Author Archives: Tom Ireland
The Biologist says goodbye to plastic wrap
This week, when unwrapping your lovely new edition of The Biologist, you might notice a slight difference: the clear protective polythene wrap has been replaced with a milky, biodegradable envelope. This fully compostable biopolymer, known as Mater-Bi, is composed of natural corn starch and vegetable oils. We will no longer use polythene, which is only … Continue reading
Plant Science at Christmas
Guest author Ian Street looks at the two occasions when the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures focused on plant science Inspiring future generations through science has been a key component of the Royal Institution and its annual Christmas Lectures – started by Michael Faraday in 1825. There have been two plant science Christmas lectures: one given by … Continue reading
The wolves of Isle Royale
Field biologist Joshua Powell describes how a grant from the Society took him to one of the most remote national parks in the USA. Find out how to apply for the latest round of grants – open now. The largest island on the largest freshwater lake in the world, Isle Royale is one of the most fascinating of … Continue reading
The Biologist launches dedicated website
By Tom Ireland, managing editor of the Society of Biology‘s magazine ‘The Biologist‘ The Biologist now has its own dedicated website, providing a much easier way for members and subscribers to access the best of the magazine’s content. Nearly two years’ worth of back issues are available as PDFs in the site’s Archive section, while … Continue reading
Olympic Bat Hunt
No, it’s not some cruel new sport for London 2012. This is Bats in Space, a collaboration between the artist Jeremy Deller and the Bat Conservation Trust. The project takes small groups around East London’s Olympic park at dusk, with bat detectors and adapted mobiles phones to make the high frequency bat calls audible and … Continue reading
Science, sport, and politics combine for Parliamentary Links Day
Around 250 MPs and distinguished scientists gathered at the House of Commons to discuss Science and Sport, as the Society of Biology hosted the biggest ever Parliamentary Links Day. House of Commons speaker Rt Hon Jon Bercow MP opened the event, telling delegates that although there was a ‘great distance to travel’ in terms of … Continue reading