George Boole 200

Good news for those who have been following the George Boole/Grenville Place saga which I've covered here for some time. 

It now seems likely that the building will be saved and re-purposed for civic/educational uses as part of the Year of George Boole in 2015.

Further details about Boole and the celebrations next year can be found in the wonderful new website:
http://georgeboole.com/

Who said chemistry wasn't fun?

A University College Cork video has been shortlisted by Times Higher Education (THE) as one of the best videos submitted for the World University Rankings.

The video features Declan Kennedy's fantastic Chemistry Magic Show which is a regular feature of Science Week at UCC and other outreach events. Filming and production is by Stephen Bean, also of UCC. Here's a short clip:

Culture Night - Science in the City

The public will get a chance to handle some ancient fossils, meet slithering reptiles and view some amazing carnivorous plants when the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences at UCC throws open its doors for Culture Night 2013 on September 20th.

This is the first year that BEES has participated in Culture Night and visitors will get a chance to see some unique animal specimens collected by Charles Darwin himself during his famous voyage aboard the Beagle. The School of BEES is one of just a tiny number of institutions worldwide that houses Darwin specimens.

BEES Culture Night organiser Tara Duggan says there will be lots to see during the family-friendly event: "Starting at the historic Cooperage building, once part of the Jameson Distillery, visitors can tour our geology garden, wind turbine, fish ponds, greenhouses and laboratories. They can also try their hand at some experiments and step back in time while browsing the exhibits of our natural history museum and dinosaur fossils".

Throughout Culture Night BEES staff and students will be giving rapid-fire talks and showing short films about our environment and the world-leading research going on at BEES.

Culture Night 2013 takes place on Friday September 20th. BEES will be open for visitors to drop in from 5pm-8.30pm, with guided tours taking place at regular intervals. info

For full details on Culture Night in Cork, see the Culture Night Cork website.

Image: Tomas Tyner/School of BEES, UCC

Irish deep sea research on National Geographic Channel

Image: VENTuRE Expedition

Irish research will take centre stage this weekend when UCC and NUIG research that has led to discoveries in the mid-Atlantic Ridge, which will feature in a National Geographic programme to be broadcast this Sunday, 28 October.

National Geographic has produced a five part series, The Alien Deep, which takes viewers into underwater worlds where no human has gone before.

The series takes viewers into an underwater world 3,000m deep, where, on the slopes of the Mid-Ocean ridges that divide the earth’s tectonic plates, chimney-like formations spew black plumes of superheated water, packed with chemicals, minerals and dissolved gases allowing life to thrive against the odds.

The scientific team leader was Dr Andy Wheeler, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork who worked with scientists from the National University of Ireland Galway, Geological Survey of Ireland, the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre in the UK. “It's great to see Ireland's expertise recognised on TV”, says Dr Wheeler.  “Discovering a new volcanic landscape three kilometres below was a thrill.”

The scientists were on board the Irish National Research Vessel, Celtic Explorer and used the Remotely Operated Vehicle Holland 1 - named for the Irish submarine pioneer John Philip Holland- for their explorations of the deep and was supported by the Marine Institute under the 2011 Ship-Time Programme of the National Development Plan. 

The team named the previously uncharted field of hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the first to be explored north of the Azores, the Moytirra Vent Field.  Moytirra is the name of a battlefield in Irish mythology, and appropriately means ‘Plain of the Pillars’. Patrick Collins from the Ryan Institute, NUI Galway led Ireland’s marine biological team on the survey.

The programme featuring Irish scientists will be broadcast this Sunday 28th October at 6pm on the National Geographic channel on Sky (channel 526) and also UPC (channel 215). The programme presenter is explorer Dr Robert Ballard who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic in 1985.

Edwin Butler Honoured

I've written before about Edwin Butler - the man who was born in Kilkee Co. Clare and went on to become known as the greatest plant pathologists and mycologists of his generation.

Now, Butler has been honoured in his native Kilkee with the unveiling of a plaque at Kilkee Library last month.

