Fascinating Futures Programme

11:00 – 11:15am

MacLean Room RSE@ Inverness Introduction Sir Andrew Cubie FRSE

Dr Rebekah Widdowfield, Chief Executive

A brief introduction to the RSE@ Inverness programme and the

Fascinating Futures Family Day.

11:15 – 12:00pm

MacLean Room The Science of Star Trek Professor Dame Anne Glover FRS PRSE

Professor Dame Anne Glover, President of the Royal Society of

Edinburgh, will explain through the medium of Star Trek, how a

quality STEM education can provide young people with the ability

to boldly go where no man or woman has gone before. She will

describe how several sci-fi based tech gadgets, have been the

inspiration for many of the modern technologies we use today,

and demonstrate that STEM allows people to make imagination

become reality.

Chair: Sir Andrew Cubie FRSE

11:15 – 12:00pm

Chapel Room Science Ceilidh: Getting Creative & Musical

with Science Mr Lewis Hou

Come find out all about the science of music, from the physics of

instruments to the benefits of playing an instrument to your

brain! With live music and hands-on demonstrations for families

and adults, come along and maybe even try your hand at an

Orcadian Strip the Helix or Canadian Brain Dance at the end!

Introduction: Dr Rebekah Widdowfield

12:00 – 12.30pm

MacLean Room Is There a Future for Tourism? Dr Sandro Carnicelli, University of the West of Scotland

Tourism is a key human activity but issues concerning tourist

behaviour and “overtourism” are gaining significant media

attention and encouraging governments to close areas and

protect communities. This talk examines tensions in international

mobility and argues that the future of tourism needs to be just

and sustainable with greater attention to equity. This talk will

challenge our tourist-being and discuss the rights of local

communities to host. It will help us to think about how to be

better tourists not only in the future but now.

Chair: Professor Stuart Monro FRSE

12:15 – 12:45pm

Chapel Room

Scottish Stories About the Sea Dr Anuschka Miller, SAMS

Selkies are mythical Scottish creatures that are part seal and part

human. In this session selkie woman Murdina will tell old and new

stories about living below the waves.

Introduction: RSE Staff

12:30 – 1:00pm Nurses – Fiction Versus Reality Marie Cameron, University of the Highlands and Islands

In some ways Nursing has stayed the same for decades, but in

many ways it is changing rapidly, with advances in science and

technology contributing to these changes. In this talk we will look

at some of the portrayals of nursing and medicine in fiction

(including in television and films) and compare these to the

reality of Nursing in the 21st Century.

Chair: Sir Andrew Cubie FRSE

1:00 – 1:30pm

Chapel Room

Crime Squirrel Investigators: The Naughty

Nut Thief Emily Dodd – Author

Rosie’s secret hazelnut store has been ransacked and her best

friend Charlie agrees to help her to find the naughty nut thief.

Discover the different ways animals eat nuts with songs, science,

woodpecker hip-hop and a water squirting squirrel.

Suitable for age 4-7 years

Introduction: Professor Stuart Monro FRSE

1:30 – 1:45pm

MacLean Room

Food For Thought Prize Giving Lucinda Bruce–Gardyne FRSE, Genius Foods

The winners of our recent RSE Food For Thought Competition will

be presented with their prizes by Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne,

founder of Genius Foods.

Chair: Professor Dame Anne Glover FRS PRSE

1:45 – 2:30pm

Chapel Room

Science Ceilidh: Getting Creative & Musical

with Science Mr Lewis Hou

Come find out all about the science of music, from the physics of

instruments to the benefits of playing an instrument to your

brain! With live music and hands-on demonstrations for families

and adults, come along and maybe even try your hand at an

Orcadian Strip the Helix or Canadian Brain Dance at the end!

Introduction: Sir Andrew Cubie FRSE

1:45 – 2:15pm

MacLean Room

Video Games: More Than Playthings Dr Andrew Reid, Abertay University

Video games are a global, multi-billion pound industry with a

media spotlight shining bright on harmful and damaging claims

in recent years. However, games have been making positive

contributions to people’s lives for generations, and continues to

grow as one the most important industries for twenty-first

century living. In this talk, Dr Andrew Reid will present how

Abertay University is continually encouraging its students to

apply their game development skills to societal problems, with

reference to award-winning video games created by students.

