Geology’s “rock star” to go underground- Saturday Evening Lecture on 22nd March
Published On Fri 14 Mar 2014 by Grant Hill
Renowned geologist and broadcaster Professor Iain Stewart will take his audience on a tour beneath the surface of the UK during the next Saturday Evening Lecture at the University of Dundee.
Professor Stewart’s talk, entitled ‘Underground Britain: The new geological front-line’ takes place at the Dalhousie Building on Saturday, 22nd March, and will see him outline how geology is increasingly intruding into the everyday lives of ordinary people.
The East Kilbride-born scientist is Professor of Geoscience Communication at the University of Plymouth, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and a member of the Scientific Board of UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme.
Professor Stewart has been described as geology’s “rock star” and is best known to the public as the presenter of a number of science programmes, including the BAFTA-nominated ‘Earth: The Power of the Planet’ while ‘Making Scotland’s Landscape’, a major BBC Two series, saw Professor Stewart examine how centuries of human activity have changed Scotland’s landscape.
Despite the fact Scotland is celebrated for its unique 'natural' beauty, he revealed how every square inch of Scotland's landscape has been affected by centuries of human activity, focussing on five key areas – trees, land, sea, water and climate.
The relationship between humans and the land they walk on will be revisited in his Dundee talk as Professor Stewart examines recent developments that have made the subject of geology more relevant to inhabitants of the UK than ever before.
He said, “Whether it be drilling and fracking for onshore oil and gas, deep injection of water for geothermal power, or underground storage of carbon dioxide and radioactive waste, communities across Britain are being confronted with controversial geological interventions under their backyard.
“I will be exploring this 'land below ground', showing how it is playing an ever more important role in our modern world and asking what the public really knows, and wants to know, about what lies deep beneath their feet.”
2014 is the 90th anniversary of the University of Dundee’s Saturday Evening Lecture Series (SELS). As Scotland's oldest continuous free public lecture series, it attracts thousands of people each year eager to hear from prestigious, world-class speakers.
The tradition of holding public lectures dates right back to the founding of University College Dundee in 1881. The early professors and staff were keen to establish and strengthen ties with the people of Dundee and Tayside holding evening classes, giving public lectures and undertaking welfare projects.
The public lecture programmes reflected research interests of College staff as well as topics that were of a more general nature. The evening lectures as we know them today can be traced back to a series of lectures held jointly with the Dundee Naturalists Society beginning with a lecture by Principal John Yule Mackay on Primitive Man in October 1924.
‘Underground Britain: The new geological front-line’ takes place at the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, on Saturday, 22nd March at 6pm. A book signing and drinks reception will follow the talk.
Free tickets for this event are available from events@dundee.ac.uk, www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets, Tower Building Reception or by calling 01382 385564/385108.
Please note that overflow theatres may be in use and the Main Lecture Theatre is filled on a first come, first seated basis.