RAS Bulletin, December 2017

• Specialist Discussion Meeting – 8th December
• RAS Public Lecture: How the Earth Works: 50 years of Plate Tectonics 12th December
• Astronomically Big Data: Mapping the Galaxy and Planetary Interiors
• The Extremely Large Telescope: UK Community Day
• RAS Job List
• Friends of the RAS
• Notes for Fellows

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RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting - 8th December

Dynamic coupling in the terrestrial atmosphere (joint with RMetSoc)
10:30–15:30 in the Royal Astronomical Society Lecture Theatre, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BQ
Organisers: Tracy Moffat-Griffin (BAS)
Andrew Kavanagh (BAS)
Nick Mitchell (Bath)
Alan Gadian (Leeds)

The link between AGN and galaxy formation
10:30–15:30 in the Geological Society Lecture Theatre, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG
Organisers: Peter Thomas (Sussex)
                       James Mullaney (Sheffield)

More information can be found on our website: http://www.ras.org.uk/events-and-meetings

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RAS Public Lecture: How the Earth Works: 50 years of Plate Tectonics by Dr Sue Bowler, A&G Editor. 12th December

1967 was the year when modern geophysics began; this was the year when plate tectonics became the new paradigm for understanding our home planet. This revolutionary new way of thinking about the Earth took place because of new technology, including the advent of computers in scientific research that radically changed both the amount and quality of observations of our planet. Dan McKenzie of the University of Cambridge was one of a handful of researchers worldwide who established this new model of the Earth with a key paper published in 1967; this talk uses his archive to show how geophysics revealed the history of the oceans, the origins and locations of vast hydrocarbon deposits, and the mechanisms behind volcanic eruptions and dangerous continental earthquakes – and what it can tell us about the possibility of life on other planets.

The Geological Society, Burlington House,LONDON,W1J 0BG 13:00 – 14:00

The Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House,LONDON,W1J 0BQ 18:00 - 19:00 (booking required) ______________________________________
Astronomically Big Data: Mapping the Galaxy and Planetary Interiors

Our understanding of the natural world depends on our ability to decode signals contained in terabytes and exabytes of data. We predict earthquakes from seismic signals and map the Universe by analysing light signals.

Yet the volume of data is such that even supercomputers face being overloaded with sensory data. Join us to find out how researchers are able to utilise technology to overcome sensory overload, and how their discoveries derive from extracting signals from the noise.

Details of the event can also be found on Meetup where one can register to attend.

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The Extremely Large Telescope: UK Community Day

A RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting organised by *Aprajita Verma (Oxford), Chris Evans; Sandi Wilson; Isobel Hook
*contact [log in to unmask]

With a primary mirror of 39 m in diameter, ESO's Extremely Large Telescope will be the world's largest telescope in the visible to infrared wavelength range. The ELT will open a new regime in sensitivity and resolution revealing unparalleled insights into our Universe and has strong synergies with other existing and forthcoming complementary facilities including JWST, ALMA, LSST, SKA, EUCLID, Athena among others. As construction of the ELT is well underway with first light foreseen for 2024, the UK ELT Community Day brings together the community with instrument and project experts to review the status of the ELT and its instrument suite, in which UK scientists have prominent roles. This SD meeting will provide an overview of the capabilities of the ELT and key science cases to encourage preparation of early science programmes and to stimulate precursor studies. There will be opportunity for discussion and Q&A with the ELT Project Scientist and instrument experts.

Please register and submit your abstracts by 15th December 2017. https://sites.google.com/view/ukeltcommunityday2018/registration?authuser=0

https://sites.google.com/view/ukeltcommunityday2018

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RAS JOB LIST

The RAS Jobs List service provides email alerts for new posts for jobseekers, together with an online archive of previous mailings. For advertisers, it provides a free, moderated distribution service. Anyone can post or subscribe to the list.

For further information visit:
http://www.ras.org.uk/education-and-careers/208-miscellaneous/221-jobslist
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FRIENDS OF THE RAS

If you know someone interested in astronomy that enjoys attending popular lectures and social events why not tell them about the 'Friends of the RAS'?

See: http://friends.ras.org.uk/
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NOTES FOR FELLOWS

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