Chair: Dr Rebekah Widdowfield

2:15 – 2:45pm

MacLean Room

Scotland’s Big Flapper Skates In Trouble: How

Can We Save Them? Dr Anuschka Miller, SAMS

This talk explores how we can protect our marine environment in

Scotland using the example of the little known but impressively

large flapper skate that inhabits Scotland’s seabed. Marine

Protected Areas are a relatively new tool to improve marine

conservation in Scotland and much research goes on to explore

how to make them work effectively. This presentation is part of

the EU Interreg VA project MarPAMM that gathers missing

information on protected marine habitats and species and

develops monitoring tools and management plans.

Chair: Professor Stuart Monro FRSE

2:45 –3:15pm

Chapel Room Balloon to the Moon Gill Arbuthnott, Author

Why did a sheep make the first hot-air balloon flight? Do you

have what it takes to be an astronaut? Which animal was the first

to see the far side of the moon? Will you ever have that holiday

on Mars? Join Gill Arbuthnott to find out about the history of

space travel, from the balloon flight that started it all, to the

Apollo moon landings and beyond.

Introduction: RSE Staff

2:45 – 3:15pm

MacLean Room A Taste of Plants Dr Madalina Neacsu, The Rowett Institute

This talk highlights the Scottish Government funded research

carried out at the Rowett Institute, Aberdeen, UK. The research

focuses on sustainable (plant based) sources of protein, their

efficacy to meet nutritional demands as part of a balanced and

healthy diet and their potential to developing bioactives-rich

functional foods and ingredients aimed to tackle major health

problems such as non-communicable diseases.

Chair: Dr Rebekah Widdowfield

3:15 – 3:45pm

MacLean Room Making Human Brains in a Dish Professor David Price, University of Edinburgh

Scientists have now developed ways to turn cells scraped from

our skin into mini-brains floating in a dish of liquid. The mini-

brains have been called “brain organoids” and they are no bigger

than your thumbnail. They are most similar to the brains of

unborn children early in their first trimester. Why would scientists

want to make brain organoids? One reason is that they can be

used to test how brain development can go wrong; obviously, we

can’t find this out by experimenting on unborn children! I will

discuss this and other matters related to brain organoids and

their uses.

Chair: Professor Dame Anne Glover FRS PRSE

3:30 – 4:00pm

Chapel Room Can’t-Dance-Cameron: A Scottish

Capercaillie Story Emily Dodd, Author

Cameron the capercaillie is the worst dancer in the Scottish

Cairngorms, but maybe with the help of his new friend, Hazel the

red squirrel, he’ll learn some great moves! Can’t-Dance-Cameron

is a brilliant story about believing in yourself, full of fun actions,

sounds and dancing.

Suitable for age 4-7 years

Introduction: RSE Staff

3:45 – 4:30pm

MacLean Room Fascinating Futures - Open Q & A Various Speakers – Chair: Professor Dame Anne Glover FRS

PRSE

A panel of speakers from our Fascinating Futures Family Day will

answer your questions about the Future. Get your thinking caps

on and test them out!

Prize Giving: Mr Lewis Hou, RSE Innovator’s

Public Engagement Prize 2018 Innovator’s Prize to Mr Lewis Hou, Founder and Director of the

Science Ceilidh, and Science Education Consultant, for his

innovative and original contributions to public engagement,

particularly in thinking creatively about combining arts and

sciences through his Science Ceilidh which has engaged over

5000 people around the UK with science and folk festivals and

collaborations with Cancer Research UK, ScienceGRRl and various

science festivals, including the Edinburgh International Science

Festival.

Chair: Professor Dame Anne Glover FRS PRSE

4:00 – 4:30pm

Chapel Room Your Brilliant Brain Gill Arbuthnott, Author

Explore the workings of your brain in this interactive event with

Gill Arbuthnott. Do all animals have a brain? Just how good is

your memory? Can you really trust what you see? And do you

have a superpower? Come along and find out about the

workings of the amazing organ that we all take a bit too much

for granted.

Introduction: RSE Staff

Interactive Displays – Available All Day

Sole Searching with the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science

Dr Heather Doran and Catarina Sobreira

Join us to make your own forensic footwear marks and contribute to our huge

Citizen Science project. Our mission at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic

Science is to raise standards of forensic science used in our courts. To do this we

need your help! You can chat to us about our work in forensic science research at the

University of Dundee and how you find out more and get involved.

Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland 2019-20 Programme

Melanie Riddell, Programme Manager

Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland (YESC) is Scottish Council for

Development and Industry’s Scotland wide nursery, primary and secondary school

education programme.

For more than 30 years; with support from Scottish Government, Education Scotland

and our industry partners, YESC has played a leading role in developing resources,

competitions and events to grow interest and spark enthusiasm in STEM subjects and

careers. Our comprehensive programme supports teachers to deliver the Scottish

Government’s Curriculum for Excellence, with projects for learners working from early

level to senior phase (ages 3 to 18). Visit our stand to find more about our 2019-20

programme.

The Search for Life Beyond Earth

Rosie Cane & Ophelia Gunn – PhD Students at The University of Edinburgh/UK

Centre for Astrobiology

Join scientists from the UK Centre for Astrobiology and learn about the search for life

beyond the Earth! Test samples of Martian soil for signs of life, play a game of

exoplanet top-trumps, handle fossils and meteorites and learn about current

research being done at the UK Centre for Astrobiology to help in the search for

extra-terrestrial life. Suitable for all ages - aliens welcome!

The Amazing Uses of Seaweed

Blair Watson, Dornoch Firth Information Officer, Marine Conservation Society

Find out how useful our seaweed can be, what plastic is doing to our marine world

and how you can help to save our seas!

Nurses – Fiction Versus Reality

Marie Cameron, Head of Undergraduate Nursing, UHI

Discover how nursing is changing rapidly, with advances in science and technology

contributing to these changes.

Video Games: More Than Playthings

Dr Andrew Reid, Abertay University

Discover how games have been making positive contributions to people’s lives for

generations, and how the gaming industry is growing to be one of the most

important industries for twenty-first century living.

Making Human Brains in a Dish

Professor David Price, University of Edinburgh

Explore how scientists are developing ways to turn human skin cells into mini-brains

and how this will contribute to advances in medical science.

Is There a Future for Tourism?

Dr Sandro Carnicelli, University of the West of Scotland

Find out how to be a better tourist now and in the future!

A Taste of Plant

Dr Madalina Neacsu, The Rowett Institute

Discover how plant-based foods could be used to provide a healthy diet and tackle

major health problems.

Women in Science

This pop-up exhibit gives a taster of our full exhibition in the RSE’s reception in

Edinburgh. The exhibit focuses on and celebrates some of the exceptional women

scientists within the Fellowship; come and find out about the women in the display

and what they’re holding!

Book Signings

Gill Arbuthnott and Emily Dodd will be available for book signing and chat!

Biographies Professor Dame Anne Glover FRS PRSE

President, Royal Society of Edinburgh

Anne Glover is a molecular biologist who has studied how we respond to stress at

the molecular level. She was the first Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the

European Commission (2012-2015). Prior to that, she was the first Chief Scientific

Adviser for Scotland (2006-2011). She has been an effective and well respected

ambassador for European science. She is a trustee of many charities and has a

particular interest in how knowledge can be used to transform lives in Africa. She is

President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and took up office in April 2018. She is

currently Special Adviser to the Principal at University of Strathclyde.

Gill Arbuthnott, Author

Gill Arbuthnott has been a published children’s author since 2003, and until recently

combined her writing with a teaching career. She is now a full-time writer and

science communicator and thinks being a children's author is probably the best job

in the world. Her books Dark Spell, Beneath and What Makes You You? have been

shortlisted for major UK book awards. In her latest book she has taken a trip to the

moon, and some of her current writing projects involve going back in time and under

the sea, (on the page, at least...)

Marie Cameron, Head of Undergraduate Nursing, UHI

Marie has been a Nurse for over 30 years, and has nursed in the UK and overseas, in

both public and private healthcare, and in a wide range of clinical areas. The past 14

years of Marie’s career have been spent in Higher Education, teaching the next

generation of Nurses. Marie’s background in both Nursing and Biomedical Science

have helped with her passion for teaching nurses about the application of science to

Nursing practice, and Marie also uses her dual qualifications to promote Nursing as

an applied science career through a range of science public engagement events.

