Newsletter Feb 2020
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FEBRUARY 2020 FoundedFounded 18221822 NEWSLETTER Yorkshire Philosophical Society Promoting the public understanding of science since 1822 The Lodge, Museum Gardens, York, YO1 7DR, tel 01904 656713 email [email protected] web www.ypsyork.org/ Notes from the Chair The 2020 lecture programme again features our two mini-series of “Astrophysics” and “Climate Change”; a timely theme which will continue into next year. In January we discovered more about Yorkshire with Dr Peter Halkon’s talk on recent research in the “Later Prehistoric Landscapes of the Yorkshire Wolds”. Details of the books he mentioned about the Arras Culture of East Yorkshire and the Parisi have been added to the news page on the YPS website. Dr Alison Laird, from the University of York, is hosting an international conference for Physicists in March at King’s Manor and she has suggested that we invite one of her colleagues to speak to the Society on March 10th, and hold her planned lecture at a later date. We are delighted that Professor Jordi Jose from UPC Barcelona has accepted our invitation and will give us his lecture entitled “Stellar Alchemy and the origin of Cosmic Hannah Andrews receiving the Charles Wellbeloved Prize Elements”. The Lecture Group is working on Photo: thanks to Peter Wheatcroft completing the 2020 programme plan and beginning work on the 2021 series. After twelve years Mr Bob Hale has resigned as Archivist and Trustee and I am sure members With this Newsletter would wish to join me in thanking Bob for his excellent service to the Society. Much of the A Day of Archaeology and Geology in Hull, 5 March content of the resources part of the YPS website is Visit to Black Sheep Brewery, 23 April Visit to Allerton Grange Waste Services Centre, 13 May thanks to his many labours on our behalf. The Notice of AGM Society’s archives are kept at the Borthwick Membership card(s) or subscription reminder as Institute at the University of York and Bob has appropriate undertaken sterling work in ensuring well curated If anything is missing, contact Frances Chambers at items are deposited here. Dr Peter Hogarth has the Lodge, 01904 656713, email: [email protected] agreed to combine the posts of Librarian and LARGE PRINT COPIES OF THE NEWSLETTER Archivist for the present. We have also started ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE LODGE Registered Charity No. 529709 An ally of the British Science Association 1 FEBRUARY 2020 discussions on “digital archiving” and would be President. An obituary is being prepared for our interested in hearing from any member with 2020 Annual Report, and in the meantime we offer expertise in this area. our sincere condolences to his family. Emily Markham, M.A. student, has a placement with Do you have skills that could help YPS? us this term under the Public Engagement with history scheme at the University of York. Emily is Thanks to Bob Hale amongst others we have a list researching early geologist Etheldred Benett who of members over the last 200 years, which could donated fossils to the Yorkshire Museum in 1831. really do with organising and retyping if anyone Look out for a display of her research results in the with secretarial skills would be willing to take on showcase in the Yorkshire Museum entrance in this task. It would not be a lengthy job but would early March. This is in celebration of International be extremely useful for future historians. Women’s Day and also to make an early scientist Other expertise that is really needed is volunteers and her connection with YPS better known. We are with financial, marketing and IT experience. Do grateful to Dr Sarah King, Science Curator at the have an informal discussion with me if you are Yorkshire Museum, for facilitating this research. interested. The YPS Bicentenary Planning Group has been set Catherine Brophy, Chair up and is meeting regularly as well as linking with partners to work with the City of York on a Lecture News potential 2022 York Festival on the theme of This year’s John and Anne Phillips Lecture will be “Makers and Shapers” of the city. Other Mapping Hawaiian Volcanoes, given by anniversaries in the year include 75 years of York Professor Kathy Cashman FRS (University of Civic Trust and 50 years of York Archaeological Bristol) in Robert Blackburn Lecture Theatre A, Trust. Dr Peter Addyman is very busy writing the University of Hull, at 3pm on Thursday March 5th. history of YAT, which we look forward to reading. It will be followed by a geological mapping Details of the AGM are included with this reception in the Map Room in the University’s newsletter. This year the AGM