President of the Royal Society Lord May will be in Lancaster on Monday 12 December to receive an honorary degree and has agreed to give a lecture on Tuesday 13 December titled "Hard Questions for Tomorrow's World". The lecture is described as "a rapid overview, in a fact-rich way, of looming problems with climate change, loss of biological diversity, new and re-emerging infectious diseases, and feeding a world with half as many people again as today". There is a limit of 200 people for the 2.00pm lecture - please contact Rebecca Wilson if you'd like to attend.
The EPSRC is seeking nominations for its two principal advisory bodies, the Technical Opportunities Panel (TOP) and the User Panel (UP). These panels consist of senior, experienced figures from the industrial, commercial and academic communities, and help to formulate policy by advising the EPSRC Executive and Council. Their role is to provide an informed and representative view on the requirements for research, training, knowledge transfer and public engagement across the breadth of the EPSRC remit, from the perspective of research providers (TOP) and from that of users (UP). The deadline for application is the 9 December 2005.
Nominations for EPSRC Technical and User Panels
Communication Systems are hosting a talk by Dr Hani Hagras of the University of Essex next Thursday (1pm 17 November - C74 Infolab21) on "Using Embedded Agents to Create Ambient Intelligence". Embedded agents can configure and control ubiquitous computing environments by using intelligent reasoning and learning mechanisms to personalise themselves to a user's needs based on their behaviour. Dr Hagras will introduce different novel AI techniques such as type-2 fuzzy logic that can be used in such agents as well as talking about his group's Intelligent Dormitory project.
More about Essex University's iDorm
The Centre for Applied Statistics is running an extensive programme of short courses for staff and postgraduates in 2005/06. The majority are introductory and intermediate-level software-based courses, but others are available - staff pay £20-£40 for one or two day courses. The next course to be held is Generalised Linear Models on 24-25 November.
CAS short courses info and registration
The Psychology department is running a series of Wednesday afternoon seminars (4.30pm - D18 Fylde) delivered by visiting experts. Topics for this term include "Why we get lost: The brain's compass" and "Why ebony is sky-blue and society tastes of onions: mechanisms of linguistic synaesthesias". Any interested faculty members are welcome to attend.
EPSRC funding is available to support institutions in the development of collaborative research programmes that promote interdisciplinary work between mathematical sciences, ICT and engineering. Institutions are invited to submit bids for funding to establish an environment that nurtures such interdisciplinary working. Potential applicants are strongly advised to register for a workshop to be held at the NEC Birmingham on 16-17 January 2006. The principle aims of the event are to:
Please note that registrations should, in the first instance, be channelled through the Pro Vice Chancellor for research.
Science and Technology stories from the past two weeks:
Biological Sciences and Environmental Science ran successful activities for Chemistry Week...
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/?article_id=131
Bird flu isn't the only human health hazard carried on the wing...
http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/209a
A state-of-the-art irrigation system which lets growers know when their plants are thirsty...
http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/2082
An ambitious computing project to transform campus...