Behind the scenes at TMAG
Presentation by Bill Bleathman
The Royal Society Room TMAG 19 Davey St Hobart
Tuesday, 6th August 2013 Commencing 8.00 pm until 9.00 pm
The Promise of Personalised Medicine: Hope or Hype – Professor Don Chalmers – 28 July 2013
The Promise of Personalised Medicine. – hope or hype
Presentation by Professor Don Chalmers
QVMAG – Inveresk
2:00 pm Sunday, 28th July 2013.
Admission: $5 General Public, $3 Friends of the Museum, $2 Students
Free for members of the Royal Society of Tasmania
To assist us with the organization of this event RSVP by Thursday 25 July : Email bookings@qvmag.tas.gov.au or telephone 6323 3798
Brief Abstract of the Talk
Francis Collins – one of the chief architects of the Human Genome Project and now director of the National Institutes of Health in the USA – in his book Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine – presents a more hopeful vision of the future of medicine compared with the disorder of our current health-care system. This vision is of personalised medicine where most people have their whole genome sequenced (WGS) and their results integrated with their personal decisions about diet, lifestyle, healthcare and treatments.
In the pharmaceutical area, personalised medicine aims, based on an individual’s genetic profile, to develop new drugs, to better match drugs to the individual patient and to minimise adverse drug reactions for individual patients. In genetic testing, there is an increasing range of direct–to-customer (DTC) tests available, which have raised concerns amongst other national regulatory authorities. A PHG Foundation Research Report in 2008 concluded that a failure to improve clinical evaluation of genetic tests will undermine the development of personalised medicine.
This address will discuss the hopes and hype in personalised medicine and whether the future of personalised medicine may depend on developing new ethical and legal standards to ensure public trust and confidence in personalised medicine.
About the Speaker
Professor Don Chalmers is Dean of the Law School and Distinguished Professor at the University of Tasmania. He is Director of the Centre for Law and Genetics and Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
Professor Chalmers is Chair of the Gene Technology Ethics and Community Consultative Committee and Deputy – Chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Licensing Committee.
He is a member of the international Human Genome Organization Ethics Committee and of the International Cancer Genome Consortium.
Professor Chalmers was chair of the NHMRC Australian Health Ethics Committee from 1994-2000 and is the author of many publications related to gene research and bioethics.
Subtidal Habitats and Inhabitants of the Tamar Estuary – Mr David Maynard – 23 June 2013
Presentation by Mr David Maynard
QVMAG – Inveresk
Sunday, 23rd June 2013 Commencing 2.00 pm until
This lecture is presented with the generous support of QVMAG
About the Speaker
David Maynard has been Curator of Natural Sciences at the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery since 2012. His research interest is temperate marine biodiversity. Prior to this he lectured for 13 years on fisheries and marine environment related topics at the Australian Maritime College. David has a passion for cataloguing fish and marine invertebrates and does so through underwater photography. In 2010 David co-authored an exhibition and book Beneath the Tamar More Than Silt with AMC colleague Dr Troy Gaston.
Brief Abstract of the Talk
The Tamar River estuary is unique in many ways. It is Australia’s longest navigable waterway, receiving freshwater from nearly 1/5th of Tasmania’s landmass. This freshwater meets an estimated 300,000,000 cubic metres of salt water entering the system twice a day on the incoming tides. The estuary, Tamar Valley and the broader catchment supports diverse activities including heavy industry, shipping, agriculture and forestry, wineries, aquaculture, tourism, and population centres and includes significant protected areas, reserves and wetlands. All these contribute significant economic and social benefits to our region. However the Tamar River estuary has some image problems. Many in the community only recognise the estuary for the unsightly mud flats exposed in the upper reaches which impact on the aesthetics and amenity of the river. Below the surface of the Tamar is another world. This lecture presents a visual snapshot of the habitats and inhabitants that reside just below the Tamar’s surface waters that remain invisible to the broader community.
Sir Joseph Banks – 2nd July, 2013
Sir Joseph Banks
Presentation by Mickey Benefiel
The Royal Society Room TMAG 19 Davey St Hobart
Tuesday, 2nd July 2013 Commencing 8.00 pm until 9.00 pm
About the Speaker
My personal interest in Joseph Banks is a result of my hobby which is Maritime History. I do not have a background in botany but did study marine biology in the 1960’s. As there were very poor prospects for the life sciences at the time, my career moved into computer related businesses. I have been an enthusiastic amateur historian since childhood, and a sailor of “Other Peoples” yachts for over 50 years. I am currently President of the University of the Third Age Clarence (U3A).
