Alert Newsletter 697

Posted: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 under Alert Newsletter

On this page:

1. Talking Heads series 2011: “Inside Out: the chemistry of food, sex and ageing”, Kim Hill discusses with scientists how chemistry underpins our everyday lives

“An Evening of Chemistry”, Christchurch event tonight – 1 December – join us for Christchurch’s grand finale of the International Year of Chemistry, to hear a lecture by Professor Joe Schwarcz, popular Canadian science author, followed by Kim Hill discussing with chemists some of life’s complex questions. There will be a short break between the two sessions for a light supper.

  • 6-8.30pm, Jack Mann Auditorium, Dovedale Campus, Solway Ave, University of Canterbury, tickets cost $10 and include a light supper. Book online or turn up tonight and pay cash.

Panel discussion, Auckland – 8 December - Kim Hill in conversation with Professor Kate McGrath, Director of MacDiarmid Centre; Dr Maurice Curtis, Deputy Director of the Human Brain Bank at The University of Auckland; and Professor Wayne Cutfield, Director of the Liggins Institute.

  • 6pm, The Auditorium, Auckland Museum. The main theatre is full, however tickets can be booked for an overflow room to watch the discussion on video.

The 2011 Talking Heads series is produced by the Royal Society of New Zealand in association with Radio New Zealand. These interviews are being recorded by Radio New Zealand for broadcast, so latecomers will not be admitted.

2. Special offers to members of the Royal Society of New Zealand – Journals, ‘Kakapo’ book, 2012 calendar

We are delighted to offer members of the Royal Society of New Zealand the opportunity to purchase a colourful desk calendar for 2012, to also buy the book  ‘Kakapo’ (at a great discounted price), or to take up an individual subscription to the Royal Society of New Zealand Journals.

Member subscriptions for 2012 are now available for the Royal Society of New Zealand science journals. Prices for 2012 subscriptions remain unchanged from 2011. See details and subscribe online on our journal subscription page.

We are also offering members the opportunity to purchase copies of ‘Kakapo – Rescued from the Brink of Extinction’, written by broadcaster and zoologist Alison Ballance, the winner of the 2011 Royal Society of New Zealand Science Book Prize, for just $40 (20% discount on the RRP). Also on offer are copies of our colourful Royal Society of New Zealand 2012 desk calendar for just $15. Members can take up these offers at www.royalsociety.org.nz/membership/xmas-offers/

To find out more about these offers or to become a member, please contact the Society’s Membership Support Officer, Tracy Farr, on membership@royalsociety.org.nz, or phone 04-470-5759.

3. Royal Society of New Zealand paper on land use competition released

The Royal Society of New Zealand has just released a paper on land use competition, which is available on the website at www.royalsociety.org.nz/publications/policy/2011/land-use/

The paper aims to inform by highlighting changes in land use in rural and urban land areas and the role that land use planning could play in helping resolve conflicts over land resources, by integrating policies, processes and implementation guidelines at a national, regional and local level. Contributors to the paper include a range of experts from across the New Zealand research community.

The Society will also be organising a workshop on the issue on 12 December in Auckland to carry on the discussions for invited researchers and policy-makers in this area.

4. $30,000 inaugural Primary Science Teacher Fellowship Alumni Award winner announced

Eastern Hutt School in Lower Hutt is now $20,000 financially better off thanks to a highly effective teacher who is taking the school’s science programme to new levels. Kerry Harrison has won the inaugural Primary Science Teacher Fellowship Alumni Award valued at $30,000, two-thirds of which goes directly to her school to further enhance science education within the school.

Kerry was a Primary Science Teacher Fellow in the first half of 2010, based at NIWA in Wellington gaining hands-on experience.

Joanna Leaman from the Royal Society of New Zealand which administers the award says: “Since returning to Eastern Hutt School in July 2010 Kerry has greatly enhanced science teaching by not only leading the professional development of other teachers in her school in science, but also helping other Wellington teachers with their science teaching. Kerry has also developed an engaging science programme for the students which has been really well received.”

The Primary Science Teacher Fellowship Alumni Award is open to ex-Primary Science Teacher Fellows who have returned to their schools and made a significant difference in the wider school science programme.

5. Former Society President wins New Zealand’s premier engineering award

Neville Jordan has been awarded New Zealand’s top engineering award, the William Pickering Award for Engineering Leadership. This award recognises an engineer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and is a role model for other engineers.