Born in Kilkee in 1874, Butler went on to study medicine at Queen's College Cork (now UCC) but never practiced. Developing an interest in fungi and plant pathology, he was eventually to become known as the "Father of Indian Plant Pathology" and the founding director of the Imperial Bureau of Mycology at Kew, London.

Butler's book 'Plant Pathology' was to become the international standard for teaching the subject. Butler was a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and he was knighted in 1939.

Tuesday's event was attended by Prof. Peter Jones, Acting Head of Plant Science at University College Cork who gave a brief outline of Butler's connection to Cork.

His Excellency, the Indian Ambassador to Ireland Mr. Debasish Chakravarti was also in attendance to mark Butler's contribution to science in India. The Mayor of Co. Clare, Pat Hayes unveiled a plaque in Butler's honour at the newly renovated Kilkee Library.

Another in series of fitting tributes to one of Ireland's neglected scientific heroes.

Boole's House: Problem hasn't gone away

The Evening Echo reports that after two and a half long years, the repair works to Grenville Place in Cork City are finally complete.

The quay wall was partially demolished here during the flooding of 2009. The roadway is directly adjacent to the former home of George Boole, a building which partially collapsed in October 2010.

Since then there has been pressure on those responsible, including Cork City Council to save the building and protect Cork's cultural, historic and scientific heritage.

Since Cork City Council had earlier stated that it would "subject to the consent of the owner, establish the level of interest in its future use/development, from the range of bodies which have expressed views to the Council on its historic importance" and given that the building now seems to be for sale on the open market, it's time to act.

The rebuilding of the quay wall was suggested as an obstacle to progressing the project. That obstacle has now, finally been cleared.

Given the length of time taken to deal with the quay wall, I won't hold my breath but Cork City Council and those responsible for the building's present condition would do well to hear that it hasn't gone away, you know.

Robinson: Science and Climate Justice

Mary Robinson delivered a lecture on Climate Justice at UCC's Centre for Global Development this week in which she encouraged citizens to put pressure on world leaders to take the issue of climate change seriously.

The former Irish President and and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also took the opportunity to highlight the recent Young Scientist Exhibition as a way of energising young people about science and technology.

Speaking of these young scientists she said, "They are the ones who will be the decisions makers, mothers, fathers and leaders in 2050 when the impacts of climate change are being acutely felt. They didn’t cause the problem, we who came before are responsible for that, but the burden of dealing with it will fall squarely on their shoulders".

Robinson also highlighted the news that NUI Maynooth's Combat Diseases of Poverty Consortium are to organise a young scientists exhibition in Tanzania: "Students there have an even more immediate need to understand the impacts of climate change and to find solutions to the problems it creates. Schools, universities and colleges need to equip students from Cork to Dar es Salaam with the skills they will need to navigate their way through an ever changing world."

"get young people energized and involved in science and technology - so that they can shape the world of 2050 and make it a better place to live" Now President of the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice (MRFCJ), Robinson was enthusiastic about upcoming science events in 2012. "In May the World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy takes place in Dublin and in July, Dublin will be the City of Science hosting Europe’s largest science conference, the Euroscience Open Forum. A programme of science-related events and activities are being held throughout the year across the island of Ireland to showcase the latest advances in science and technology and to stimulate and provoke public interest, excitement and debate about science and technology. I hope this can build on the work of the Young Scientist Exhibition to get young people energized and involved in science and technology - so that they can shape the world of 2050 and make it a better place to live."

Mary Robinson went on to outline her views on climate justice subsequent to the COP17 meeting at Durban in December. "Make no mistake about it", she said "we ignore the threat posed by climate change at out peril".

Of the meeting in Durban she said there was a noticeable lack of urgency within the negotiations to begin with: "In the first week I was struck by the complete lack of urgency in the formal negotiations, contrasting with the real urgency being voiced on the street, by scientists and by organisations representing the most vulnerable communities from all over the world."

"Ireland has the potential to make a significant contribution in this area" One of the key outcomes Robinson noted in her speech was the beginnings of bringing the issues of food security and agriculture into the work of the COP.

"In 2012 Parties will consider how best to support a process to address the impacts of climate change on food security and the role of climate smart agriculture in finding ways to grow food under changing climatic conditions while safeguarding the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ireland has the potential to make a significant contribution in this area drawing on domestic agriculture expertise and our international work on food and nutrition security."

