the-BA : Award Lectures 2007

Accurate face identification is critical in a surveillance society such as ours (Image copyright: istockphoto.com)

The current golden age of deep-sea discovery, how birdsong can help us understand human vocal communication and the importance of accurate face recognition in our surveillance society are amongst the topics which have scooped prestigious awards for science communication from the BA. The recipients of the accolades will present the 2007 BA Award Lectures in York this September at the BA Festival of Science.

‘The BA Award Lectures seek to reward exceptional younger communicators who bring science to life with passion whilst also tackling its impact on society,’ says Roland Jackson, Chief Executive of the BA and one of the judges.

‘The entertaining lectures are a very popular component of the Festival programme and attract an extremely broad audience. This year’s winners promise to deliver thoroughly engaging talks, explaining their current innovative work and its relevance to our everyday lives.’

The winners are:

Charles Darwin Award Lecture
Dr. Karen Spencer, University of Glasgow
‘The evolution of chick chat: how the study of bird song can help us understand the origins of human speech’

Joseph Lister Award Lecture
Dr. Rob Jenkins, University of Glasgow
‘Identity and mistaken identity: Face recognition in a surveillance society’

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award Lecture
Dr. Tiziana Rossetto, University College London
‘Why do earthquakes become disasters and what are engineers doing about it?’

Lord Kelvin Lecture
Dr. Roberto Trotta, Oxford University
‘Does the Universe need humankind? - The strange case of intelligent observers in the cosmos’

Charles Lyell Award Lecture
Dr. Jon Copley, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
‘Seasons where the sun don’t shine: chasing island-hopping shrimp in the abyss’

The BA Festival of Science will take place in York from 9-15 September, bringing over 350 of the UK’s top scientists to discuss the latest developments in science with the public. In addition to talks and debates at the University of York, there will be a host of events throughout the city as part of the Festival in the City programme.

This year’s BA Festival of Science is organised in partnership with the University of York, Science City York and the City of York Council. It is supported by the Department of Trade & Industry, BP and Yorkshire Forward.

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