The race for a vaccine

 

Public newsletter

The race for a vaccine How have vaccines against COVID-19 been developed so quickly and how do we know they are safe? On Thursday 28 January, Professor Brian Cox hosts a discussion examining the collaborative global effort of the scientific community to develop vaccines against the virus. Starting with what we currently know about the vaccines that are being used, the panel will also explore what happens next. Read more This event is part of a series of Royal Society events discussing the scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Catch up with the first event in the series.

The Economics of Biodiversity: the Dasgupta Review On 2 February at 2pm, Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta and Nobel-prize winner Sir Venki Ramakrishnan mark the publication of The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, with an online discussion around the sustainability of our engagement with Nature and the options humanity has to enhance biodiversity and prosperity. Commissioned by the UK Government, this independent, global Review presents a new economic framework, grounded in ecology and Earth Sciences. Please submit your questions in advance or during the event. Find out more

You and the planet: air On 16 February, our panel of experts discuss the options and opportunities to improve air quality and take urgent action, without which we will continue to see increasing global temperatures, extreme weather, damage to biodiversity and loss of human life. We will be collecting audience questions in advance so if you have anything you would like to ask on the topic, please submit your questions to help guide the conversation on the night. Read more The event is being hosted in partnership with Manchester Science Festival and will also be streamed as a part of NI Science Festival.

Can we adapt to a changing climate? Faced with unprecedented shifts in the climate, we will need to make changes and adapt. In our latest climate change event on 18 February, Dr Gabrielle Walker, journalist and former Climate Change Editor at Nature magazine explores stories of climate adaptation from humanity’s past, and the importance of adaptation in the future. The panellists include polar and paleoclimate expert Professor Eric Wolff FRS, environmental journalist, broadcaster and Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize shortlistee, Gaia Vince, and archaeologist of Alaskan Indigenous sites, Dr Rick Knecht. Read more This event is being held in partnership with the British Museum and is part of the public programme accompanying the Museum's Citi exhibition Arctic: culture and climate.

Upcoming prize lectures If you would like to attend an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge science topics, we have several upcoming prize lectures that might be of interest. Register by following the links below. Putting the sun in a bottle: the path to delivering sustainable fusion power   27 January, 6.30pm  Read more Shining a light on the brain   9 February, 5.30pm  Read more The Leeuwenhoek Medal and Lecture   25 March, 6.30pm  Read more Fast Radio Bursts   27 April, 6.30pm  Read more

Lost and Found The mysterious disappearance of Charles Darwin’s notebooks from the Cambridge University Library and the curious case of the John Donne poems, tell us quite a lot about the goings and comings around special collections. Louisiane Ferlier casts a critical eye on media stories of treasures disappearing from, and being rediscovered in, archives and libraries. Read more

The what, the how and the why of the pandemic

Catch up now on the discussion event exploring our current understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and looking to answer: What do we currently know? How is science being used in the battle against COVID-19? Why has the pandemic been so devastating? Watch now

You and the planet: technology How can digital technologies support us in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss? Watch now

Image credits Tundra in Ilulisaat, Greenland © Kiliii Yuyan COVID-19 virus © Gerd Altmann