Robinson said that the door was now open for a new international and inclusive legally binding agreement on climate change. "[Durban] was not the breakthrough needed to solve the problem now, but no one really expected that. Neither was it a failure; in fact it lays down a clear challenge to all the countries of the world - and particularly those responsible for the worst emissions - to get their act together before it is too late."


You can read the full text of Mary Robinson's speech here (pdf).

Image: Mary Robinson speaking at UCC (Image: Tomas Tyner, UCC)

Science Public Lecture Series Kicks Off

The popular Annual SEFS Public Lecture Series at University College Cork will begin its 2012 programme on Wednesday, January 11th with a lecture by Professor William Reville. 

The lectures will be held weekly on Wednesday evenings at 8.00pm in Boole 4 Lecture Theatre and will run until Wednesday 14th March.

The lecture series will cover a wide range of contemporary issues, including How Weeds Develop Resistance to Herbicides, Nanosensors, Teaching Computer Science to Primary School Children, Biodiversity and Infectious Disease, Generating Electricity from Ocean Wave Energy, Irish Innovation Policy, Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products, and Can Particles Ever Move faster than Light?.

In the first lecture on January 11th, Professor William Reville will give a lecture titled ‘The Weeds Fight Back - How Weeds Developed Resistance to Roundup”. William Reville is an Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at UCC. He will describe how growing the world's major commodity crops (corn, cotton and soya), genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide Roundup, is now confronting a serious problem with weeds that have become resistant to Roundup. 

Admission is free, and as always, members of the public are invited to attend.

More details on this year's College of Science, Engineering and Food Science (SEFS) lecture series  can be found here (pdf).

UCC appears in How I Met Your Mother

So, lots of people are familiar with the hit US comedy 'How I Met Your Mother'... a story about a group of New York friends and their antics. 

Perhaps the character who has reached cult status from the show is one Barney Stinson played by Neil Patrick Harris. Imagine the surprise then, when we see Barney show an image of University College Cork's Quadrangle at the start of his "College... it's a confusing time" presentation during the latest episode (Series 7, Episode 5, about 8 minutes in).

Given that UCC is Ireland's only five-star university, its natural he would have chosen such an image! As Barney would say, Legend....ary!

UCC Quad on HIMYM

Father of Seismology Celebrated

Irish Scientist Robert Mallet is regarded by many as the 'Father of Seismology' (the study of earthquakes), but despite this he is one Ireland's many unsung scientific heroes.

Now, an exhibition at University College Cork will serve to celebrate the work of this great nineteenth century Irish scientist.


The exhibition, entitled Robert Mallet: Irish Engineer and Scientist, A Commemorative Exhibition will be open at UCC's Boole Library today and run until the 24th of October. The exhibition was curated by the RDS and comes to Cork thanks to the  College of Science, Engineering and Food Science and the School of Biological , Earth and Environmental Sciences at UCC. The exhibition is generously supported by the Heritage Council, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and The Irish Times.


Mallet, an engineer, geophysicist and seismologist, was born in Dublin on 3rd June 1810, the son of John Mallet who owned a successful iron foundry business. The business, under Robert Mallet's leadership was to provide the ironwork for the Fastnet Rock lighthouse along with the ornate railings around Trinity College, Dublin.

Mallet was elected to the Royal Irish Academy aged just 22, he was a member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (now the British Science Association) and the Royal Geological Society of Ireland.

Mallet's 1846 paper, "The Dynamics of Earthquakes" is considered to be one of the foundations of modern seismology and in 1849, Mallet along with his son, John William,  set out to conduct experiments on Killiney Beach, Co. Dublin.

Mallet buried a container of gunpowder under the beach and detonated it, measuring the energy wave that the explosion created. Using a seismoscope, the father and son team were able to detect and measure the detonation a half a mile away, as the energy travelled in a wave through the sand.

Detail from "Great Neapolitan Earthquake"

Mallet also had a major impact on the fledgling science of seismology when he travelled to Italy at the end of 1857 to study the after affects of the "Great Neapolitan Earthquake".

