British Association for the Advancement of Science

The British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, (founded 1831) is a learned society

Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...

with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between scientific workers. Membership is open to all.

Foundation

It was founded in 1831 and modelled on the German Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte. The prime mover (who is regarded as the founder) was Reverend William Vernon Harcourt

William Vernon Harcourt (scientist)

William Vernon Harcourt was founder of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.-Family:He was born at Sudbury, Derbyshire, a younger son of Edward Vernon-Harcourt, Archbishop of York and his wife Lady Anne Leveson-Gower, who was a daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of...

, following a suggestion by Sir David Brewster

David Brewster

Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA FSSA MICE was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, writer and university principal.-Early life:...

, who was disillusioned with the elitist and conservative attitude of the Royal Society

Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...

. Another founder was J. F. W. Johnston

James Finlay Weir Johnston

James Finlay Weir Johnston, FRS was a Scottish agricultural chemist.Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Johnston was educated at University of Glasgow, acquired a fortune by his marriage in 1830, and devoted himself to studying chemistry. He visited the chemist J. J...

. The first meeting was held in York

York

York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

(at the Yorkshire Museum) on Tuesday 27 September 1831 with various scientific papers being presented on the following days. It was chaired by Lord Milton, President of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, and "upwards of 300 gentlemen" attended the meeting . The Preston Mercury recorded that those gathered consisted of "persons of distinction from various parts of the kingdom, together with several of the gentry of Yorkshire and the members of philosopher societies in this country". The newspaper published the names of over a hundred of those attending and these included, amongst others, eighteen clergymen, eleven doctors, four knights, two Viscounts and one Lord.

From that date onwards a meeting was held annually at a place chosen at a previous meeting. In 1832, for example, the meeting was held in Oxford, chaired by Reverend Dr William Buckland

William Buckland

The Very Rev. Dr William Buckland DD FRS was an English geologist, palaeontologist and Dean of Westminster, who wrote the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, which he named Megalosaurus...

. By this stage the Association had four sections: Physics (including Mathematics and Mechanical Arts), Chemistry (including Mineralogy and Chemical Arts), Geology (including Geography) and Natural History.

One of the most famous events linked to the Association Meeting was an exchange between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce

Samuel Wilberforce

Samuel Wilberforce was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his time and place...

in 1860 (see the 1860 Oxford evolution debate

1860 Oxford evolution debate

The 1860 Oxford evolution debate took place at the Oxford University Museum on 30 June 1860, seven months after the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Several prominent British scientists and philosophers participated, including Thomas Henry Huxley, Bishop Samuel...

). Although it is often described as a "debate", the exchange occurred after the presentation of a paper by Prof Draper of New York, on the intellectual development of Europe with relation to Darwin's theory (one of a number of scientific papers presented during the week) and the subsequent discussion involved a number of other participants (although Wilberforce and Huxley were the most prominent). Although a number of newspapers made passing references to the exchange, it was not until later that it was accorded greater significance in the evolution debate.

Ironically, perhaps the Association's most momentous influence on science was in 1878 when a committee of the Association recommended against constructing Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...

's analytical engine

Analytical engine

The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English mathematician Charles Babbage. It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's difference engine, a design for a mechanical calculator...

.

The Association was parodied by English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

novelist Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...

as 'The Mudfog Society for the Advancement of Everything' in The Mudfog Papers
The Mudfog Papers
The Mudfog Papers was written by Victorian era novelist Charles Dickens and published from 1837–38 in the monthly literary serial Bentley's Miscellany, which he then edited....

(1837 – 38).

Perception of science in the UK

The Association's main aim is to improve the perception of science and scientists in the UK. In many ways this is similar to EngineeringUK

EngineeringUK

EngineeringUK, formerly the Engineering and Technology Board , is an independent, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to promote the contribution that engineers, and engineering and technology, make to society...

(run by the Engineering Council).