Brief Abstract of the Talk
Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), naturalist, explorer, patron of science, was President of the Royal Society for 41 years. When the Royal Society persuaded the Admiralty to send James Cook in command of an expedition to observe the transit of Venus, it urged that ‘Joseph Banks … a Gentleman of large fortune … well versed in natural history’ should be permitted to join the expedition ‘with his Suite’. Banks joined the ship with a staff of eight. Only four of this party survived the voyage. This presentation covers Banks early years of development, adventure and exploration. And what a life it was!
Marine Biology Research – 23rd June, 2013
Subtidalhabitats and inhabitants of the Tamar Estuary
Presentation by Mr David Maynard
QVMAG – Inveresk
Sunday, 23rd June 2013 Commencing 2.00 pm until
This lecture is presented with the generous support of QVMAG
About the Speaker
David Maynard has been Curator of Natural Sciences at the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery since 2012. His research interest is temperate marine biodiversity. Prior to this he lectured for 13 years on fisheries and marine environment related topics at the Australian Maritime College. David has a passion for cataloguing fish and marine invertebrates and does so through underwater photography. In 2010 David co-authored an exhibition and book Beneath the Tamar More Than Silt with AMC colleague Dr Troy Gaston.
Brief Abstract of the Talk
The Tamar River estuary is unique in many ways. It is Australia’s longest navigable waterway, receiving freshwater from nearly 1/5th of Tasmania’s landmass. This freshwater meets an estimated 300,000,000 cubic metres of salt water entering the system twice a day on the incoming tides. The estuary, Tamar Valley and the broader catchment supports diverse activities including heavy industry, shipping, agriculture and forestry, wineries, aquaculture, tourism, and population centres and includes significant protected areas, reserves and wetlands. All these contribute significant economic and social benefits to our region. However the Tamar River estuary has some image problems. Many in the community only recognise the estuary for the unsightly mud flats exposed in the upper reaches which impact on the aesthetics and amenity of the river. Below the surface of the Tamar is another world. This lecture presents a visual snapshot of the habitats and inhabitants that reside just below the Tamar’s surface waters that remain invisible to the broader community.
Cloud Seeding – 4th June, 2013
Presentation by Vaughan Latimer
The Royal Society Room
Tuesday, 4th June 2013 Commencing 8.00 pm until 9.00 pm
About the Speaker
Vaughan Latimer has achieved: Certificate in Electrical Engineering (Power),Certificate in Electrical Power Protection Systems, BSc (Hobart) in mathematics and computer Science, BSc (Hobart) with Honours (Mathematics), Holder of a current Pilots Licence since 1971 (PPL), From 1979 to 1992, I worked with the Hydro Electric Commission of Tasmania, primarily in the Protection and Test role. This involved commissioning the electrical protection in major substations and switch yards. (Reece Power Station and Farrell switchyard were the major items in commissioning. I moved into market outage management with Transend Networks and eventually with Hydro Tasmania. This role was to optimise scheduled (and unscheduled ) outages to maximise the dollar return to Hydro Tasmania. In 2003, I commenced working (concurrently) for the Cloud Seeding Group in Hydro Tasmania. This occupied about 12 % of my time and was chiefly involved in being placed on a roster to participate in the aerial based cloud-seeding program. In May 20th 2011, I took early retirement from Hydro Tasmania, but continued to work part time (April to October, 20 ~ 30 hours per month) in the Hydro Tasmania Cloud seeding program. In 2013, returned to the University of Tasmania to continue post graduate studies in physics, with an aim of progressing in atmospheric physics.
Brief Abstract of the Talk
The presentation will provide a brief outline of the history of cloud seeding as well as a non-technical discussion of the processes involved. This will touch on aspects of atmospheric physics and the chemistry of cloud seeding agents. The speaker will then discuss Hydro Tasmania’s role in cloud seeding as well as the Snowy Hydro’s exhaustive program. The methodology of the two authorities will then be detailed. The executive summary of the Snowy Mountain’s study and evaluation will be discussed. A brief discussion on world cloud seeding programs will then close the session.
Ophthalmology Advances – Dr Brendan Vote – 26 May 2013
Presentation by Dr Brendan Vote
QVMAG – Inveresk
Sunday, 26th May 2013. Commencing 2.00 pm until .