Writing from his home in Glasnevin, Dublin on 28th December, 1857, Mallet wrote to the Royal Society in London, requesting funding for the trip to Italy:

"The very recent occurrence of a great earthquake in the Neapolitan territory presents an opportunity of the highest interest and value for the advancement of this branch of Terrestrial Physics.
"Within the last ten years only Seismology has taken its place in cosmic science - and up to this time no earthquake has has its secondary or resultant phenomena - sought for, observed, and discussed by a competent investigator - by one conversant with the dynamic laws of the hidden forces we are called upon to ascertain by means of the more or less permanent traces they have left, as Phenomena, upon the shaken territory.
"I have long looked for the occurrence of an opportunity so favourable for inquiry as that which has been just presented. It is one so rare, and in so peculiar and suggestive a region, that I venture to urge, through your Lordship, the Royal Society, that it should not be permitted to be lost to Science.
"I respectfully offer, my Lord, if such be the will of the Royal Society, to proceed at once to Naples and the shaken regions, to collect, discuss, and report the facts.
"In the humble but earnest confidence that I can in this do good service to Science, I submit to the Royal Society whether it see fit to make such a grant, and to entrust the work to me; if so, I should be prepared to set out by the middle of next month."

The scientist used the new invention of photography to record some of his results and the resultant publication: "Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857: The First Principles of Observational Seismology' is considered a seminal work.

By 1861, Mallet had moved to live in London, where he died in 1881.

WH Crawford: Patron of Art and Science

In scientia veritas, in arte honestas.
In science truth, in art honour.

The gates at the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork give an nice indication of the connected history of art and science in Cork and elsewhere.

The collection the gallery contains began to be formed in 1819 and the former Custom House of Cork became home to the collection in 1825 when the Royal Cork Institution took control of the building. The RCI was a forerunner of University College Cork. The building was extended in 1884 (when these gates were erected) and again in 2000.

William Horatio Crawford (1812-1888) was a great benefactor of the construction of the gallery extension in the 19th Century. Crawford's father had founded the Beamish and Crawford Brewery in Cork, now no longer a working brewery.

William Crawford of Lakelands (Crawford Gallery Collection)

The family home was at Lakelands near Blackrock- a site now largely occupied by the Mahon Point Shopping Centre.

Crawford was an eminent gardener and horticulturalist, collecting and growing plants at Lakelands from around the world. He had at Lakelands a 'perfect arboreatum...richly planted...with rare shrubs and trees'.

In 1810, West described Lakeland as " one of the most neat and handsome (house and estate) that opulence could desire. The plan, elevation and everything about it, forms a complete picture, being build upon a rising ground, commands a most extensive view at every point, and exquisite rows of beech interspersed with a variety of ever green, descends to the brink of the lake, from which this seat took its name of ... Lakeland. It was lately the residence of Benjamin Bonffield, esq. a gentleman of considerable literary ability... and this elequent mansion is now occupied by William Crawford, esq." (West, 1810).

Crawford's plants included Himalayan and Andean species, magnolias, rhododendrons and cordylines. The Himalayan Magnolia campbellii flowered for the first time in the British Isles at Lakelands.
He was best known for his Brownea species, many of which were bequeathed to Kew and the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin.

Brownea crawfordii was a hybrid of B. grandiceps and B. macrophylla which Crawford produced at Lakelands. It was donated to Kew on his death (from heart disease) and named in his honour.

Little of Lakelands remain except the ruins of a few out buildings and some magnificent monkey puzzle trees which mark the site of the house itself. Other gardens also recieved bequests from the Crawford estate, including Queen's College Cork (now University College Cork).

That wasn't the only thing Crawford left to the College. William Horatio Crawford provided much of the funding for the construction of the Crawford Observatory at UCC in 1878. Still the only observatory on any university campus in Ireland, it was designed by one of the finest scientific instrument makers of the 19th Century, the Dubliner Howard Grubb. The Duke of Devonshire of Lismore Castle in Waterford also provided funding for the observatory.

Crawford also provided significant funding towards the erection of  greenhouses at the Botany Department at UCC.