Yorkshireman Prof Sir George Porter

George Porter

George Hornidge Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham, OM, FRS was a British chemist.- Life :Porter was born in Stainforth, near Thorne, South Yorkshire. He was educated at Thorne Grammar School, then won a scholarship to the University of Leeds and gained his first degree in chemistry...

, on becoming President in September 1985, was scathing against so-called 'soft sciences' such as psychology, and even economics (both part of the Association). He claimed that academics in these areas were far too eager to try to put unsubstantiated assertions into practice on the public and that undergraduates were often taught unsubstantiated assertions, as if they had been established by rigorous scientific method. He claimed this was damaging the public perception of science.

The following September he said that the general level of scientific understanding in Britain was lamentably low, with many senior politicians, religious leaders and controllers of the media scientifically uneducated. He said of Britain's education system that although it provides the finest education anywhere for the young man or woman who wants to be an academic scientist, it leaves the majority ignorant of the scientific world where they will live and work and it was the duty of scientists to drag kicking and screaming into the twenty first century those who have no taste for the subject. On science education in schools he said of all the many crises in education and science, perhaps the most serious is the disappearing species of the good teacher of physics, mathematics and to a lesser extent the other sciences and that if it is allowed to go much further, there will be no recovery for generations, comparing it to China's Cultural Revolution

Cultural Revolution

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...

which he said produced a lost generation.

Sir Kenneth Durham, former Director of Research at Unilever

Unilever

Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....

, on becoming President in August 1987 followed on from Sir George Porter saying that science teachers needed extra pay to overcome the scarcity of mathematics and physics teachers in secondary schools, and that unless we deal with this as matter of urgency, the outlook for our manufacturing future is bleak. He regretted that headmasters and careers masters had for many years followed 'the cult of Oxbridge

Oxbridge

Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...

' because it carried more prestige to read Classics at Oxbridge and go into the Civil Service or banking, than to read engineering at, say, Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...

, and go into manufacturing industry
Manufacturing in the United Kingdom
In June 2010 British Manufacturing accounted for 8.2% of the workforce and 12% of the national output in June 2010. This was a continuation of the steady decline in the importance of Manufacturing to the Economy of the UK since the 1960s, although the sector was still important for overseas trade,...

. He said that reporting of sciences gave good coverage to medical science, but that nevertheless, editors ought to be sensitive to developments in areas such as solid state physics, astro-physics, colloid science, molecular biology, transmission of stimuli along nerve fibres, and so on, and that newspaper editors were in danger of waiting for disasters before the scientific factors involved in the incidence were explained.

In September 2001 Sir William Stewart, as outgoing president, warned that universities faced 'dumbing down

Dumbing down

Dumbing down is a pejorative term for a perceived trend to lower the intellectual content of literature, education, news, and other aspects of culture...

' and that we can deliver social inclusiveness, and the best universities, but not both from a limited amount of money. We run the risk of doing neither well. Universities are underfunded, and must not be seen simply as a substitute for National Service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...

to keep youngsters off the dole queue
Unemployment in the United Kingdom
Unemployment in the United Kingdom is measured by the Office for National Statistics and in June 2011 it stood at 7.7 per cent, or 2.45 million people, of whom 1.52 million claim benefits from Jobseeker's Allowance. The figures are compiled through the Labour Force Survey, which asks a sample of...

. He also said scientists have to be careful and consider the full implications of what they are seeking to achieve. The problem with some clever people is that they find cleverer ways of being stupid.

In September 2003 Sir Peter Williams, the outgoing preseident, said that the world was facing a shortage of scientists because too many young people dropped the subject at an early age.

Annual Festival of Science

The Association's major emphasis in recent decades has been on public engagement in science

Public understanding of science

Public understanding of science may refer to:* Public Understanding of Science , an academic journal* Public awareness of science...