Dr Sandro Carnicelli, University of the West of Scotland

Dr. Sandro Carnicelli is a Senior Lecturer in Events and Tourism at the University of

the West of Scotland. Sandro has been working in the field of Tourism in Brazil, New

Zealand and Scotland for over 10 years. Sandro is on the Executive Board of the

Leisure Studies Association and a member of the ABRATUR (International Academy

for the Development of Tourism Research in Brazil). Sandro is on the Editorial Board

of Tourism Management Perspectives and of the journal Annals of Leisure Research

and he is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor

Learning.

Rosie Cane & Ophelia Gunn, PhD Students at The University of Edinburgh / UK

Centre for Astrobiology

The UK Centre for Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary research centre established in

2011 at the University of Edinburgh. Its scientific focus is the study of life in extremes

and investigating the conditions that give rise to habitable environments for life on

the Earth and potentially beyond. Rosie Cane and Ophelia Gunn are postgraduate

research students at the UKCA. Rosie studies the habitability of extreme

environments in our Solar System and Ophelia investigates the potential habitability

of theorised liquid water environments on Mars.

Emily Dodd, Author

Emily Dodd is passionate about science and wildlife, and writes for CBeebies show

Nina and the Neurons. She is the author of picture books and non-fiction science

books, a screenwriter for CBeebies and a writer of BBC radio plays for children. With

over ten years’ experience of delivering workshops in schools, museums and other

venues, her events are a mixture of learning and fun sure to engage children.

Dr Heather Doran, Public Engagement Manager, Leverhulme Research Centre

for Forensic Science, University of Dundee

Heather Doran is the Public Engagement Manager at the Leverhulme Research

Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee. She is a member of the Public

Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) committee and the Local

Organising Committee for the PCST Conference 2020. In 2015/2016 she was awarded

a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship on the communication of

science travelling to the USA, Japan and China to explore how major research

institutes and individual researchers help foster online engagement through social

media. Heather began her involvement in public engagement during her PhD in

molecular pharmacology at the University of Aberdeen when she was Editor and co-

founder of Au Science Magazine.

Lewis Hou, Founder of Science Ceilidh

Lewis is passionate about interdisciplinary and equitable creative participation in

communities and education. He directs the award-winning Science Ceilidh exploring

science, traditional arts and health and wellbeing, and is the Scotland Ambassador

and action researcher for the Fun Palaces campaign for Cultural Democracy. With a

research background in neuroscience, he consults on projects worldwide and was the

recipients of the JCI Scotland's Top Young Person of the Year 2019 and delighted to

be awarded the RSE Public Engagement Innovator medal!

Dr Anuschka Miller, Head of Communications / Director Ocean Explorer Centre,

Scottish Association for Marine Science UHI

Anuschka is a marine biologist who works for greater public knowledge about the

marine environment as an essential stepping stone towards effective conservation.

She lives and works in Oban at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (the UK’s

oldest marine science organisation), where she teaches undergraduate and

postgraduate students, has developed a marine science visitor centre and uses film,

social media, web, media and events to share her enthusiasm and love for the marine

environment with as many people as she can reach.

Dr Madalina Neacsu

Dr Madalina Neacsu is a research fellow at Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen,

being trained as a biochemical engineer and did her PhD on Natural Products

Chemistry. Madi is specialised in natural products food formulation and bioactivity.

Earlier in her career, she was involved in commercial work overseeing the

development of several plant-based bioactive-formulations used in as food

ingredients leading to EFSA approved claims.

Madi’s research examines the effects of supplementing diets with alternative

sustainable sources of protein such as buckwheat, quinoa, chia, hemp, potato bean

and fava bean (grown or with potential to grow in Scotland) on human nutrition.

Having a zero-waste approach, she is developing bioactives-rich functional foods

and ingredients aimed to tackle major health problems such as non-communicable

diseases, and the reformulation of old recipes. Whit this, she is intending to make

traditional food favourites healthier and to stimulate the demand of these novel

crops. By conducting human dietary intervention studies, Madi is looking at how

novel crops and food formulations can be used to improve diet and health.

As a personal challenge she is looking to find and establish novel or underutilised

crops as best candidates for food security and for a healthy sustainable diet. She is

currently working with industry through external funding reformulating healthier

foods using sustainable and local raw ingredients.