Lough Hyne - 'A Natural Laboratory'

Europe's first Marine Nature Reserve and one of the world's most studied marine sites, Lough Hyne, celebrates its 30th birthday this year amidst a flurry of activity.

Communicate Science correspondents were in Skibbereen, Co. Cork last night to attend a talk by Terri Kearney of the Skibbereen Heritage Centre about Lough Hyne: The Marine Researchers - in pictures. 

This is the title of a new book by Terri prepared with the assistance of the Gwendoline Harold Barry Trust, Skibbereen Credit Union and the Heritage Council. 

The School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences (BEES) at University College Cork and the Skibbereen heritage Centre are also organising a series of events this week, including a conference on Friday, Lough Hyne at 30, to celebrate the 30 years since Lough Hyne was designated Europe’s first Marine Nature Reserve.

The Lough is a semi-enclosed marine lake, located about 3 miles west of Skibereen in West Cork. It's believed that the Lough was a freshwater lake up to 4000 years ago, when a rise in sea level joined it with the sea. It is now a highly sheltered, seawater basin connected to the North Atlantic by a narrow inlet.

This inlet constricts at one point to form the "Rapids" - 5 metres deep at high tide. It leads to an 'asymmetrical tide' with water flowing in for 4 hours and taking 8.5 hours to go out. This rock pool effect means it is a very unique ecosystem and a popular location for scientific studies. 

The School of BEES, UCC operate three research laboratories on shore of the lough - the Renouf, Kitching and Bohane Labs. 

The Kitching lab is named after Prof. Jack Kitching who carried out marine biology research at the Lough from 1946 to 1986. He built two of the onsite labs. The Bohane lab is named for John Bohane, a Lough Hyne resident who was involved in UCC research at the site for over 60 years and was the first warden when the Lough became a Marine Reserve in 1981.

The Lough is one of the most studied marine biological areas anywhere in the world! Well over 300 scientific papers have been written about the biology and ecology of the lough.

Last night's talk was a lively jaunt through over 120 years of scientific endeavor in this corner of Ireland. From Victorian expeditions to early 20^th century visits aboard the Helga (before it was fitted with guns to play a role in War of Independence and Civil War). 

The triumph of fashion over the logistical nightmares of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, the development of the various laboratories and the people who visited and continue to visit, they were all touched upon during the evening. 

The strongest characters to emerge from the many photos on show were those, such as Louis Renouf (who built the first research station), who spent years, and in many cases decades, of their lives at Lough Hyne, returning year-in, year-out (as many still do) to work there. 

It was noted that, in many cases, scientists who have been returning for 30 years are almost unknown by the wider community - capturing the strange sub-culture that existed, no doubt encouraged by the sense of remoteness, self sufficiency and adventure felt by earlier scientists.

The pictures also showcased Skibbereen, Lough Hyne and Baltimore in bygone days and the local people who helped the scientists along the way. It also captured the almost-military-like way in which the logistics of the expeditions were run.

You can read about Louis Renouf's early work at the Lough, in his own words, here (pdf). 

from Annals of Botany (1932)

The Queen and the Mathematician

Queen Elizabeth II will receive a unique scientific gift when she visits Cork on Friday.

When the Queen visits the Tyndall Institute at University College Cork, President of UCC Dr. Michael Murphy will present her with a scarf inspired by the work of the university's greatest professor and the 'father' of computer science.

A lace scarf, designed by Carmel Creaner will be presented to acknowledge the role of Queen Victoria in establishing the college. The idea was inspired by the presentation by Queen Victoria of scarves to four of the bravest soldiers to fight in the Boer War in 1900. One of these scarves was presented to UCC graduate Richard Rowland Thompson and now is on display in the Canadian War Museum.

Carmel Creaner, the artist, explains that George Boole, the first Professor of Mathematics at UCC (then Queen's College Cork) is at the centre of the design:

"I chose to use the mathematical notation found in Boole’s notes as inspiration for the scarf. Some of the elements of the notation such as the three dots for “therefore” inspire random cross stitches and french knots which in turn become zeros! Binary notation is also included in the scarf, most specifically, the binary notation for 1849 - the year Queen Victoria came to Cork and 2011 the year of Queen Elizabeth’s visit. George Boole’s signature - Prof Boole Queen’s College Cork- is also printed on the scarf referring to the original name of the University. The coat of arms of the University and UCC 2011 are also featured.”

