They said it couldn’t be done. For years, the prosthetics industry focused on delivering incremental improvements to a pincer-like hand design that was not a true reflection of a human hand. The concept of a hand with articulating fingers was considered too great an engineering challenge for prosthetic device companies. While the industry stood still, a small company from Scotland was tearing up the rule book and forging ahead with the development of the i-LIMB Hand, the world’s first bionic hand. That company was Touch Bionics and this is their story.

The Gannochy Trust Innovation Award of the Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland’s highest accolade for individual achievement in innovation. Carrying a prize of £50,000, the award was established to encourage and reward Scotland’s young innovators. The 2008 winner is Dr Colin Urquhart, CEO of
Dimensional Imaging Ltd. Dimensional Imaging’s DI3D™ system is the first commercial application in the world that uses passive stereo photogrammetry to derive accurate, high resolution 3D surface images from only a stereo pair of images acquired using standard digital stills cameras. DI3D™ systems are being used worldwide in fields as diverse as orthodotics, plastic surgery, burns treatment, dermatology, psychology and entertainment.

Alcohol misuse not only affects the health and welfare of individuals but also has a major impact on family relationships, communities and society as a whole. More people than ever are drinking excessively and trends in alcohol related harm are rising. Scotland has the fastest growing rate of chronic liver disease in Europe. Alcohol problems cost Scotland at least £2.2
billion a year and place a significant strain on the resources of the NHS and emergency services. What are the drivers of this? Through exploring the fi elds of genetics, neurochemistry, and psychology through to the current hedonistic social culture, this unique conference aims to look closely at the psychoactive and addictive nature of alcohol, and how its influence in these fields interplay from molecular to societal levels.

This Discussion Forum explored Scotland’s love affair with
alcohol and asked how unique these problems are? Are we drinking more than our international cousins? And what is the real effect that this is having on our mental and physical health? Our panel of experts discussed the social factors that may lead to binge-drinking and alcoholism and demonstrated the neurological effects of our nation’s favourite drug.

Professor John Beddington delivered a talk on global challenges in a changing world. Over the coming decades, humankind will be presented with some enormous and intimately linked challenges such as population growth, urbanisation and food, water and energy security. The enormity of the task to address these issues will be made all the greater by changes to the Earth’s climate. A co-ordinated, holistic and integrated approach is needed to help meet these problems. This lecture summarised these challenges, focused on the importance of collaboration between science disciplines and between countries, and described a number of the science and technology solutions available to us.

In the context of new nations and nationalisms, and government cultural policies, how do institutions representing different art forms respond to the challenge of being ‘National’? In this seminar, a panel of guests representing prestigious Galleries and Museums throughout the UK and Ireland will debate the challenges involved in operating under a ‘National’ remit. Questions to be addressed include the challenge of achieving and maintaining artistic excellence; the duty to preserve and nurture our national heritage while encouraging experimental work and the importance of playing a leading role in the strategic development and organisation of the art form nationally.

Lord Wilson of Tillyorn will give the Scottish Government’s lecture in the annual Edinburgh Lecture series, when he will discuss The Rising Power of China: How Should We React?

Tickets can be obtained at a cost of £3.00 each from The Hub Box Office, Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE. Tel 0131 473 2000. Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm.

Burns’ impact on the world can be measured by his influence on readers in the Scottish diaspora and English-speaking communities, on readers elsewhere and, finally, on members of English-speaking colonial elites, especially in British India. Neal Ascherson will examine why the effect of Burns on the literature and imagination of the world was much less than that of Scott and Ossian. It is ironic that Burns was a writer of internationalist ambition, while the other two essentially exalted a national culture. Where his influence was strongest in oter language-cultures (e.g. Russia), it was often because he was appropriated as almost a domestic poet of that culture.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, in honour of Robert Burns' 2009 celebration, will be holding a special Burns Supper.
Contributions will be made during the Supper by Mr Clark McGinn and the renowned Scottish singer/songwriter Gill Bowman one of the finest interpreters of Robert Burns' songs performing today.

Diners will be able to listen to some of the best Scottish music and enjoy the finest of Scottish produce within the dining rooms of the prestigious New Club with the stunning views of Edinburgh Castle forming a perfect backdrop for this celebration dinner.

Featuring Harald Kosik on piano, Verena Stourhz on violin and Hannes Gradwolh playing cello the Haydn Trio Esissenstadt is one of Austria’s leading chamber music ensembles. Since 2002 the trio have worked closely with the renowned Scottish Singers Lorna Anderson (Soprano) and Jamie MacDougall (Tenor). The Royal Society of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh are delighted to be able to bring to Edinburgh , for one night only, Jamie, Lorna and the Haydn trio Esienstadt and watch all five performers breathe new life into Haydn’s Scottish songs. The evening offers further surprises with an exciting link up with one of Scotland’s pre-eminent composers of this generation James MacMillan FRSE. The five perform his newest, as yet untitled, Scottish themed piece of work.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh is organising a major one-day conference on ‘Robert Burns and Global Culture’ in 2009. The conference will reflect on issues such as the global reputation of Burns, the translation and reception of Burns in world literatures, the influence of Burns on the image of Scotland abroad, and the continuing celebration of Burns in global culture in statues, music and Burns Supper events. As Scotland’s National Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh has decided to host this conference on Scotland’s national bard as one of a series of global events to commemorate Burns on the 250th anniversary of his birth.
There will be contributions from leading Burns scholars from around the world, and there will be plenty of scheduled time for discussion as well as a session on the latest research on Burns.
Sheena Wellington and Kirsteen McCue will perform at a musical lunch In the middle of the day. A number of additional activities are planned to complement the main conference including a keynote public lecture, a classic Burns Supper with a leading after-dinner speaker and a Burns inspired concert.