize and shortlist events please visit royalsociety.org/ awards/young-people The winner will be announced at an event on 17 November. For more information about the prize, The Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize is made longlist, shortlist and judges please visit royalsociety. possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor. org/awards/science-books

The Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books is supported by Winton Capital Management.

Inside Science – Autumn 2011 11 Discussion meetings

5-6 December 2011 16-17 January 2012 Events take place at: The Royal Society, The global nitrogen cycle Animal minds: from computation 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, Organised by Professor David Fowler to evolution SW1Y 5AG CBE FRS, Professor John Pyle FRS, Organised by Professor Nicky Clayton * These events take place at: The Kavli Professor John Raven FRS and FRS, Dr Alex Thornton and Royal Society International Centre, Professor Mark Sutton Dr Uri Grodzinski Chicheley Hall, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ 7-8 December 2011 30-31 January 2012 What would a global policy to Material efficiency: providing regulate human use of fixed material services with less nitrogen look like?* material production Rewarding Organised by Professor David Fowler Organised by Dr Julian Allwood, CBE FRS Professor Mike Ashby FRS, Professor excellence Timothy Gutowski and Dr Ernst Worrell 12-14 December 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours Principles and applications of For further details about Royal Society

visit us Knights Bachelor quantum control engineering* events, contact us: Professor Robert Edwards CBE royalsociety.org/events Organised by Professor FRS, Emeritus Professor of [email protected] John Gough, Professor Human Reproduction, Universitty Matthew James, of Cambridge. For services to Professor Hideo human reproductive biology. Mabuchi, Professor Ian Walmsley and Professor Dr Hugh Pelham FRS, Klaus Mølmer Director of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge. For services to science.

Professor Mark Welland FRS, Chief Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Defence.

Other Awards

Sir Michael Atiyah OM FRS has been appointed as Grand Officier of the French Legion d’honneur.

The Royal Society

The Royal Society is a Fellowship The Royal Society has had a hand in lectures and debates on scientific of more than 1400 outstanding in some of the most innovative issues. individuals from all areas of and life changing discoveries in Through these activities, the Society science, mathematics, engineering scientific history. It supports the ensures that its contribution to and medicine, who form a global UK’s brightest and best scientists, shaping the future of science in scientific network of the highest engineers and technologists; the UK and beyond has a deep and calibre. The Fellowship is supported influences science policy both in the enduring impact. by over 130 permanent staff with UK and internationally; facilitates responsibility for the day-to-day research collaboration with the Inside Science is designed to reflect management of the Society and best researchers outside the UK; those goals. its activities. promotes science and mathematics Editor: Jason Codrington education and engages the public

Inside Science is the corporate magazine of the Royal Society and we welcome ideas for articles from Registered charity no. 207043 our readers. Please contact us at [email protected] DES2284