John Tyndall - Science Communicator

Queen Elizabeth II will visit the Tyndall National Institute at University College Cork on Friday, but who was John Tyndall?

The National Institute or 'The Tyndall' as it is generally known was formed in 2004 and brought together several academic departments at UCC, along with the former National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC) and researchers at Cork Institute of Technology. The objective was, and is, to act as a focal point for Information and Communications Technology in Ireland and to support industry and academia nationally.

John Tyndall (1820-1893) is one of Ireland's most successful scientists and educators. A draftsman, surveyor, physics professor, mathematician, geologist, atmospheric scientist, public lecturer and mountaineer; his great strength was his ability to communicate science to any audience.

Tyndall was born is Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, the son of a police constable. After a local schooling, he became a draftsman with the equivalent of the modern Ordnance Survey and moved to work in England in 1842.

"The desire to grow intellectually did not forsake me" said Tyndall. "and, when railway work slackened, I accepted in 1847 a post as master in Queenwood College." At the Hampshire boarding school, he became good friends with Edward Frankland and the pair headed to Germany to advance their scientific education.

Tyndall extension under construction 2008

In Germany, the Irishman studied under Robert Bunsen for two years. He returned to England in 1851 and started the bulk of his experimental work. In 1853, after a number of unsuccessful job applications, he became Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Institution in London. Tyndall eventually succeeded Michael Faraday as Superintendent of the Royal Institution in 1867.

He had a variety of scientific interests including solving why the sky is blue: the scattering of light by small particles suspended in the atmosphere. He made the first studies of atmospheric pollution in London and developed the first double beam spectrophotometer.

He demonstrated how light could be sent through a tube of water via multiple internal reflections. He referred to this as the light-pipe and it was a forerunner of the optical fibre used in modern communications technology.

Tyndall was interested in Pasteur's work on sterilisation and developed a process (now known as Tyndallization) which was more effective than Pasteurisation. The process involved heating a substance to 100 degrees C for 15 minutes for three days in a row. The process gets rid of the bacterial spores which are not destroyed by other methods.

Tyndall delivering a public lecture at the Royal Institution

Despite all his scientific breakthroughs, perhaps Tyndall's great legacy is his work as a science communicator. He wrote science columns in many periodicals and gave hundreds of public lectures on a variety of topics. He toured America in 1872 giving public lectures on the subject of light. The substantial proceeds from this lecture tour, he donated to an organisation for promoting science in the US. He published 17 books in his lifetime.

In 1878, it was written of Tyndall: "Professor Tyndall has succeeded not only in original investigation and in teaching science soundly and accurately, but in making it attractive.... When he lectures at the Royal Institution the theatre is crowded".

Tyndall described the vocation of teaching, saying: "I do not know a higher, nobler, and more blessed calling".  He finished one of his books with these inspiring lines:

"Here, my friend, our labours close. It has been a true pleasure to me to have you at my side so long. In the sweat of our brows we have often reached the heights where our work lay, but you have been steadfast and industrious throughout, using in all possible cases your own muscles instead of relying upon mine. Here and there I have stretched an arm and helped you to a ledge, but the work of climbing has been almost exclusively your own. It is thus that I should like to teach you all things; showing you the way to profitable exertion, but leaving the exertion to you.... Our task seems plain enough, but you and I know how often we have had to wrangle resolutely with the facts to bring out their meaning. The work, however, is now done, and you are master of a fragment of that sure and certain knowledge which is founded on the faithful study of nature.... Here then we part. And should we not meet again, the memory of these days will still unite us. Give me your hand. Good bye."

Tyndall had married at the age of 55 and did not have any children with his wife Louisa Hamilton. In his later years, he would often take chloral hydrate to treat insomnia. He died on 4th December 1893 due to an accidental overdose of the drug. He is buried in Haslemere, some 45 miles southwest of London.