will be held on Cohen Building. All are welcome to both the Tuesday 9th June and members are invited to a lecture and the reception. (In the morning there reception beforehand at 6.15pm, followed by the is the opportunity for a group of members to short AGM. The lecture at 7.30pm will be by Sarah tour the archaeological section of the Hull and Maltby, Manager of the Jorvik Centre, and Ian East Riding Museum and numbers for this are Milstead, York Archaeological Trust archaeologist. limited. Please see the enclosed flyer for further They will be explaining new projects as well as details and booking form.) celebrating recent achievements. As mentioned already there are some changes York Museums Trust is holding another Romans and additions to the programme sent out with Study Day on Friday 29th May. So that more people the last newsletter in November. On 10th March can attend this year it will be held in the Tempest instead of giving us her lecture on Nuclear Anderson Lecture Theatre and details will be Astrophysics: from lab to the stars Dr Alison Laird circulated with the next newsletter. The event is will introduce her colleague Jordi Jose who is being held in memory of John Hampshire and again visiting York from Barcelona and will speak on with support from YPS. Stellar Alchemy and the Origin of Cosmic Elements. I look forward to meeting you at lectures, activities and at YPS Get-Togethers and hearing your Our lecture for York Festival of Ideas, following thoughts about the bicentenary. the AGM on 9th June, will be given by Sarah Maltby and Ian Milstead of York Archaeological Professor Michael Woolfson Trust. We have had the pleasure on past occasions of hearing Ian Milstead speaking about We were very sorry to receive the sad news of the aspects of York’s archaeology and look forward death of our former President, Professor Michael to gaining more insights into our city’s Woolfson, at the age of 92. Professor Woolfson had fascinating past. The title will be confirmed in been a member of the Society for 54 years. We the next newsletter. were honoured that in a distinguished academic career he took the time to serve on Council and then from 1985 to 1999 as the Society’s twelfth Registered Charity No. 529709 An ally of the British Science Association 2 FEBRUARY 2020 Our last lecture of the season will be From gannets crossed that we will have sufficient numbers. By to garnets: mapping the Lonely Isles by Anna Bird the time you get this newsletter, it will strictly be and Eddie Dempsey of the University of Hull and too late to book, but there may be a possibility of will be preceded by the presentation of the John taking late bookings, so if you would like to join us, and Anne Phillips Prize. The date for this has been please contact Rod Leonard via the Lodge as provisionally set for 21st July but will be confirmed quickly as possible. in the next newsletter. We are working on other interesting activities, the Finally, we are sorry that members arriving from first of which are detailed on the flyers enclosed Marygate for our lecture on 12th December found with this newsletter. If you would like to take part, the gate locked. Security is arranged so that this please return the booking forms as soon as you can. entrance can be open for all our winter lectures but To help your planning, the table below lists other on this occasion the guard was unable to attend at activities under consideration. Information will be the last minute because of illness. If you use put on the website when we have all the details, Marygate car park on lecture evenings we and flyers will be sent with future newsletters. recommend allowing time to go the long way round just in case. Date Event and Organizer ___________________________________________________ Report from the Activities Group 26 February Get-together – informal meeting in 18 March ‘House of Trembling Madness’ - We are now well into the new year. When I began 30 April Catherine Brophy to write this, the first bulbs were in flower, the sun 5 March A Day of Archaeology and Geology was shining and the birds were singing. We are in Hull - Paul Thornley now in the middle of Storm Ciara, but hopefully 23 April Visit to Black Sheep Brewery spring will return soon … (afternoon tour by coach) – The final YPS events of 2019, our Annual Dinner and Mince Pie Reception, provided a cheering end 4–7 May Cambridge & Sutton Hoo Study to the year, though in both cases the number of Tour - Rod Leonard attendees was lower than many such events in the 13 May Visit to Allerton Grange Waste past. The difficulty of attracting sufficient numbers Services Centre (by car) – Graham to our activities is causing some concern.