The Royal Society of Edinburgh Review 2006 (Session 2004-2005) The Royal Society of Edinburgh Review 2006 Printed in Great Britain by MacKay & Inglis Limited, Glasgow, G42 0PQ ISSN 1476-4334 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH REVIEW OF THE SESSION 2004-2005 The Royal Society of Edinburgh 22-26 George Street Edinburgh, EH2 2PQ Telephone : 0131 240 5000 Fax : 0131 240 5024 email : [email protected] Scottish Charity No SC000470 Printed in Great Britain by MacKay and Inglis Ltd, Glasgow G42 0PQ Cover illustration by Aird McKinstrie. Design by Jennifer Cameron THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH REVIEW OF THE SESSION 2004-2005 PUBLISHED BY THE RSE SCOTLAND FOUNDATION ISSN 1476-4342 CONTENTS Proceedings of the Ordinary Meetings .................................... 3 Proceedings of the Statutory General Meeting ....................... 5 Trustees’ Report to 31 March 2005 ...................................... 21 Auditor’s Report and Accounts .............................................. 33 Schedule of Investments ....................................................... 53 Activities Prize Lectures ..................................................................... 57 Lectures............................................................................103 Conferences, Symposia, Workshops, Seminars and Discussion Forums ............................................................ 127 Publications ......................................................................153 The Scottish Science Advisory Committee ........................ 155 Evidence, Advice and Comment ....................................... 159 Inquiries ........................................................................... 161 Events for Young People .................................................. 163 Research and Enterprise Awards ...................................... 167 Medals, Prizes and Prize Lectureships ................................ 173 Grants Committee ........................................................... 175 International Programme .................................................177 Fellows’ Social Events .......................................................183 Grants, Sponsorship and Donations .................................... 185 Changes in Fellowship During the Session ........................... 187 Staff .................................................................................... 189 Obituary Notices.................................................................. 191 Index ................................................................................... 347 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ORDINARY MEETINGS 8 November 2004 13 June 2005 Chairman Chairman Professor John Mavor FREng FRSE. Professor John Coggins VPRSE. Formal Admission to Fellowship Lecture Professor Eleanor B Campbell, How Safe Are Vaccinations? Professor Wolfgang Mecklenbrauk- Professor Harry Burns, Director of er, Professor Cornelis J Weijer. Public Health, Greater Glasgow NHS Board. (page 121) Lecture Osteoporosis: African Genesis - 19 September 2005 European Nemesis. Professor Chairman David Purdie, Consultant, Edin- Lord Sutherland of Houndwood burgh Osteoporosis Centre. (page KT, FBA, PRSE. 103) Formal Admission to Fellowship 6 December 2004 Professor Paul William Jowitt, Chairman Professor Karen Heather Vousden. Lord Sutherland of Houndwood KT, Lecture (Presidential Address) FBA, PRSE. The Lisbon Earthquake: 250 Years Lecture On and Counting. Lord Suther- The Challenge of the Ageing land of Houndwood. (page 101) Skeleton. Professor David Ham- 3 October 2005 blen, Professor Hamish Simpson and Professor Joseph McGeough. Chairman (page 105) Lord Sutherland of Houndwood KT, FBA, PRSE. 7 March 2005 Formal Admission to Fellowship Gannochy Meeting The Very Reverend G I MacMillan. Dr Ian Underwood, FRSE, Director Lecture of Strategic Marketing, MicroEmis- Who You Are or Where You Are? sive Displays Ltd. (page 57) Social and Spatial Patterning of 4 April 2005 Health Professor Sally J Macintyre OBE FRSE, Director, MRC Social Chairman and Public Health Sciences Unit, Professor John Coggins VPRSE. University of Glasgow. (page 126) Lecture The Robot in your Head. Professor Noel Sharkey FIEE, Professor of Computer Science, EPSRC Senior Media Fellow, University of Shef- field. (page 118) 3 PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATUTORY GENERAL MEETING Minute of the Statutory General Meeting held on 10 October 2005, ending the 222nd Session The Annual Statutory Meeting General Secretary took place in the Society’s Wolf- Professor Gavin McCrone CB son Theatre on Monday 10 Treasurer October 2005 at 5.30pm. Lord Mr Edward Cunningham CBE Sutherland of Houndwood, KT, FBA, FRSE, President, took the Fellowship Secretary Chair. Professor Andrew