Alex Cunningham
Alex Cunningham was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, in the first half of the 20th century. He initially studied zoology at the University of Edinburgh (where, owing to the laxity of educational programmes in the 1960’s, he failed to proceed beyond the invertebrate branch of the phylogenetic tree) and then transferred to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. His PhD studies in mathematical ecology somehow led to a faculty appointment in the department of Physics and a life sentence of academic servitude. Alex has published around 60 research papers (including pioneering studies of robot welding, rubber friction, and bio-holography) and supervised 18 graduate students (some of whom are in gainful employment). In retrospect, none of this activity turned out to be adequate preparation for the demands placed on imagination, invention and faith by a career in optical oceanography.
Talk outline:
‘Scots wha hae…’
The title (‘Scots who have …’) is taken from the opening line of a well-known song published by Robert Burns in 1794 which can be interpreted either as a nostalgic reference to the 14th century wars of Scottish independence or a seditious reference to contemporary radicalism. This ambiguous complexity is a Scottish characteristic: the history of the country has been re-written and re-interpreted so often (usually by the Scots themselves) that it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The object of this talk is present a myth-busting introduction to Scottish life and culture which will be as light-hearted as its blood-soaked history allows and as optimistic as is possible in a country whose two main banks collapsed in the recent economic recession. Answers will be sought to pressing questions such as: ‘What did the Romans do when they reached Glasgow?’; ‘Exactly who invented television?’; ‘How much should I pay for a decent bottle of whisky?’ and ‘Why is the Scottish government proposing a referendum on independence 300 years after we sold out to the English?’. It is hoped that visitors to Ocean Optics in Glasgow will gain some insights into the psyche of a small country where a thousand years of history has left its marks (mainly bruises) and that their enjoyment of our art, architecture and scenery will be enhanced by a little knowledge of the tales (mostly tall ones) with which they are associated. Be aware, however, that you may never see ‘Braveheart’ in the same light again.
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