The Mind of a bee!See Professor Lars Chittka's talk for the society "The Mind of the Bee" from January 2021. Bees have a diverse instinctual repertoire that allows the functioning of the beehive like a smoothly oiled factory, with different workers specialising in comb construction, climate control system, defence and foraging for nectar and pollen. However, the richness of bees’ instincts has traditionally been contrasted with the notion that bees’ small brains allow little behavioural flexibility and learning behaviour.
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The Origins of GenocideWhen he receives an invitation to deliver a lecture in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, international lawyer Philippe Sands begins a journey on the trail of his family’s secret history. In doing so, he uncovers a series of unlikely coincidences that lead him halfway across the world, to the origins of modern international law, in the 1945 ‘moment’ and at the Nuremberg trial. ‘East West Street’: on the origins of genocide and crimes against humanity, on the individual and the group. See Prof Philippe Sands lecture for the Royal Phil.
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SOCIETY INAUGURATION0n the 5th November 1802, three Glaswegian gentlemen, John Roberton, William Douglas, and Peter Nicholson, acting on behalf of a number of others in the city who were ‘interested in the prosperity of the Trades and Manufactures of their country’, and anxious for ‘the improvement of the Arts and Sciences’ ...
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Our New HomeWe are really excited to be moving into our new home (as soon as conditions allow) in the brand new James McCune Smith lecture theatre, part of the new development at Glasgow University. There we will have the latest facilities for our talks and social activities.
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Members' trip to YorkIn March 2022, there was a very successful three day trip to York which was packed with interesting and informative visits and talks. The trip also provided an opportunity to meet with a similar organisation to ours, this being the Yorkshire Philosophical Society (YPS).
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Why high blood pressure is the world’s number 1 killer
Prof Rhian Touyz
Professor Rhian M. Touyz is Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec. Prof. Touyz is recognized internationally as an…
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British Academy Lecture: Fair work for our future?
Prof Patricia Findlay
Delivered by the most outstanding academics in the UK and beyond, the British Academy’s flagship lecture programme showcases the very best scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. The quality…
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Scotland can prosper post-pandemic – the proof is in the Highlands.
Prof Lorne Crerar
The establishment of Highlands and Islands Development Board in 1965 was at the time a unique experiment to improve economic and social conditions for the people of the Highlands and…
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Diversity and its Reversals: reflections on half a century of change
Prof Sally Mapstone FRSE
Professor Sally Mapstone joined the University of St Andrews as Principal and Vice-Chancellor in September 2016. She had previously served since 2009 as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Personnel and Equality and since…
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The Thoughts the Civilized Keep: How to Reclaim Human Intelligence in an Age of Machine Thinking
Prof Shannon Vallor
Professor Shannon Vallor I am the Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh's Edinburgh Futures Institute, where I am also appointed…
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An enduring art – Opera in Scotland
Alex Reedijk
Register for live lecture here Alex Reedijk joined Scottish Opera as General Director in February 2006, following four years at the helm of the NBR New Zealand Opera. Prior to…