. Its annual meeting, now called the British Science Festival, is the largest public showcase for science in the U.K.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

and attracts a great deal of media attention. It is held at UK universities in early September for one week, with visits to science-related local cultural attractions. The 2010 Festival, held in Birmingham with Aston University

Aston University

Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...

as lead University partner, featured a prank event; the unveiling of Dulcis foetidus, a fictional plant purported to emit a pungent odour. An experiment in herd mentality, some audience members were induced into believing they could smell it. The Festival culminates every evening with the x-change

Community x-change

Community x-change is an informal label for a variety of participatory action research practices that promote alternative principles of participation from those that currently dominate...

- a lively informal roundup of the day's events where festival-goers can ask questions, debate and unwind over a drink.

In 1970 there were protestors over the use of science for weapons.

Science Communication Conference

The Association holds an annual Science Communication Conference, the largest in the UK, which addresses the key issues facing science communicators. Each year it brings together 350 delegates involved in public engagement; from science educators, science centre communicators, journalists, scientists and policy makers. This year the Conference is on 25 and 26 May 2011 at King's Place, London and the theme is 'Online Engagement'

National Science & Engineering Week

In addition to the Festival of Science, the British Science Association organises the UK National Science & Engineering Week

National Science Week

National Science Week refers to series of science-related events for the general public which are held in a specific countries during a designated week of the year...

, an opportunity for people of all ages to get involved in science, engineering and technology activities, orginiating as the National Week of Science, Engineering and Technology.

The Association also has a young people's programme, which seeks to involve school students in science beyond the school curriculum, and to encourage them to consider higher education and careers in science.

Name change

In 2009 the Association rebranded itself and now uses the trading name British Science Association instead of the BA. The new name is often abbreviated to BSA in the media, but this is not encouraged by the Association.

Presidents of the British Science Association

2010-11: David Sainsbury, Lord Sainsbury of Turville
2009-10: Robert May, Baron May of Oxford
Robert May, Baron May of Oxford
Robert McCredie May, Baron May of Oxford, OM, AC, PRS is an Australian scientist who has been Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, President of the Royal Society, and a Professor at Sydney and Princeton. He now holds joint professorships at Oxford, and Imperial College London...
2007-08: Sir David King
David King (scientist)
Sir David Anthony King FRS is the Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, Director of Research in Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, Director of the Collegio Carlo Alberto, Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and a senior...

, Government Chief Scientific Adviser from 2000-08
2006-07: John Browne, Lord Browne of Madingley
John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley
Edmund John Philip Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley, FRS FREng is President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was group Chief Executive of BP until his resignation on 1 May 2007...
2005-06: Frances Cairncross
Frances Cairncross
Frances Anne Cairncross CBE is a British economist, journalist and academic.Cairncross read Modern History at St Anne's College, Oxford, graduating in 1965, and holds an MA in Economics from Brown University, Rhode Island....

CBE, economist
2004-05: Prof Robert Winston, Lord Winston of Hammersmith
Robert Winston
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston is a British professor, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter and politician.-Early life and education :...
2003-04: Dame Julia Higgins
Julia Higgins
Dame Julia Stretton Higgins, DBE, FRS, FREng is Professor of Polymer Science in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College London...
2002-03: Sir Peter Williams
Peter Williams (physicist)
Sir Peter Michael Williams, CBE, FREng, FRS is a British physicist.Williams completed his first degree and PhD at the University of Cambridge, and began an academic career at Selwyn College. He then moved to industry and worked first at VG Instruments and later Oxford Instruments...

CBE,
2000-01: Sir William Stewart
William Stewart (scientist)
Sir William Duncan Paterson Stewart, FRS, FRSE was President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1999–2002 and Chairman of the Microbiological Research Authority...

, Government Chief Scientific Adviser from 1990-95
1999-2000: Anne, Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
1998-99: Sir Richard Sykes, biochemist and Chief Executive from 1993-7 of Glaxo
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
1997-98 Prof Colin Blakemore
Colin Blakemore
Professor Colin Blakemore, Ph.D., FRS, FMedSci, HonFSB, HonFRCP, is a British neurobiologist who is Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and University of Warwick specialising in vision and the development of the brain. He was formerly Chief Executive of the British Medical...