Over the last 35 years Neville Jordan has played a pivotal leadership role in developing New Zealand’s innovation-based economy.  Earlier in his career he was a pioneering engineering entrepreneur who personally developed a telecommunications microwave business from scratch, achieving revenues of more than $100 million per annum, exporting to over 60 countries. Subsequently he was a leader in developing the venture capital sector in New Zealand. As President of the Royal Society of New Zealand from 2006 to 2009 he led significant and innovative reforms.

He was presented with the award at the IPENZ New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards, held in Wellington on 30 November.

6. FUSIONZ website for science, technology, humanities jobs

This week, Fusionz has 2 vacancies for jobs. The latest jobs are:

  • Chief Executive: Cawthron Institute, Nelson
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow: The University of Auckland

For more information and to list your vacancy – http://fusionz.royalsociety.org.nz/

7. Public Forum on the 1st International Marine Conservation Think Tank, 5 December 2011, 2-5pm, Auckland Museum Auditorium, Auckland Domain

This public event will showcase the results of the 1st International Marine Conservation Think Tank. Speakers will highlight key results from the 10 marine conservation workshops that are taking place from 2-4 December at The University of Auckland.

Workshops have prioritised key issues on topics ranging from Antarctic ecosystems to impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on deep sea corals, to management of marine protected areas that range from ‘Big Ocean’ areas encompassing hundreds of kms to small-scale community-managed areas.

Ten brief presentations will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Chris Howe of WWF New Zealand. For more information…

8. ‘Sustainability by design – breaking the silos’, conference, 27-30 November 2012 Auckland, call for papers

This conference is about design – urban design, building design, infrastructure design – and, not least, about systems, product and technology design. It’s about mobility and resources, and the liveability of cities of the future. The overarching theme of this 5th international conference will be Sustainability in 2060. How did we get there?

In addition to a line-up of keynote speakers, academic research and best practice papers, this conference will be offering something unique through a series of design symposia. The feature of the 2012 conference will be a Design and Innovation Forum within the conference.

The Call for Papers is now open. Papers should be based on the three themes of mobility, resources and liveability. Abstracts are due by 10 April. For further details see www.thesustainabilitysociety.org.nz/

9. 2013 Japan Prize, eligible fields announced

The fields eligible for the 2013 Japan Prize are – Areas of Physics, Chemistry and Engineering: “Materials, Production”; and Areas of Life Science, Agriculture and Medicine: “Biological Production, Biological Environment”.

The fields eligible for the Japan Prize for three years up to 2015 have been also announced. For details, see www.japanprize.jp/en/prize_fields.html.

The Japan Prize Foundation awards the Japan Prize to people from throughout the world who have produced creative breakthroughs in science and technology, substantially contributing to the progress of science and technology and significantly advancing the cause of world peace and prosperity.

10. Our Changing World, Thursday 9.00 pm, Radio New Zealand National

Alison Ballance, Veronika Meduna and Ruth Beran http://radionz.co.nz/ourchangingworld email ourchangingworld@radionz.co.nz Tel (04) 474 1910.

Molecular biologists at Waikato University have reconstructed a billion-year-old enzyme, opening a window on an ancient world. Veronika Meduna meets Vic Arcus and Jo Hobbs to find out how they did it and what this complex protein can tell us about evolution.

Luitgard Schwendenmann and Neil Mitchell from the School of Environment at the University of Auckland tell Alison Ballance why they believe urban trees and native forests are undervalued when it comes to their role in carbon storage.

Fungal pathologist Margaret Dick and entomologist John Bain are the ‘go to’ people when it comes to identifying forest disease and insects outbreaks, as Alison Ballance discovers when she visits the forest health collections at Scion.

Auckland Bioengineering Institute’s Iain Anderson and Thomas McKay explain to Ruth Beran how they are using artificial muscles to create rotary motion, store electricity, and also to provide an alternative to conventional diodes.

Shorter science, health and environment features also air during Afternoons with Jim Mora at 3.35 p.m., Monday to Thursday. The programme is repeated at 1.10 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

You can download a podcast or listen to streaming audio of programmes you’ve missed in the complete programme archive at: http://radionz.co.nz/ourchangingworld

11. Follow the Royal Society of New Zealand on Facebook and Twitter

Get timely updates from the Royal Society of New Zealand team via our Facebook and Twitter channels.

 
Colour Strip