Systematic methods for Natural Disaster Risk Management – 7th May, 2013
Presentation by Dr Marlene Kanga FIEAust CPEng
The Royal Society Room TMAG 19 Davey St Hobart
Tuesday, 7th May 2013 Commencing 8.00 pm until 9.00 pm
Combined lecture with Members of Engineers Australia
About the Speaker
Dr. Marlene Kanga is National president of Engineers Australia and one of the most influential engineers in Australia. She is a Chartered chemical engineer with extensive experience in risk and safety engineering. Marlene is an experienced business leader and is Director of iOmniscient Pty. Ltd. which has developed patented software technology for automated camera based surveillance systems, currently used in smart city projects and winner of a National Engineering Excellence Award in 2010. As a member of the Engineers Australia Council since 2007, she has been responsible for many transformational changes especially to make the profession more inclusive. In 2012, she was Chair of the Innovation Task Force promoting innovation in engineering. Marlene was Chair of the National Committee for Women in Engineering in 2008 and 2009 and is currently a Board Member of the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists. She represents Australia at the World Federation of Engineering Organisations and hosts an international committee which is developing resources for natural disaster risk management in developing countries. To hear Dr Kanga interviewed by Ryk Goddard, 936 ABC Hobart Breakfast Show paste this link into your browser. http://blogs.abc.net.au/tasmania/2013/05/how-to-plan-for-natural-disasters-and-why-women-dont-have-to-be-better-than-men-anymore.html
Brief Abstract of the Talk
The increasing trend in the number and severity of natural disasters has increased the level of devastation and loss to people all around the world. These events threaten the sustainable development and security of people. The application of sound principles of systematic natural disaster risk management is therefore becoming increasingly important. This presentation will provide an overview of systematic natural disaster risk management and the role of both structural and non-structural measures for sustainable construction and development. The use of such measures, supported by high level government policy, is important for all countries but especially less developed ones where widespread damage after a natural disaster has a significant human and economic cost. Approaches to natural disaster risk management used by in different parts of Australia will be presented as case studies to demonstrate the benefits of good practices for sustainable development.
A Working, Clean Coal Power Station: an Experiment to Combat Climate Change – Mr Barry Waining – 28 April 2013
Presentation by Mr Barry Waining
QVMAG – Inveresk
Sunday, 28th April 2013 Commencing 2.00 pm until
Please RSVP by Thursday 25 April 6323 3798
About the Speaker
MR WAINING won an Engineering Cadetship in 1960 to attend Sydney University and graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He worked in the Electricity Commission of NSW until 1981 before becoming Chief Engineer of Mitsubishi Australia Ltd. In he 1986 moved to position of Chief Engineer Mitsui & Co Australia and to General Manager Commercial in IHI Engineering Australia Pty Ltd in 1993. He was appointed as Director & Chief General Manager in 2000 until retirement in September 2008. Mr Waining worked his entire professional career on heavy engineering projects including Power Stations Steelworks and shipping amongst other smaller projects.
Brief Abstract of the Talk
Australia’s electricity consumption is growing at about 2% per annum. 75% of this supply is generated using coal as a fuel. With the total installed coal fired capacity in excess of 40,000MW replacement costs in the power generating equipment would be in excess of $80 billion without considering the newly developing and expensive low emission technologies. To address the growing concern of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, something needs to be done to clean up the emissions from existing generating plants. The presentation will focus on one of the ‘clean coal’ technologies – that of firing black coal in oxygen which produces combustion products of carbon dioxide and water vapour. After removal of the water vapour, the carbon dioxide can be conveniently compressed into a liquid form for geosequestration underground.
Edgeworth David in Antarctica – 9th April 2013
Presentation by Dr Jenny Gardner
TMAG-meet at main entrance in the courtyardHobart
Tuesday, 9th April 2013 Commencing 8.00 pm until 9.00 pm
Please note: minor change of venue
About the Speaker
Dr Jenny Gardner was, until 2004, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania, Launceston. She then moved to the Centre for University Learning and Teaching in Hobart where she worked with both staff and students across all faculties to support academic teaching and learning. She is the great grand-daughter of Professor Sir Edgeworth David.
Brief Abstract of the Talk
Professor Sir Edgeworth David (1858 – 1934), while virtually unknown now (except in Antarctic and geological circles), played a significant role in Shackelton’s 1907-9 expedition. In 1908-9 he lead the three man Northern Party to the South Magnetic Pole. With him was his former student, Douglas Mawson, and Alistair Forbes Mackay. This four month journey of 2027 km was the longest unsupported sled journey until the mid 1980’s (when radio and air rescue was available). It was a remarkable feat of endurance for the three men.
