AUTUMN 2008 NEWS FROM THE ROYAL SOCIETY INSIDE SCIENCE LIFE THROUGH THE LENS Putting a spotlight on science work in Africa SMART ANSWERS TO BIG QUESTIONS The Summer Science Exhibition 2008 brought cutting-edge UK science to life © CERN UPDATE FROM THE ROYAL SOCIETY This is the second issue of the Royal Society’s new look As we prepare for our 350th Anniversary magazine, and we have been seeking your feedback in 2010, we are working to achieve five following our launch issue in June. strategic priorities: Reaction has been good, with very positive comments on the • Invest in future scientific leaders and revised lay out. We will continue to monitor your thoughts and in innovation launch a more detailed evaluation next year. • Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice In this issue we welcome two new colleagues, James Wilsdon, Director of the Royal Society’s International Science Policy Centre • Invigorate science and mathematics and Tracey Elliott, Head of International Policy. Both speak of education their excitement at joining the Royal Society as our efforts build towards our 350th Anniversary • Increase access to the best science in 2010. internationally • Inspire an interest on the joy, wonder A substantial gift to the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences in the USA has and excitement of scientific discovery enabled both organisations to establish the Raymond and Beverly Sackler USA-UK Scientific Forum – find out more about this pioneering programme of science events between the two countries. Inside Science is organised to reflect those goals The announcement of the Newton International Fellowships scheme, run by The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering and The Royal Society, aims to attract the best postdoctoral researchers to the UK. We look at the potential opportunities the £13 million scheme could deliver for the world’s top researchers. DID YOU KNOW? The world’s largest physics experiment at CERN provides students from schools in Birmingham and Cambridge with the opportunity to work with Royal Society University Research Fellow, Dr Cristina BEES GO ’OFF COLOUR’ WHEN Lazzeroni, who spoke to Inside Science from Switzerland where she is working on the project. THEY ARE sickly Bumble-bees go ‘off colour’, and can’t Six Degrees, Mark Lynas’ account of how global warming could change the planet, won the 21st remember which flowers have the most Royal Society Science Books Prize. We feature a report from the awards ceremony, where the nectar when they are feeling under the winner of the Junior Prize, chosen by children across the UK, Africa, and Asia, was also honoured. weather, according to research published We hope you enjoy this issue and please keep your feedback coming in in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. to [email protected] The study showed that, like humans who are ill, bees are often not at their most astute when they feel ill. The findings of Dr Eamonn Mallon and his team at the University of Leicester Peter Cotgreave, Director of Public Affairs showed that immune stimulated bees took longer to reach flowers that contained sugar water than their NEW PUBLISHING WEBSITE ‘healthy’ counterparts. Following extensive user testing and of audiences we cater for; authors, readers competitor analysis, Royal Society Publishing and librarians.” identified a need for a major re-design of its The revamped site boasts many enhanced website. The new site is now live, offering features, including an online forum and users a more integrated visitor experience. sophisticated search facilities. It caters Stuart Taylor, Head of Publishing, explains. better for the specific needs of users, with “The previous website suffered from a new designated areas for journals, authors, slightly confusing navigational system. In librarians, cutting-edge news and media the re-design, we paid particular attention coverage. Each journal also has its own to this aspect of the site and have tried to home page. organise it according to the various types publishing.royalsociety.org 2 Inside Science INCREASE Creative scientific work undertaken in challenging environments was the subject of our ‘Science in Africa’ photographic exhibition, and the winner, runner-up, and shortlisted entries were exhibited at our annual Summer Science Exhibition. LIFE THROUGH The winning photo (shown on the front cover of this issue), entitled simply ‘blood THE LENS films’ from Professor Mark Taylor at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, shows Cameroonian scientist Dr. Nicholas Tendongfor at work. The films detect filarial worms – part of a field trial showing that antibiotics can cure river blindness – a major problem in west and central Africa. Professor ‘Watering - witchweed control’ by James Logan – Taylor describes the photograph as “capturing part of the ‘Science in Africa’ exhibition the unique experience (and occasional The Royal Society has a long history of frustration) of doing science in Africa.” working in Africa. Many of our Fellows The runner-up, ‘watering- witchweed control’ are involved in interesting and innovative