, neuroscientist
Neuroscientist
A neuroscientist is an individual who studies the scientific field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields...
1996-97: Sir Derek Roberts
Derek Roberts
Derek Roberts twice served as provost of University College London, firstly from 1989 to 1999 and later from 2002 to 2003....

CBE, electronics engineer, and Provost of UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

from 1989-99
1995-96: Ronald Oxburgh, Baron Oxburgh
Ronald Oxburgh, Baron Oxburgh
Ernest Ronald Oxburgh, Baron Oxburgh, KBE, FRS is an eminent geologist and geophysicist. Lord Oxburgh is well known for his work as a public advocate in both academia and the business world in addressing the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and develop alternative energy sources as well as...

, geologist and Rector of Imperial College London from 1993-2000
1993-94: Dame Anne McLaren
Anne McLaren
The Hon. Dame Anne Laura Dorinthea McLaren, DBE, FRS, FRCOG was the daughter of Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway and Christabel McNaughten. She became a leading figure in developmental biology. Her work helped lead to human in vitro fertilisation...

, IVF biologist
1992-93: Sir David Weatherall
David Weatherall
Sir David John Weatherall is a British physician and researcher in molecular genetics, haematology, pathology and clinical medicine....

, haemotologist
Hematology
Hematology, also spelled haematology , is the branch of biology physiology, internal medicine, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases...
1991-92 Sir David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
1990-91: Sir Denis Rooke
Denis Rooke
Sir Denis Eric Rooke, OM, CBE, FRS, FREng was a British industrialist and engineer.-Personal life:Rooke was born in New Cross, London, the younger son of F. G. Rooke. He studied Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at University College London, then served in REME until 1949, attaining...
1989-90: Claus Moser, Baron Moser
Claus Moser, Baron Moser
Claus Adolf Moser, Baron Moser, KCB, CBE is a British statistician who has made major contributions in both academia and the Civil Service...

, Director from 1967-78 of the Central Statistical Office
1988-89: Sir Samuel Edwards
Sam Edwards (physicist)
Sir Samuel Frederick Edwards FLSW FRS is a British physicist.-Early life and studies:Sir Samuel was born on 1 February 1928 in Swansea, the son of Richard and Mary Jane Edwards....

, physicist
1987-88: Sir Walter Bodmer
Walter Bodmer
Sir Walter Bodmer is a German-born British human geneticist. His father being Jewish, the family left Germany in 1938 and settled in Manchester. Bodmer has developed models for population genetics and done work on the human leukocyte antigen system and the use of somatic cell hybrids for human...

, geneticist
1986-87 Sir Kenneth Durham, Chairman from 1982-6 of Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
1985-86: Prof George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham
George Porter
George Hornidge Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham, OM, FRS was a British chemist.- Life :Porter was born in Stainforth, near Thorne, South Yorkshire. He was educated at Thorne Grammar School, then won a scholarship to the University of Leeds and gained his first degree in chemistry...

, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

winning (1967) chemist
1984-85: Prof Sir Hans Kornberg
Hans Kornberg
Professor Sir Hans Leo Kornberg, FRS is a British biochemist.-Early Life, Education and Career:Kornberg was born in 1928 in Germany of Jewish parents. In 1939 he left Nazi Germany , and moved to the care of an uncle in Yorkshire...

, biochemist
1982-83: Sir Basil John Mason
Basil John Mason
Sir John Mason, CB, FRCP, FRCPEd, FRFPS, FRS is an expert on cloud physics and former Director of the UK Meteorological Office.His work includes the Mason Equation, giving the growth or evaporation of small water droplets...

