Latest Events
English and Scots: Using the Past to Explain the Present
23 May 2013, 7pm, Ben Nevis Hotel, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TG
The character and distribution of the languages of present-day Britain derive from their complex histories. Professor Jeremy Smith will explore how present-day speech and writing can be used to find out how people spoke in the past, and an attempt will be made, using evidence such as place-names, to link language development to geography as well as history.
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English and Scots: Using the Past to Explain the Present
24 May 2013, 7pm, Kilchoan Learning Centre, West Highland College, Kilchoan, PH33 6FF
The character and distribution of the languages of present-day Britain derive from their complex histories. Professor Jeremy Smith explores how present-day speech and writing can be used to find out how people spoke in the past, and an attempt will be made, using evidence such as place-names, to link language development to geography as well as history.
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Franco-British Marine Energy Conference: New Waves in Marine Energy
4 June 2013, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
This two-day workshop, to be held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is being organised by the RSE in partnership with the French Embassy, in association with the SuperGen UK Centre for Marine Energy Research and with the participation of France Energies Marines. It will provide an opportunity for scientists, engineers and stakeholders to share experience, best practice and views in research, development, demonstration and deployment of arrays of tidal and wave energy converters in the UK and in France, and to generally raise awareness of French and British science.
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Feeding 9 Billion People
14 June 2013, 7pm, Ben Nevis Hotel, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TG
The human population is expected to reach 9 billion sometime around 2050. Given that even at present around 1 billion people don't have enough to eat, how can the world grow enough food to feed 9 billion? Professor Margaret Gill will illustrate the many factors which affect the availability of food and give suggestions on what each of us can do to help ensure that 9 billion people can indeed be fed.
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Scotland Rocks!
17 June 2013, 7pm, Ben Nevis Hotel, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TG
Iain Stewart examines the remarkable geological heritage of Scotland and explores how we protect this magnificent legacy and how best to communicate the importance of the rocks beneath our feet to fellow Scots. This event forms a part of the RSE@Lochaber programme.
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Vaccines to Prevent and Treat Cancer
24 June 2013, 6pm, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Virus infections are responsible for about 1 in 5 human cancers. Professor Ian Frazer of the Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, will discuss how this knowledge has been used to develop vaccines for prevention of cervical cancer, and how they have shown to be effective. Our challenge is to see them used in the developing world, where the majority of cervical cancers occur.
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Blood-curdling Stories from Scottish History
27 July 2013, 11am, Fort William Library, Airds Crossing, High Street, FORT WILLIAM, PH33 6EU
Journey back in time with best-selling author Allan Burnett to an age of magic, monsters and mayhem. Learn about Lochaber's role in the nation's dark and bloody past, and find out how you can use historical facts and legends from the Dark Ages to the Second World War to spice up your own creative writing. Warning: features rodents, lice and soppy romantic poetry.
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The Leisure Revolution
11 August 2013, 5pm, The Hub, Castehill, EDINBURGH, EH1 2NE
Festival 2013 throws light on the relationships between artists and technologies: how new developments can influence how artists work and how in turn influence technologies. This programme of talks and discussions highlights moments when changes and advances in technology enter our lives and affect them in ways we could never have predicted.
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How Art Intersects with Technology in Cinema
13 August 2013, 2.30pm, The Hub, Castlehill, EDINBURGH, EH1 2NE
Festival 2013 throws light on the relationships between artists and technologies: how new developments can influence how artists work and how in turn influence technologies. This programme of talks and discussions highlights moments when changes and advances in technology enter our lives and affect them in ways we could never have predicted.
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The Appin Murder (1752) - A Re-Trial of James of the Glen, the man convicted for the killing of Colin Campbell of Glenure, The Red Fox
3 September 2013, 7pm, Ben Nevis Hotel, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TG
Described as one of the greatest remaining murder mysteries in Scotland, the Appin murder is the subject of much speculation. The consensus is that the wrong man was convicted. This two part event will discuss the historical context of the story and, taking account of modern methods of detection and scientific forensic techniques, will re-examine the evidence using expert witnesses.
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Edinburgh 300: Cradle of Chemistry
24 October 2013, Full day conference, the Royal Society of Edinburgh
A series of events to mark the Tercentenary of the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh including a tercentenary conference in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh which will consider the rise in the public's curiosity for chemistry and an evening musical celebration of chemistry at the Assembly Rooms.
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An Evening with Dr Rowan Williams
13 November 2013, 6pm, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Dr Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and Former Archbishop of Canterbury will discuss in a relaxed manner, some of the themes of his Gifford Lecture Series which will be taking place at the University of Edinburgh from 4 November to 14 November 2013.
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Tsunami Hazard - Learning from Recent Events
20 November 2013, 6pm, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Professor David Tappin, Tsunami Scientist, University College London looks at how disastrous events of the past 10-15 years have led us to better understand tsunami hazard and how we can mitigate against it.
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Our hidden Geology and Geomorphology: Sea Bed Mapping in the 21st Century
21 November 2013, Full day conference, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
In the last few years there has been a tremendous increase in the amount of high resolution surveying on the UKCS (United Kingdom continental shelf) which is underpinning the sustainable development of the UKCS. This conference will highlight the science and understanding which is revolutionising our understanding of the seabed and shallow geology. The conference and follow-up volume will provide a showcase for this research and bring together government, academia and the commercial sector to share techniques and understanding.
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Lost at Sea? The Atlantic Salmon's Ocean Odyssey
26 November 2013, 6pm, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
The golden eagle, red deer, red squirrel, otter, harbour seal and Atlantic salmon are iconic images of Scotland's wildlife. The salmon's life cycle and migrations have fascinated mankind for generations, but now something has gone wrong. Salmon are dying at sea; reasons are unclear but rivers all around the North Atlantic have been affected. Recent research has provided fascinating new insights into why salmon are being lost. At this discussion forum we will hear from Professor Kenneth Whelan, Dr John Armstrong and Professor Christopher Todd who will focus on the challenges, new and old, faced by salmon during their ocean odyssey.
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Energy, Entropy and the Human Enterprise
2 December 2013, 6pm, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Professor Colin R McInnes FREng FRSE, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, will explore how energy has enabled us to re-arrange matter into organised structures, imprinting our ideas on the physical world. Contrary to contemporary limit-setting views, it will be argued that our ideas and enterprise can deliver a shared prosperity which can flourish into the deep future.
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The Good Friday Agreement fifteen years on - plateau or platform for consolidating peace in the European Union?
16 December 2013, 6pm, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Mary McAleese HonFRSE, Former President of Ireland, will be delivering this year's MacCormick European Lecture. The MacCormick European Lecture is named in honour of the late Professor Sir Neil MacCormick FBA FRSE, in recognition of his contribution to Scottish and European politics and his international work for the RSE.
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