by James Logan from Rothamsted Research, work with African partners in all areas of PUTTING A shows experiments used to investigate science, and funding through grants schemes the effect of chemicals from the roots of supports collaborations between UK and SPOTLIGHT ON Desmodium plants on a parasitic witchweed, African scientists. Our work with African SCIENCE WORK which threatens the staple food of more than Science Academies continues to strengthen 100 million Africans by devastating entire these institutions’ ability to provide evidence IN AFRICA crops such as maize. based advice to governments. INSPIRING past – ASPIRING FUTURE First impressions of the Royal Society from Tracey Elliott, the new Head of International Policy “I find myself walking through the I had already worked with some of them of investment in research and skills for esteemed corridors of the Royal Society in my last post – as Head of Emerging sustainable economic development. And with a mixed feeling of awe and pride. Economies at the Government Office for perhaps the most crucial part of our work is Having joined the Society in July, I Science – so am certainly familiar with our in influencing wide-ranging policy through have been absorbing myself in this work in China, India and South Africa. I now bilateral and multilateral partnerships, so that wonderful building, steeped in history find myself reading about MP-scientist pairing the Royal Society is engaged and influential in and tradition, juxtaposed with its schemes in Uganda, environmental research global scientific debate, policy and initiatives. futuristic glass walls and state-of-the- programmes in Malaysia, and meetings I suppose I hadn’t really appreciated how art technology. But perhaps that’s the engaging all of the world’s science academies influential the Royal Society is amongst its thing about the Royal Society: it’s an in their various shapes and forms. international partners, and the leverage exhilarating mix of the inspiring past Our international policy work provides this commands. What we now need is a and the aspiring future. a testing ground for trying out different clearer strategic framework for international For obvious reasons, I have been familiarising methods of researcher networking – such as engagement in which to deploy this to myself with the Society’s international the innovative Frontiers of Science meetings. maximum effect. I very much look forward portfolio and cannot fail to be impressed by It also provides a platform for building to the challenges ahead and to working with the sheer range and variety of our work, and capacity in less developed parts of the colleagues to deliver the Society’s rightly by the enthusiasm of my new colleagues. world – and for articulating the importance ambitious aspirations.” Inside Science 3 INVEST SUPPORT FOR SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVOURS The Presidents and Officers of the Royal Society (UK) and the National Academy of Sciences (USA) Dr. Raymond Sackler and his wife, Beverly, are international philanthropists with a deep and longstanding commitment to ANNOUNCING THE RaymonD support international scientific research. AND BEVerly SACKLER USA-UK Raymond Sackler, M.D., is a SCIENTIFIC FORUM founder and Board Member of Purdue Pharma L.P., Stamford, Conn., and a founder and Board A pioneering programme of science will help the scientific leadership of the Member of NAPP Pharmaceutical events between the Royal Society in United Kingdom and the United States forge Group Limited in the UK. the UK and the National Academy of an enduring and productive partnership Individually and through their Sciences (NAS) in the USA will soon on pressing topics of worldwide scientific become a reality – thanks to a generous concern with benefit to all peoples.” foundations, Dr. Sackler and his contribution from the Raymond and wife Beverly have sponsored Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society Beverly Sackler Foundation. medical research at a number of said: “Increasing international scientific links major US academic centres. A substantial gift to each organisation will is an important goal of the Royal Society’s Internationally, the Sacklers endow the Raymond and Beverly Sackler 350th Anniversary Campaign. The Raymond have supported science and the USA-UK Scientific Forum, to be operated and Beverly Sackler USA-UK Scientific Forum jointly with the NAS. Leading scientists from will provide a marvellous ongoing connection arts at Cambridge University’s the UK and the USA inevitably meet regularly between the scientific leadership in America School of Clinical Medicine in a variety of settings and with a variety of and Britain. The Royal Society greatly and its Institute of Astronomy purposes, but the new Forum provides proper appreciates the generosity and vision of the and The British Museum (UK), resources for the acknowledged scientific Foundation in endowing this programme Leiden University’s School of leadership of both countries to convene and we look forward to working closely Medicine, the Observatory, and bespoke groups of high-level delegates.