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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Professor Lord Paul Bew
Why have the British never understood Ireland/Northern Ireland The British Academy LectureRegistration requiredLord Professor Paul Bew, Queens University Belfast Paul Bew is emeritus professor of politics at Queen’s University Belfast and a cross-bench peer in the House of Lords. He was chair…
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Professor Anil Seth
From beast machines to dreamachinesAnil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and author of the bestselling book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness. His research brings…
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Professor Pat Monaghan
What can birds tell us about how to age slowly?This is a change to our advertised programme as the train operators strike on 16th March has severely impacted the travel of our speaker scheduled for the 15th March and…
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Sir Philip Augar
The big end of town? Coming to terms with the CitySir Philip Augar A former banker, Philip has been commenting on the City for over twenty years. A PhD in History, he has written seven books, contributes to the Financial…
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Sally Beamish
InspirationSally Beamish was born in London. She began her career as a viola player with the Raphael Ensemble, Academy of St Martins and London Sinfonietta, before moving to Scotland in 1990…
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Lucasta Miller
John Keats: Body and SoulDr Lucasta Miller is a critic and biographer with a particular interest in finding new ways to approach literary lives. She is the author of The Bronte Myth and of L.E.L.: The Lost…