Fancy getting to name a new marine species?

Image: (c)Patrick Collins

A team of Irish and UK scientists will shortly embark on a 25-day trip to the depths of the Atlantic ocean as part of a National Geographic-funded study to examine a previously uncharted hydrothermal vent ecosystem.

The work will be filmed by National Geographic and the campaign will be led by Chief Scientist Dr. Andy Wheeler of the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UCC.

The Marine Institute's research vessel, Celtic Explorer will travel to the mid-Atlantic ridge to examine the unique ecosystem in July. "It is literally, an alien world", according to Andy Wheeler.

UCC scientists Prof. John Gamble, Dr. Jens Carlsson, Prof. John Benzie Prof. Tom Cross, Dr. Boris Dorschel will all contribute to the study, alongside a number of scientists from NUI Galway, National Oceanography Centre (UK) in Southampton, University of Southampton and the Geological Survey of Ireland.

For more background on the Venture project, see this article from the Irish Times.

RV Celtic Explorer

Patrick Collins, a researcher at NUI Galway, also taking part in the project, has organised an exciting competition for secondary school students in Ireland. The prize? To get to put your name on one of the many newly discovered species that the team are likely to find as part of the study.

The competition is open to all secondary school students across Ireland and the UK. To enter, students must use their imaginations and understanding of biology and habitats to design their own deep sea hydrothermal vent creature.

The organisers are looking for carefully thought out illustrations along with a description of the creature’s habitat, diet, life and evolutionary history, and whatever else you think is important. The competition will close on June 15 2011, and the winner will be announced after the Celtic Explorer returns to Ireland in August.

For more details on how to enter see the BEES Research Blog.

Patrick O'Hara: An Ecological Artist

'The Star Lily and the Iris' by P. O'Hara

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting a wonderful exhibition of botanical paintings and sculptures by the Cork-based artist Patrick O'Hara.

The exhibition is currently taking place in the Boole Library exhibition space at University College Cork and I enjoyed chatting to the artist about his work.

The exhibition predominantly features the artist's watercolours of Californian flora and fauna along with a selection of his impressive botanical sculptures.

O'Hara has travelled extensively from his home near Carrigaline, Co. Cork across Ireland, Britain, Europe, Africa, Arabia, Asia and America to study plants and butterflies in their natural habitats.

Speaking to O'Hara, his background in biology and botany in particular becomes clear and he has a keen interest in the science of the plants he seeks to capture in his art. He studied botany, zoology and geology at Reading University.

Each piece of sculpture and watercolour is the result of countless hours studying the organism in the natural environment and taking careful notes and sketches of the shape and colour of the plants. It is only when he returns to his studio that the work of painting or sculpting what has been recorded can begin. His delicate and scientifically accurate porcelain sculptures can take up to 3 months to produce and involves painting the pieces using the notes he made in the field to ensure that the correct shade is reproduced.

'A Proud Poppy of California' Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri) and Western Tiger Swallowtail. The artist writes: These huge and beautifully scented flowers belong to a family of plants first discovered in the Santa Ana mountains by Irish botanist Thomas Coulter during his travels around southern California between 1826 and 1836. The Latin name is tribute to him and his great friend, the Irish astronomer Romney Robinson.

What strikes me about O'Hara's work is not just the beauty and scientific accuracy, but also the decision to not present the plants in isolation but rather to present them as entire ecosystems where different plants, lichens, mosses, insects and butterflies interact. It is this detailed and realistic approach that makes O'Hara more an 'ecological artist' rather than a botancial artist.

Given the nature of Patrick O'Hara's work, it is fitting that it will shortly adorn the walls of Fota House in East Cork, the gardens and arboretum of which are a national botanical treasure. The artist is donating prints of each of his California wildflower watercolours to the Irish Heritage Trust who manage Fota House.

Patrick O'Hara's exhibition 'Secret Gardens of the World: The Wild Flowers of California' runs in the Boole Library, UCC until the 28th June 2011. For more information his work, you can visit www.ohara-art.com

'Three Friends in Winter' porcelain sculpture by P. O'Hara. Ginger, Liquorice & Ephedra

Mystery Science!