Walker Minutes Ordinary Members Professor Ron Asher The Minutes of the Annual Mr Ewan Brown CBE Statutory Meeting held on Professor Tariq Durrani Monday 25 October 2004 were Professor Rona M MacKie CBE taken as read, approved by those Ms Shonaig Macpherson CBE Fellows present and signed by the President as a correct record. Executive Board Election of Officers and Council General Secretary for the 223rd Session. Professor Gavin McCrone CB Lord Sutherland reported that 566 Treasurer ballot forms were returned and Mr Edward Cunningham CBE examined by Sir David Carter and Curator Mr Ivor Guild, who were appoint- Professor John Howie CBE ed as Scrutineers at the Ordinary International Convener Meeting on 13 June 2005. Their Professor Rona M MacKie CBE report showed all those proposed for election as having been Programme Convener elected by an overwhelming Professor David Ingram OBE majority. Lord Sutherland con- Research Awards Convener gratulated the following elected Professor Peter Holmes CB members: Young People’s Convener Council Professor Miles Padgett President Annual Review for Fiscal Year Sir Michael Atiyah OM 2004/05 Vice-Presidents Lord Sutherland commented that, Professor Janet McDonald in addition to producing the Professor John Coggins formal Trustees’ Report and Professor John Mavor Accounts for 2004-2005 in accordance with Charity Regula- 5 Review of the Session 2004-2005 tions, an illustrated Annual which we have done and which Review of highlights of the year has been approved by Council in (with a summary financial review) its capacity as the Society’s was again produced, and this had Trustees. As with previous years, been widely circulated to all all Fellows have received an Fellows, as well as to many others illustrated Annual Review which interested in the Society. covers the fiscal year, summarises Office Bearers’ Reports for the main activities described in the Session 2004/05 Trustees Report, and includes an approved summary of Accounts. I Lord Sutherland invited Professor hope Fellows and others interest- Andrew Miller, General Secretary, ed in the Society find this version Mr Edward Cunningham, Treasur- provides a more interesting and er, and Professor Colin Bird, accessible document than the Fellowship Secretary to report: formal Trustees’ Report, although General Secretary’s Report this is freely available to any who wish to see it. Professor Miller highlighted three particular areas during his four I am delighted that at my last year term of office which he saw Annual Statutory Meeting as as strengthening the future of the General Secretary, I am able to Society. These were: the introduc- report a very productive and tion of Corporate and Business successful year; a year in which the Plans defining the Society’s Society delivered a wide range of strategy and providing a solid public benefit activities in keeping base on which to deliver and with its charitable objects and monitor progress of activities; a mission – “the advancement of more stable financial base, which learning and useful knowledge”. supports better forward planning Our Corporate Plan sets six of activities; and new and im- strategic objectives through which proved governance and staffing we aim to achieve that mission. I structures. Professor Miller then shall highlight some of the key provided the following report of activities delivered during the the Society’s activities during the Session under each of these Session: strategic objectives, but before The Session is one of two annual doing so, I should report briefly reporting cycles. The other cycle on governance issues approved at covers the fiscal year from April to last years ASM, and which are March. We are, by charity legisla- pivotal to the Society being able tion, required to produce an to deliver these activities. Annual Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the fiscal year – 6 Proceedings of the Annual Statutory Meeting This Session was the first year overseas. The Inquiry’s work will during which we operated with a continue during the coming reduced Council – from 25 to 12 Session, with a report of its Trustees; a new Executive Board, findings expected to be published chaired by myself and comprising in June 2006. the Treasurer, Committee Conven- With the input of the multi- ers and Senior Staff Managers; disciplinary Fellowship, the Society and a new Audit & Risk Commit- produced 21 authoritative tee, which replaced the Treasurer’s responses to a wide range of Committee and jointly serves both public, mainly Governmental, the Society and the RSE Scotland consultations. Amongst the Foundation. responses were: These new arrangements were - Genetics and Reproductive implemented seamlessly, and Decision-Making enabled the Society to operate in a more streamlined, progressive - Cross-Border Student Flows and way,