Professor David Price, University of Edinburgh

I studied Medicine at Edinburgh University and worked as a doctor for a year before

heading south in 1982 to do a PhD at Oxford University on how the brain develops

after birth. I then moved to the University of California at Berkeley in the USA to

study the genetics of early development of invertebrate species. I returned to

Edinburgh in 1988 to establish my current research programme on the genetics of

early brain development in the embryos of mammals. My work, which is on human

and non-human species, is relevant for understanding the causes of congenital

diseases in humans.

Dr Andrew Reid, Abertay University

Dr. Andrew Reid is a Lecturer in Games Production at Abertay University. Having

graduated from Abertay’s Game Design and Production course in 2015, Andrew

undertook a Ph.D. in Applied Game Design at Glasgow Caledonian University,

completing his studies in 2018. Andrew’s teaching responsibilities include game

testing, user experience and interaction design, and professional practice. Andrew’s

research interests revolve around the development of ‘applied games’, in particular

for education, public awareness, and accessibility. Andrew has been a STEM

Ambassador since 2016 and enjoys speaking to young people about planning for a

career in games.

Melanie Riddell, Young Engineers and Science Clubs

Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland (YESC) is Scottish Council for

Development and Industry’s Scotland wide nursery, primary and secondary school

education programme.

For more than 30 years; with support from Scottish Government, Education Scotland

and our industry partners, YESC has played a leading role in developing resources,

competitions and events to grow interest and spark enthusiasm in STEM subjects and

careers. Our comprehensive programme supports teachers to deliver the Scottish

Government’s Curriculum for Excellence, with projects for learners working from early

level to senior phase (ages 3 to 18). Visit our stand to find more about our 2019-20

programme.

Catarina Sobreira, PhD Student, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic

Science, University of Dundee

Catarina Sobreira holds a BSc in Forensic Science from the University Of Bedfordshire

and a MSc in Forensic Medical Sciences from Queen Mary University Of

London. Catarina joined the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science in

September 2018 to pursue a PhD in Forensic Chemistry. Her research project focuses

not only on the transfer and persistence of gunshot residue (GSR) but also on the

characterisation of GSR particles and how its recovery affects the elemental and

chemical composition, and the morphology of the materials. The study is also to

investigate how GSR can affect and be affected by the donor substrates (for example

fabrics), looking closely at the interaction of the particles during primary transfer and

the damages caused by the particles and the traces left on the textiles.

Blair Watson, Dornoch Firth Information Officer, Marine Conservation Society

We at the Marine Conservation Society believe that too much is being taken out and

too much is being put into our seas. Our scientists, campaigners, volunteers,

advocates, data experts, fundraisers, divers and researchers are all passionate about

creating a sustainable future for our seas.

RSE@ SCHOOLS TALKS

A series of FREE talks for schools across Scotland.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is pleased to launch the 2019/20

series of talks and lectures for schools across Scotland. RSE@ Schools

talks are FREE to schools and available at any point during the school

year.

SPEAKERS

All our talks are presented by experts, keen to enthuse and excite

students from school years P6 to S6, on a wide range of subjects from

forensic science, astronomy and physics to literature, culture and the

arts.

Many of our speakers are willing to work with teachers to tailor their

talks to fit with class curriculums and for different age groups and class

sizes. In addition, many are keen to adapt their talks for Continuing

Professional Development events for teachers too. Please contact us

directly for more information if you are interested in organising one for

your staff team.

In this programme you will get a flavour of some of the speakers we

have available, along with their lecture topics. If, however, there is a

particular topic that you would like to cover, just get in touch and we will

endeavour to find a speaker to suit. We’d also love to hear your

suggestions for future RSE@ School Talks programmes!

FREE TO SCHOOLS

The talks are FREE to schools. The RSE will cover all speakers’ costs,

including travel and accommodation. All the school needs to provide is a

venue for the talk and, of course, the audience! Teachers are also asked

to supervise the students during talks and provide the students time to

complete a feedback form afterwards (example of feedback forms for

students and teachers are at the back of this programme, with the

application form).

RESOURCES

You can also find additional resources on the RSE website –

www.rse.org.uk – such as Quiz-a-Whiz videos, Start-Up Science

Masterclasses, competitions and resource packs.

With thanks to our event contributors and supporters

The Royal Society of

Edinburgh

22-26 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ 0131 240 2780 www.rse.org.uk

@news_RSE Royal Society of Edinburgh

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, is Scottish Charity No. SC000470