Events
Seminars
The Vision paper series is supplemented and enhanced by a programme of 'by invitation' seminars, which aim to facilitate debate of the key issues in physics and its interaction with industry and other sectors. Some of the seminars have dealt with topics discussed in the Vision papers, but the majority have covered areas with which the audience, invited from policy-makers and opinion-formers, may not be familiar.
Seminars to date have been held on the following topics (the synopses and briefing papers for the latest can be viewed/downloaded by clicking on the relevant links):
Engineering life: The emerging field of synthetic biology
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biology)
Speakers:
Dr Philipp Holliger, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Professor Richard Kitney, Imperial College London
Dr Ruth McNally, Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics
Chaired by Professor John McCarthy, Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre
24 April 2008, at the Royal Academy of Engineering
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Presentations: McCarthy / Hollinger / Kitney / Wynne
Intelligent Robotics in Science and Society
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology and Walking with Robots)
Speakers:
Professor Noel Sharkey, University of Sheffield
Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Dave Barnes, Aberystwyth University
22 April 2008, at the House of Commons
Flyer / Invitation / Handout and Exhibitor List / News story and video
Carbon capture and storage
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biology)
Speakers:
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra
Professor Peter Styles, Keele University
Dr Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Professor Klaus Lackner, Columbia University
Chaired by Professor John Ludden, British Geological Survey
5 December 2007, at the Royal Society
Synopsis / Briefing paper
Presentations: Styles / Turley / Lackner
Climate change prediction: A robust or flawed process?
Speakers:
Professor Richard Lindzen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professor Alan Thorpe, Natural Environment Research Council
Panellists:
Professor Chris Rapley, British Antarctic Survey
Mr Piers Corbyn, WeatherAction
Chaired by Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP, The House of Commons
7 June 2007
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Science and the Environment: Solutions for mitigating pollution
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry)
Speakers:
Dr Claire Barlow, University of Cambridge
Dr Alexander Orlov, University of Cambridge
Professor Roy Harrison, University of Birmingham
Professor K. Clive Thompson, ALcontrol Laboratories
Chaired by Professor Alan Thorpe, Natural Environment Research Council
13 December 2006, at the Royal Society
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Science and health: Advancing prevention, diagnosis and treatment
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biology)
Speakers:
Professor Penny Gowland, University of Nottingham
Dr Molly Stevens, Imperial College London
Professor Paul Elliott, Imperial College London
Professor James Raftery, University of Southampton
Chaired by Professor Sir John Lilleyman, Royal Society of Medicine
29 March 2006, at the Royal Society.
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Future nuclear power: Addressing the barriers
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry)
Speakers:
Professor Bryn Bridges, University of Sussex
Professor Neil Chapman, University of Sheffield and ITC School
Professor Peter Zimmerman, King's College London
Mr Malcolm Grimston, Chatham House and Imperial College London
Chaired by Mr Graham Ward, British Energy Association
13 December 2005, at the Royal Society.
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Science and transport: Finding solutions for the future
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biology)
Speakers:
Mr Chris Wright, Future Transport Solutions
Mr Peter Sykes, SIAS Transport Planners
Professor Martin Lowson, Advanced Transport Systems Ltd
Mr John Hollis, BMW Group
Dr Alan Scragg, University of the West of England
Chaired by Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, House of Commons
15 March 2005
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Science and crime: Keeping one step ahead
(A joint seminar organised by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Biology)
Speakers:
Dr Alan Jamieson, The Forensic Institute
Mr Alan Pratt, PSDB
Dr Keith Williams, LGC
Mr Jim Fraser, Kent County Constabulary
Professor Andrew von Hirsch, University of Cambridge
Chaired by Professor Gloria Laycock, Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science
10 June 2004
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Nuclear power: Keeping the option open
(An Institute of Physics seminar, supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and sponsored by the EPSRC)
Speakers:
Mr Richard Mayson, BNFL
Mr Gordon MacKerron, NERA
Eur Ing Ann McCall, Nirex
Ms Jane Nicholson, EPSRC
Chaired by Sir Eric Ash, Hydroventuri Ltd
26 June 2003
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Nanotechnology: Planning for the future now
Speakers:
Professor Mark Welland, University of Cambridge
Professor John Ryan, University of Oxford
Chaired by Professor David Wallace, Loughborough University
22 May 2003
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Beyond the Large Hadron Collider
Speakers:
Professor Ken Peach, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Professor Robert Klanner, DESY
Chaired by Professor Brian Foster, University of Bristol
3 October 2002
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Fusion: The future of electricity generation
Speakers:
Dr Derek Robinson, UKAEA Culham Division
Dr Jerome Pamela, EFDA-JET
Chaired by Mr Peter Cooper, Institute of Physics
11 June 2002
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
e-Science
Speakers:
Professor Tony Hey, EPSRC
Dr Neil Geddes, PPARC
Chaired by Professor David Wallace, Loughborough University
18 March 2002
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Photonics: The future of communications
Speakers:
Professor Will Stewart, Marconi plc
Professor Philip Russell, University of Bath
Chaired by Professor Julian Jones, Heriot-Watt University
22 May 2001
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Space: Its exploration and exploitation in a modern society
Speaker:
Professor David Southwood, European Space Agency
Chaired by Professor Ian Halliday, PPARC
23 October 2001
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Climate Change: Physics for a sustainable world
Speakers:
Professor Alan Thorpe, The Met. Office
Dr Tim Foxon, Imperial College London
Chaired by Mr Peter Cooper, Institute of Physics
23 October 2000
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
New Plastics: Physics in 21st century polymer science
Speakers:
Professor Richard Friend, University of Cambridge
Professor Tom McLeish, University of Leeds
9 May 2000
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Life Physics: Physics in 21st century biomedicine
Speakers:
Professor Wilson Poon, University of Edinburgh
Dr Tom Duke, University of Cambridge
19 October 1999
Synopsis / Briefing Paper
Quantum Information
Speakers:
Professor Artur Ekert, University of Oxford
Dr Tim Spiller, Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
22 April 1999
Synopsis
Physics in the City
Speakers:
Dr Jessica James, The First National Bank of Chicago
Dr Riccardo Rebonato, Barclays Capital Group
12 October 1998
Synopsis
To ensure that the information in the seminars reaches as wide an audience as possible, briefing papers centred around the physics discussed at the seminars are prepared for the seminar's delegates and journalists. Distributed to members of the Association of British Science Writers, these cutting edge applications of physics then reach new audiences via feature articles and programmes that use the briefing papers as an information source.
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