Welcome to the August 2013 Newsletter of the Hawke’s Bay Branch of the Royal Society. This newletter is the first sent from our new website. It collates recent postings of coming and recent lectures and other events, and notices to Branch members. Please let us know if you strike any glitches!

If you are not subscribed to personally receive these newsletters, you can do so for free on our Newsletters webpage. You can unsubscribe at any time.

If you would like to join the Branch as a member, you can download the application form here. The annual subscription for the current year is $20.

Regards

Dan Bloomer
Branch President

Lectures and events

August

Plants that changed history

Dr Ross Ferguson ONZM FRSNZ. 7:30pm Tuesday 27 August 2013  at the Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium, Chambers St Napier.

Rather than study only the actions of individual men and women, of governments or of economic forces, we should also look at plants because it is plants that ultimately determine the quality and course of human life. Most of the foods that form part of our normal diet, we would not think of as exotic.  And this shows just how blasé we have become.

What we have is really a remarkable range of food – truly exotic food in the sense that it is alien: introduced from abroad: brought in from outside. The movement of plants and foodstuffs from one country to another has had many consequences. The talk will consider the implications of the pursuit of some addictive plants and is illustrated by many paintings and engravings. The socially accepted addictions discussed include tea, coffee, sugar and chocolate. Opium, potatoes and breadfruit will also be mentioned.

Dr Ross Ferguson, FRSNZ has worked  with DSIR and then Plant & Food Research mainly on the biology of kiwifruit and related species.  He made a detailed study of kiwifruit, their origin in China and the process of domestication leading to them becoming New Zealand’s most important horticultural export Admission: Free

September

Switch: The Movie. What is the future of Energy?

5:30 PM, Thursday 26 September, Lecture Theatre 1, Eastern Institute of Technology, Taradale.

The Hawke’s Bay Branches of the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Institute of Professional Engineers of New Zealand are combining with the Eastern Institute of Technology to present a special screeing of the film, “Switch”.

Following the screening, there will be a short break for a drink and nibbles, before an invited panel of energy experts lead a discussion of the meaning and implications for New Zealand. The event is anticipated to finish by 8:15 PM.

What does the future of energy really hold? Join energy visionary Dr. Scott Tinker on a spectacular global adventure to find out.

Energy is the foundation of modern life. Our transportation, global commerce, food and water, housing, medicine, communications and computing all depend on it. Yet energy is in a sweeping period of transition. Renewables are entering the landscape. Unconventional gas and oil are changing our ideas of supply. Opinions on nuclear are shifting. Carbon concerns may, or may not, affect global production and consumption.

Dr. Tinker explores the world’s leading energy sites, from coal to solar, oil to biofuels, many highly restricted and never before seen on film. He gets straight answers from the people driving energy today, international leaders of government, industry and academia. In the end, he cuts through the confusion to discover a path to our future that is surprising and remarkably pragmatic.

Switch is part of the Switch Energy Project, a film, web, and educational effort designed to build a balanced understanding of energy.

Contacting Us

You can contact us via our Branch email, hawkesbay.rsnz@gmail.com

2013 Hochstetter Lecture

The 2010-2012 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence: pushing the limits of geological seismology using backyard science

Dr Mark Quigley

Senior Lecturer in Active Tectonics and Geomorphology, University of Canterbury

7.30 pm, Monday 22 July 2013,

at Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium, Chambers St, Napier

The Canterbury earthquake sequence (CES) started with the 2010 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.1 Darfield earthquake and includes thousands of Mw ≥ 3 aftershocks, most notably the fatal 22 Feb Mw 6.2 Christchurch earthquake. The largest CES earthquakes caused geologic and geomorphic processes that changed the Canterbury landscape. Some of these changes lasted only hours and others will persist in the geologic record for 10³ to 10⁶ yrs or longer. Careful documentation of the geomorphic and geologic effects of the Canterbury earthquake sequence and comparing these with instrumental seismic data is important because it helps to define the seismic thresholds for generating these phenomena and it enables paleoseismologists to better interpret these features when they are observed in the geologic record. This talk will summarize the impacts of the CES and show new evidence for the timing, extent, and conditions of prehistoric earthquakes in this region, including penultimate rupture on the Greendale Fault, prehistoric liquefaction in eastern Christchurch, and prehistoric rockfall in the Port Hills south of Christchurch. Better attention to the geologic record will help us to avoid further land planning mistakes and increase societal and financial resilience to future earthquakes both in Christchurch and elsewhere in New Zealand.