CB, Director-General from 1965-83 of the Met Office
1980-81: HRH the Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
The Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...
1979-80: Frederick Dainton, Baron Dainton
Frederick Dainton, Baron Dainton
Frederick Sydney Dainton, Baron Dainton FRS was a British academic chemist and university administrator.A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, he was Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Leeds, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, Professor of Chemistry at Oxford and...
1978-79: Frank Kearton, Baron Kearton OBE,
1977-78: Prof Dorothy Hodgkin, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

winning (1964) chemist
1976-77: Sir Andrew Huxley
Andrew Huxley
Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley, OM, FRS is an English physiologist and biophysicist, who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his experimental and mathematical work with Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin on the basis of nerve action potentials, the electrical impulses that enable the activity...

, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...

winning (1963) physiologist, known for discovering nerve action potential
Action potential
In physiology, an action potential is a short-lasting event in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls, following a consistent trajectory. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, called excitable cells, which include neurons, muscle cells, and...

s
1975-76: John Baker, Baron Baker
John Baker, Baron Baker
John Fleetwood Baker, Baron Baker OBE was a British scientist and structural engineer.-Early life:Baker was born in Liscard, Cheshire, a son of J.W. Baker and Emily Fleetwood...

OBE, structural engineer known for limit state design
Limit state design
Limit state design refers to a design method used in structural engineering. A limit state is a condition of a structure beyond which it no longer fulfills the relevant design criteria. The condition may refer to a degree of loading or other actions on the structure, while the criteria refers to...
1973-74: Sir John Kendrew
John Kendrew
Sir John Cowdery Kendrew, CBE, FRS was an English biochemist and crystallographer who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Max Perutz; their group in the Cavendish Laboratory investigated the structure of heme-containing proteins.-Biography:He was born in Oxford, son of Wilford George...

CBE, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

winning (1962) biochemist who discovered the structure of myoglobin
Myoglobin
Myoglobin is an iron- and oxygen-binding protein found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates in general and in almost all mammals. It is related to hemoglobin, which is the iron- and oxygen-binding protein in blood, specifically in the red blood cells. The only time myoglobin is found in the...
1969-70: Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd
Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd
Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron Todd, OM, PRS FRSE was a Scottish biochemist whose research on the structure and synthesis of nucleotides, nucleosides, and nucleotide coenzymes gained him the 1957 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.Todd was born near Glasgow, attended Allan Glen's School and graduated from...

, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

winning (1957) biochemist known for nucleotide
Nucleotide
Nucleotides are molecules that, when joined together, make up the structural units of RNA and DNA. In addition, nucleotides participate in cellular signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions...

s and coenzyme
Cofactor (biochemistry)
A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity. These proteins are commonly enzymes, and cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that assist in biochemical transformations....

s
1967-68: Dame Kathleen Lonsdale
Kathleen Lonsdale
Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, DBE FRS was a crystallographer, who established the structure of benzene by X-ray diffraction methods in 1929, and hexachlorobenzene by Fourier spectral methods in 1931...

, physicist who discovered the cyclic nature of benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....

in 1929
1964-65: Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood
Cyril Norman Hinshelwood
Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood OM PRS was an English physical chemist.Born in London, his parents were Norman Macmillan Hinshelwood, a chartered accountant, and Ethe Frances née Smith. He was educated first in Canada, returning in 1905 on the death of his father to a small flat in Chelsea where he...

, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

winning (1956) chemist
1962-63: Eric Ashby, Baron Ashby
Eric Ashby, Baron Ashby
Eric Ashby, Baron Ashby FRS was a British botanist and educator.Born in Leytonstone in Essex, he was educated at the City of London School and the Royal College of Science, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science. He was then demonstrator at the Imperial College from 1926 to 1929...

, Vice-Chancellor from 1950-59 of Queen's University Belfast
1961-62: Sir John Cockcroft
John Cockcroft
Sir John Douglas Cockcroft OM KCB CBE FRS was a British physicist. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for splitting the atomic nucleus with Ernest Walton, and was instrumental in the development of nuclear power....

