A puzzle from the past: Why did the Scottish Enlightenment Happen? Tom Devine examines the flowering of intellectual and scientific achievement in 18th century Scotland. Where were its roots? How did we become one of the most literate nations in Europe? Crucial questions answered by our pre-eminent national historian, one of Scotland's most incisive and popular thinkers.

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There were two great visions of the 18th century Enlightenment: the intellectual virtue of thinking for oneself rather than simply accepting the authority of others, and the moral virtue of tolerance as demonstrated in the willingness of those in power to permit people to express their ideas without fear of repression. Such freedom led to an extraordinary burst of creativity across the whole gamut of the arts, humanities and sciences.
Nowhere was the Enlightenment more spectacular than in Scotland, with figures such as David Hume, Adam Smith, Joseph Black, James Hutton, Henry Raeburn and Robert Burns working in Edinburgh. Learned Academies became popular ways to encourage Enlightenment principles and practices, and Scotland’s first National Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, founded in 1783, continues to maintain the spirit and the values of the Scottish Enlightenment today.

Alexander Broadie FRSE, Professor of Logic and Rhetoric, University of Glasgow
Sir Timothy Clifford FRSE, former Director-General, National Galleries of Scotland
Julian Engberg, curator of The Enlightenments exhibition
Duncan Macmillan FRSE, art critic for the Scotsman

Maggie Gee, novelist
Knud Haakonssen FRSE, Professor of Intellectual History, University of Sussex
Michael Kantor, Artistic Director, Malthouse Melbourne
Tom Wright, playwright of the Malthouse Melbourne production Optimism

Anne Bogart, Artistic Director SITI Company
Lee Breuer, Co-Artistic Director of Mabou Mines
Roger L Emerson, Emeritus Professor, University of Western Ontarion, Canada
Paul Goring, Senior Lecturer, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim

The eye is an ‘organ of extreme perfection’ (Charles Darwin). Studying eye abnormalities in humans has provided strong insight into how the miracle of normal development takes place. Identifying several disease- causing genes has allowed us to dissect some of the mechanisms involved in controlling such complex processes. Using animal models, we have also explored how the final outcome may be influenced by environmental factors. The work presented will illustrate how many genes are required to work in concert to produce and sustain this finely-tuned organ.

Addressing human-induced climate change, the loss of biodiversity and natural resources (eg, water and soils) requires developing appropriate policies (national, regional and international), choosing appropriate technologies (current and future), getting the price right (eliminating harmful subsidies, internalising externalities, and valuing ecosystem services), and understanding behaviour (individual and public and private sector). It essential to recognise the interactions between climate change and biodiversity and natural resources in order to develop policies that are mutually re-inforcing (i.e., win-win).

Popular accounts of the development of Darwin’s thinking usually begin with an ignorant young man boarding HMS Beagle. This is far from the truth. In Cambridge he fell under the influence of John Henslow, Professor of Botany. Henslow pursued active research concerning the experimental determination of the nature of species. He approached this through a detailed analysis of variation in natural populations, the study of monstrosity to elucidate development, and the application of hybridisation to establish species limits. Henslow transmitted this approach to his favoured student Darwin, whose plant samples from the Beagle voyage directly reflect his teaching.

Martin Wolf will be well known to all as a highly respected commentator on economic and financial matters in the Financial Times and other elements of the media. Given the uncertainties surrounding the economic outlook, and prospects for the health of the financial sector and its regulation, it is too early to be definitive on Martin's topic for this seminar. What we can certainly say is that it will be exceptionally 'to the moment', well informed, accessible to a wide audience and relevant .

The meeting will be chaired by Ken Lyall, Walter Scott and Partners (and David Hume Institute Trustee).

Alternative medical treatments have been used for thousands of years but were mostly replaced with a more scientiFIc approach to the treatment of illness and disease in the last century. These practices are undergoing a resurgence of popularity within the public. What do these therapies offer that conventional medicine does not? How does patient care and safety compare within this and the conventional medical field. These questions and their possible answers will be explored by our panel of experts.

Although many thousands of people opt to use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) instead of, or as well as conventional medicines, many of these therapies are not supported by positive scientific evidence for specific effects. So what does a patient experience with CAM? What is the evidence to suggest these therapies work and how is it obtained? What should the public know about CAM and what information and support should conventional medical practioners be providing for them? These are a few of the questions that a programme of international speakers from both CAM and conventional medical backgrounds will attempt to answer.