Admission:    Gold coin donation from members of the public, bookings not required

Special Lecture to the branch and general public

Science, Innovation and Economic Prosperity

Sir Peter Gluckman

Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister

5.30 pm, Wednesday 31 July 2013,

at Lecture Theatre 1, Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), 501 Gloucester St, Taradale

After training as a physician specialising in paediatrics, Sir Peter has spent the greater part of his professional life in scientific research. He founded the world-class Liggins Institute and is a globally renowned thinker in the field of endocrinology, with a particular focus on foetal and child growth. He has received numerous awards from scientific societies and academies. In 2001 he was awarded New Zealand’s highest scientific honour, the Rutherford Medal and is the only New Zealander elected to be a Foreign Member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2011, Sir Peter was awarded the inaugural Callaghan Medal for outstanding contribution to science communication, in particular for raising public awareness of the value of science to human progress.

In this lecture Sir Peter will address the role of community and business in science, business and economic prosperity. This is a valuable opportunity to hear and contribute to discussions that can influence national policy makers.

Admission:    Gold coin, bookings not required – but audience size will be limited so we recommend you get there early.  Note the time and location for this event are different from usual!

Science and Music – Einstein’s Universe

Tuesday 16 July  at 5.30 pm at the Municipal Theatre Napier Professor Brian Foster (Oxford and Hamburg universities) will present a lecture entitled “Einstein’s Universe”, accompanied by violinist Jack Liebeck.  Professor Foster and Jack Liebeck interweave music and science in a presentation which links Einstein’s favourite instrument, the violin, with many of the concepts of modern physics that he founded.

At 8 pm at the same venue there will be a 100 minute concert of chamber music that Einstein played and loved. This special event is organized by Chamber Music New Zealand and the Royal Society of New Zealand. We are very grateful to RSNZ for choosing Hawke’s Bay as one of the venues for this event. Entry to this event is not free – tickets can be bought from Ticketek. Branch members can get more information at www.chambermusic.co.nz or by calling 0800 CONCERT (266 2378).

Branch administration changes

The 139^th Annual General Meeting of the branch was held at 7.00 pm Thursday 20 June at the Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium, prior to the lecture by Dr Vincent Bus. The minutes will be circulated later, but some changes to Council need to be noted right now. At the AGM Dan Bloomer was elected President of the Branch, with Lynne Trafford elected Vice-President.  Antony Steiner was elected to council and Willis Dark resigned. Jeff Reid now becomes Immediate Past President. A meeting of the new council was held on Tuesday 25 June 2013. At that meeting Carol Larson was confirmed as Secretary, and Jennifer Hartley accepted the offer to remain as Treasurer.

Jennifer is on to it already – you may have noticed subscription invoices in your mail! Do please help us by dealing with these promptly.

Upcoming lectures and events

Tuesday 27 August  Dr Ross Ferguson ONZM FRSNZ, will address us on “Plants that changed history”. Ross’s research contributed greatly to kiwifruit becoming NZ’s most important horticultural export. The lecture will be illustrated with many paintings and engravings. And apparently Ross will also discuss the implications of some “socially acceptable addictions”! The lecture will be held at the Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium, Chambers St Napier (on the grounds of Napier Boys High School).

Leadership Week

Members may be interested in some events being run in Hastings from 8-12 July… Check them out at http://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/leadership-week-2013#register

The 139th Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at 7.00 pm Thursday 20 June at the Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium, Chambers St, Napier. It was chaired by Dan Bloomer.