CBE, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...

winning (1951) physicist
1956-57: Sir Raymond Priestley
Raymond Priestley
Sir Raymond Edward Priestley was a British geologist and early Antarctic explorer.-Biography:Raymond Priestley was born in Bredon's Norton,Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in 1886, the second son and second of eight children of Joseph Edward Priestley, headmaster of Tewkesbury grammar school, and his...

, geologist and Vice-Chancellor from 1938-52 of the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
1939-40: Sir Albert Charles Seward
Albert Charles Seward
Albert Charles Seward FRS was a British botanist and geologist.-Life:His first education was at Lancaster Grammar School and then on to St. John's College at Cambridge following his parents' wish to dedicate his life to the Church...

, geologist
1938-39: Robert Strutt, 4th Baron Rayleigh, physicist and son of nobel prize winning John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh
1937-38: Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton
Edward Bagnall Poulton
Sir Edward Bagnall Poulton, FRS was a British evolutionary biologist who was a lifelong advocate of natural selection...

, evolutionary biologist
1936-37: Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp
Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp
Josiah Charles Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, Bt, GCB, GBE, FBA, was a British civil servant, industrialist, economist, statistician, writer, and banker. He was a director of the Bank of England and chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.Josiah was born in London, the third of seven...

, statistician
1935-36: William Whitehead Watts
William Whitehead Watts
William Whitehead Watts was a British geologist. He was born at Broseley and educated at Denstone College, and at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, of which he was a fellow in 1888–94, and he was also an extension lecturer of the university in 1882–91...

, geologist
1934-35: Sir James Hopwood Jeans
James Hopwood Jeans
Sir James Hopwood Jeans OM FRS MA DSc ScD LLD was an English physicist, astronomer and mathematician.-Background:...

, astronomer
1933-34: Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...

winning (1929) biochemist who discovered vitamins
1932-33: Sir James Alfred Ewing
James Alfred Ewing
Sir James Alfred Ewing KCB FRS FRSE MInstitCE was a Scottish physicist and engineer, best known for his work on the magnetic properties of metals and, in particular, for his discovery of, and coinage of the word, hysteresis.It was said of Ewing that he was 'Careful at all times of his appearance,...

, physicist and Vice-Chancellor from 1916-29 of the University of Edinburgh
1916-19: Sir Arthur Evans
Arthur Evans
Sir Arthur John Evans FRS was a British archaeologist most famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos on the Greek island of Crete and for developing the concept of Minoan civilization from the structures and artifacts found there and elsewhere throughout eastern Mediterranean...

, archaeologist
1915-16: Sir Arthur Schuster
Arthur Schuster
Sir Franz Arthur Friedrich Schuster FRS was a German-born British physicist known for his work in spectroscopy, electrochemistry, optics, X-radiography and the application of harmonic analysis to physics...

, physicist
1908-09: Sir Francis Darwin
Francis Darwin
Sir Francis "Frank" Darwin, FRS , a son of the British naturalist and scientist Charles Darwin, followed his father into botany.-Biography:Francis Darwin was born in Down House, Downe, Kent in 1848...

, son of Charles
1907-08: Sir David Gill
David Gill (astronomer)
Sir David Gill FRS was a Scottish astronomer who is known for measuring astronomical distances, for astrophotography, and for geodesy. He spent much of his career in South Africa.- Life and work :...

CB, astronomer
1906-07: Sir Ray Lankester
Ray Lankester
Sir E. Ray Lankester KCB, FRS was a British zoologist, born in London.An invertebrate zoologist and evolutionary biologist, he held chairs at University College London and Oxford University. He was the third Director of the Natural History Museum, and was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal...

, zoologist
1905-06: Sir George Darwin
George Darwin
Sir George Howard Darwin, FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician.-Biography:Darwin was born at Down House, Kent, the second son and fifth child of Charles and Emma Darwin...