I had the pleasure of attending the University College Cork Spring Open-day yesterday and spending some time on the School of BEES Stand. 

The School of Biological. Earth and Environmental Sciences teaches undergraduate degrees in Zoology, Ecology, Earth Science, Environmental Plant Biotechnology, Environmental Science, and Geology and you can find out more about them here.

The stand contained just a hand full of specimens from the historically and scientifically important Zoology Museum in the School - the museum contains a number of specimens collected by Charles Darwin on his voyages and the School of BEES is one of just a few institutions in the world to possess such specimens.

One item on display is pictured below. Can you tell what it is? Leave your answer as a comment to this post or tweet it to me @blogscience. No prizes on offer I'm afraid - just a bit of fun.

Science in the field

For many years now 3rd year Applied Ecology students at University College Cork have spent a week in the Algarve at this time of year.

It's part of a field course in Practical Field Ecology and is a very popular part of the Applied Ecology course.

The course is organised by the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) at UCC.

In a novel move, the students have been writing a daily blog from Portugal to update us on the progress of the field course.

You can follow the progress on the BEES Research Blog.

Remarkable Trees

National TreeWeek came to an end in Ireland last weekend and to celebrate, some pictures of trees from the main campus of University College Cork:

The first is a very special tree - the largest of its types in Ireland. This Chinese Privet (Ligustrum lucidum) is 9 metres high and 3.19 m in girth and is classified by the Tree Council of Ireland as an "exceptional specimen tree".

The species is the largest growing of its genus, reaching up to 25 m in height.

The next is an impressive specimen of weeping willow (Salix babylonica). The species is native to China and gets its species name, apparently, from a misunderstanding by Linnaeus, who catalouged it, and thought it was a tree mentioned in the Bible: "By the rivers of Babylon... hung our harps upon the willows".

The last image is a pair of magnificant Giant Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) located at the entrance to the Boole Library. The species is the only living species in the genus and can live for up to 1800 years or more. The species contains the tallest trees on earth, reaching up to 115 metres in height.

You can see an interactive map of some of the important tree specimens on the UCC campus here.

Oldest Wine Making Equipment Discovered

Scientists working in Armenia have confirmed the discovery of the oldest wine-making equipment ever found.

The group of archaeologists, including Ron Pinhasi, from University College Cork have been excavating the cave site in the Little Caucasus mountains near the Armenian border with Iran since 2007.

It is the same cave where, last June, Pinhasi announced the discovery of the world's oldest surviving shoe - a 5,500-year-old leather moccasin.

Gregory Areshian (UCLA), co-director of the excavation announced that "For the first time, we have a complete archaeological picture of wine production dating back 6,100 years".

The find was triggered when ancient grape seeds were discovered in the cave in 2007. Archaeologists subsequently found a 3 feet by 3.5 feet basin which they believe served as a wine press. It is estimated that the basin would have held around 56 litres of liquid.

While no evidence of any implement used to crush the grapes was found, this doesn't trouble Areshian: "People obviously were stomping the grapes with their feet, just the way it was done all over the Mediterranean and the way it was originally done in California".

The researchers found large quantities of grape seeds, pressed grapes, grape must and vines around the basin and paleobotanists were able to confirm that the species of grape used was Vitis vinifera - the same domesticated grape variety which is used to this day to produce wine.

6,100-year-old desiccated grape stems and dried, pressed grapes  found on and around the wine press (Photo Credits: G. Areshian)

 

Up till now, the closet comparable collection of this type was made in an Egyptian tomb and dated to around 3,150 BC.

The scientists say the find is particularly important because of the level of confidence they can have that the site was used to produce wine. Radiocarbon dating of plant material, paleobotanical analysis of the fruit remains and the presence of the chemical malvidin all support the wine-making theory. Malvidin, a deep red molecule which gives grapes and wine their red colour is "highly reliable evidence of wine" according to Areshian.

However, the wine isn't thought to have been used for recreational purposes, or as Areshian says: "This wine wasn't used to unwind at the end of the day". The wine press was found in close proximity to dozens of grave sites and the wine is thought to have played a ceremonial role.