[IEE EC3 News] EC3 Lecture - James Lovelock and Cybernetics at Reading - 23 March 2023

[Bill Pechey]

Dear all,

You are being sent this reminder message because either you gave your
email address at one of our previous lectures or you signed up on the
web site associated with this email list:

http://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/iee-ec3-news

I have appended the details of our next lecture and hope to see you
there.

I have attached a poster which you may wish to display in your place
of work.

The lecture details are also on the IET website:

https://events.theiet.org/events/ec3-james-lovelock-and-cybernetics-at-reading/

Please use the registration system mentioned on that webpage to give
us an idea of numbers for catering but, don't worry if you forget,
just turn up on the night.

Please note that the lecture is in a different location from the old
days but is the same as last month's.

Best wishes,

Bill Pechey
IET Thames Valley Specialised Section

++++++++++

James Lovelock and Cybernetics at Reading

 Thursday 23 March 2023 at 7.30pm (Tea/Coffee from 7pm)

Richard Mitchell, Professor of Cybernetics, University of Reading

James Lovelock, an independent scientist, a designer of various scientific
instruments, best known for his Gaia Theory and work on the
environment, died on his 103rd birthday in July 2022. Gaia Theory states
that the Earth is a self-regulatory community, that is, it is a cybernetic
system. As such he became visiting Professor at the University of
Reading’s Department of Cybernetics from 1967 to 1990. This talk
reflects on Lovelock and his connection with, contributions to and
influences on, Cybernetics at Reading.

Specifically, it will introduce Cybernetics, discuss Gaia Theory and how it
fits with Cybernetics and so explain how Peter Fellgett made him Visiting
Professor of Aeronomy. It will then discuss how he helped develop the
’animal’ side of cybernetics, leading to George Whitfield’s flying
Pteranodon (an appearance on TV long before Kevin Warwick). Also
covered are Daisyworld, his influence on teaching, and how daisies
appear in the Begin Robotics MOOC! A video demonstrating Cybernetics
featuring Lovelock will also be shown.

Venue Meadow Suite, Park House, Whiteknights Campus, RG6 6UR (Follow
signs to Car Park 10).

See - https://www.reading.ac.uk/about/visit-us.aspx

Contact: Professor Richard Mitchell - r.j.mitchell at reading.ac.uk
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Mar 23.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 1115294 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.ourshack.com/pipermail/iee-ec3-news/attachments/20230320/2e82fdf1/attachment.pdf>