• The Minutes of the 138th AGM were taken as read and passed unanimously.
• Retiring President Jeff Reid was absent. His report was read to the meeting and accepted. Dan thanked Jeff in his absence for his very significant work and achievement during his tenure as Branch President.
• The treasurer’s report was presented by Jennifer Hartley. Branch accounts had already been circulated to members. They were proposed by the treasurer and passed unanimously.
• Dan Bloomer was elected as President
• Lynne Trafford was re-elected as Vice-President
• Jennifer Hartley, Michael Broadbent and Jenny Dee were re-elected to Council. Antony Steiner was elected to the Council.
• The Annual subscription remains at $20.
• Willis Dark retired from Council after a number of years as a member. Willis was thanked for his commitment and activities over the time of his involvement and asked to forward the Branch’s thanks to the Faraday Centre members that hosted Branch meetings in recent years.

The AGM closed at 7:25pm and was followed by a lecture from Dr Vincent Bus.

Next Lecture

Plant Breeding for Disease Resistance

Dr Vincent Bus Principal Scientist, Plant and Food Research, Havelock North

7.30 pm, Thursday 20 June Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium Chambers St, Napier

Vincent Bus gained a Master’s degree from Wageningen Agricultural University and worked for 4.5 years in postharvest pathology for the USDA-ARS in the Netherlands before joining HortResearch in a pest- and disease resistance breeding role in pipfruit in 1993 and gaining a PhD on the job in 2006. Now he is the Science Group Leader for the Pip- & Summerfruit Breeding, and the Colour & Health research teams of Plant & Food Research. He has made considerable advances in breeding pipfruit for resistance to black spot and other diseases.

In this lecture Vincent will cover how to set realistic breeding objectives, the role of germplasm collections, breeding & selection processes, incl. the use of molecular technologies. He will illustrate this with breeding for disease and pest resistance in apples and kiwifruit. He will also cover some wider aspects of plant breeding such as developing apple varieties with red flesh.

139th Annual General Meeting of the Branch

7.00 pm Thursday 20 June Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium Chambers St, Napier

(on the grounds of Napier Boys High School).

The AGM will be held prior to the lecture by Dr Bus.

The Agenda and other supporting documents for the AGM will be sent to members with a copy of  this newsletter.

Upcoming lectures and events

“Einstein’s Universe”

Tuesday 16 July  at 5.30 pm at the Municipal Theatre Napier Professor Brian Foster (Oxford and Hamburg universities) will present a lecture entitled “Einstein’s Universe”, and at 8 pm at the same venue there will be a 100 minute concert of chamber music that Einstein played and loved.

This special event is organized by Chamber Music New Zealand and the Royal Society of New Zealand. This event is not free – tickets can be bought from Ticketek.

We will hand out flyers for the event at the branch AGM on 20 June. In the meantime, members can get more information at www.chambermusic.co.nz or by calling 0800 CONCERT (266 2378).

“The 2010-2012 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence: pushing the limits of geological seismology using backyard science”

Monday 22 July  at 7.30 pm at the Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium,.Dr Mark Quigley will present the 2012 Hochstetter Lecture “The 2010-2012 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence: pushing the limits of geological seismology using backyard science”.

Dr Quigley is a Senior Lecturer in Active Tectonics and Geomorphology at the University of Canterbury.

“Science, innovation and economic prosperity”

Wednesday 31 July Sir Peter Gluckman Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister will present to us two lectures entitled “Science, innovation and economic prosperity”. The first lecture will be pitched for educationists and students and will be at Lindisfarne School Auditorium. The second will be hosted by EIT and will be aimed at our members, community and business leaders and the general public.

“Plants that changed history”

Tuesday 27 August  Dr Ross Ferguson ONZM FRSNZ, will address us on “Plants that changed history”. Ross’s research contributed greatly to kiwifruit becoming NZ’s most important horticultural export. The lecture will be illustrated with many paintings and engravings. And apparently Ross will also discuss the implications of some “socially acceptable addictions”!