, older brother of Francis
1900-01: Sir William Turner
William Turner (University Principal)
Sir William Turner was a British anatomist and was the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1903 to 1916....

, anatomist and Vice-Chancellor from 1903-16 of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
1899-1900: Sir Michael Foster
Michael Foster (physiologist)
Sir Michael Foster was an English physiologist.He was born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and educated at University College School, London....

, physiologist
1897-98: John Evans
John Evans (archaeologist)
Sir John Evans, KCB, FRS was an English archaeologist and geologist.-Biography:John Evans was the son of the Rev. Dr A. B. Evans, headmaster of Market Bosworth Grammar School, and was born at Britwell Court, Buckinghamshire...

, archaeologist
1896-97: Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister OM, FRS, PC , known as Sir Joseph Lister, Bt., between 1883 and 1897, was a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery, who promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary...
1893-94: Sir John Scott Burdon-Sanderson
John Scott Burdon-Sanderson
Sir John Scott Burdon-Sanderson, Bt., F.R.S. was an English physiologist born near Newcastle upon Tyne. A member of a well known Northumbrian family, he received his medical education at the University of Edinburgh and at Paris...

, medical doctor
1892-93: Sir Archibald Geikie
Archibald Geikie
Sir Archibald Geikie, OM, KCB, PRS, FRSE , was a Scottish geologist and writer.-Early life:Geikie was born in Edinburgh in 1835, the eldest son of musician and music critic James Stuart Geikie...

, geologist
1889-90: Sir William Henry Flower
William Henry Flower
Sir William Henry Flower KCB FRCS FRS was an English comparative anatomist and surgeon. Flower became a leading authority on mammals, and especially on the primate brain...

CB, anatomist
1888-89: Sir Frederick Bramwell
Frederick Bramwell
Sir Frederick Joseph Bramwell, 1st Baronet FRS was a British civil and mechanical engineer. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1873 and served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers between December 1884 and May 1886 and the President, British Association in 1888...

, civil engineer
1887-88: Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe
Henry Enfield Roscoe
Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe, FRS was an English chemist. He is particularly noted for early work on vanadium and for photochemical studies.- Life and work :...

, chemist
1886-87: Sir John William Dawson
John William Dawson
Sir John William Dawson, CMG, FRS, FRSC , was a Canadian geologist and university administrator.- Life and work :...

CMG, geologist
1883-84: Arthur Cayley
Arthur Cayley
Arthur Cayley F.R.S. was a British mathematician. He helped found the modern British school of pure mathematics....

, mathematician
1881-82: John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury PC , FRS , known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was a polymath and Liberal Member of Parliament....
1879-80: George James Allman
George James Allman
George James Allman FRS , M.D., Emeritus Professor of Natural History in Edinburgh, was an eminent Irish naturalist.-Life:...

, naturalist
1875-76: Philip Sclater
Philip Sclater
Philip Lutley Sclater was an English lawyer and zoologist. In zoology, he was an expert ornithologist, and identified the main zoogeographic regions of the world...

, zoologist

2010 Media Fellows

2010: Dr. Becky Hothersall, BBC Countryfile
2010: Dr. Howard Falcon-Lang, BBC Radio
2010: Dr. Monica Desai, The Guardian
2010: Dr. Felix Greaves, The Financial Times
2010: Dr. Jean Adams, The Times
2010: Dr. Colette Jones, The Scotsman
2010: Dr. Alison Jones, The Irish Times
2010: Dr. Katie Alcock, BBC Radio
2010: Dr. Catherine Davies, Times Higher Education
2010: Dr. Kate Larkin, Nature

1987-2009 details at www.britishscienceassociation.org/mediafellows

External links

British Science Association
British Science Association page on the history of the BA
BHL Digitised Reports 1833-1937
Reports of the meetings 1877-90 are available on Gallica

Video clips

British Science Association YouTube channel

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.