- BERG - University of Stirling Mailing Lists

Next BERG Wednesday 16th October
by Jade Hooper 07 Oct '19

07 Oct '19

Dear BERGers, Just a reminder there is no BERG meeting this week as the annual John Damien Lecture will be held on Friday 11th October at 6.45pm in Logie Lecture Theatre by our very own Emeritus Professor, Phyllis Lee. The abstract and event registration can be found through this link: http://bit.ly/TheJohnDamienLecture_2019 The next BERG meeting will be held on Wednesday 16th October in the Psychology department common room (3A94) at 5:30pm with drinks and nibbles provided. The most up to date schedule is available on Box for details of talks and for information on dates where BERG is not running (here: https://stir.box.com/s/skboejxqbtg8b52aiadnzi07tv0nrsog) If you have new students who might wish to be on the BERG mailing list, please send them this e-mail. To sign up to the BERG mailing list please use the following link: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg (you can also use this link to unsubscribe). Best wishes, Jade -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jade Hooper | Research Assistant and PhD Candidate - Faculty of Social Science | 3T37, RG Bomont Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA | E-mail: jade.hooper(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:jade.hooper@stir.ac.uk> | Web:http://www.stir.ac.uk/social-science/ Reports and summaries for the Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland study including an information sheet for children are available here<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/social-sciences/our-research/researc…>

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Next BERG meeting Wednesday 16th October
by Jade Hooper 01 Oct '19

01 Oct '19

Dear BERGers, Just a reminder there is no BERG meeting this week as Professor Vicky Melfi is giving a seminar on "Human-animal interactions: considering animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (abstract below). The talk will be in 3A94 on Thursday 3rd October @ 4pm. Her presentation is being generously sponsored by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW - see https://www.ufaw.org.uk/) The next BERG meeting will be held on Wednesday 16th October in the Psychology department common room (3A94) at 5:30pm with drinks and nibbles provided. This is despite my previous claim we had no BERG for 3 weeks instead of 2! The most up to date schedule is available on Box for details of talks and for information on dates where BERG is not running (here: https://stir.box.com/s/skboejxqbtg8b52aiadnzi07tv0nrsog) If you have new students who might wish to be on the BERG mailing list, please send them this e-mail. To sign up to the BERG mailing list please use the following link: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg (you can also use this link to unsubscribe). Best wishes, Jade Vicky has just co-edited this book (e-book is free from the Uni library). Hosey, G. (ed.) & Melfi, V. (ed.) 2018 Anthrozoology: human-animal interactions in domesticated and wild animals, Oxford University Press. Human-animal interactions: considering animal welfare in the Anthropocene We are currently living in the Anthropocene: a time defined by the disproportionate impact humans are having on the Earth. Currently human's impact the future of the Earth to a greater extent than any other factor, including biological and/or geological processes. It is no surprise then, that humans impact the lives of animals. As a society it seems we are becoming increasingly aware that the lives of humans are inextricably linked with the lives of animals, directly and indirectly. The discipline of Anthrozoology strives to study human-animal interactions (HAI), relationships and bonds providing us with much needed empirical evidence to understand the impact we as humans have on animals and vice versa. Human impact on animal welfare is diverse, encompassing those animals in human-care but also those where HAI might never occur. The type of impact humans have on animals is often depicted through a negative lens, but this talk will highlight the great capacity which exists for humans to benefit animal welfare. In the shadow of an often depressing monologue of doom and gloom that highlights how humans are responsible for causing animal welfare insults a plenty, it is time and necessary to refocus. There are many ways in which humans are supporting and improving the welfare of animals. Importantly, it is only with an optimistic outlook that we will be able to truly plan and implement change to ensure good animal welfare on a global scale. When living in the Anthropocene the one thing we can sure of, is that human impact is global, so let's ensure that global impact is positive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jade Hooper | Research Assistant and PhD Candidate - Faculty of Social Science | 3T37, RG Bomont Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA | E-mail: jade.hooper(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:jade.hooper@stir.ac.uk> | Web:http://www.stir.ac.uk/social-science/ Reports and summaries for the Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland study including an information sheet for children are available here<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties/social-sciences/our-research/researc…>

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FW: Dinner with Vicky Melfi, Thursday 3rd October
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 26 Sep '19

26 Sep '19

Dear BERGers (sorry for cross postings) Prof Vicky Melfi is coming to give us a seminar in Stirling on<x-apple-data-detectors://0> Thursday 3<x-apple-data-detectors://0>rd<x-apple-data-detectors://0> October, 4pm<x-apple-data-detectors://0> in 3A94. Her presentation is being generously sponsored by the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW – see https://www.ufaw.org.uk/ ) We shall be going for dinner afterwards. I have booked the Meadowpark pub for up to 20 people for 6.15pm. We already have 16 folk booked. As you know it’s a 10 minute walk from the University so no transport difficulties as we shall walk. https://www.themeadowparkstirling.co.uk/ Because I anticipate we shall be a large group, they have requested we sign up for our dinner choices in advance (it is £18 for two courses). Please be quick and book your place by sending me your menu choice from attached menu I cannot amend the booking after 10am on Monday 30 September so that is your absolute deadline if you want to come. It should be a good night! Best, Hannah Vicky has just co-edited this book (e-book is free from the Uni library). Hosey, G. (ed.) & Melfi<https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/victoria-melfi>, V. (ed.)<https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/victoria-melfi> 2018 Anthrozoology<https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/anthrozoology-human-anim…>: human-animal interactions in domesticated and wild <https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/anthrozoology-human-anim…> animals<https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/anthrozoology-human-anim…>, Oxford <https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/victoria-melfi/publications/> University Press<https://hartpury.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/victoria-melfi/publications/>. Her seminar title is - Human-animal interactions: considering animal welfare in the Anthropocene We are currently living in the Anthropocene: a time defined by the disproportionate impact humans are having on the Earth. Currently human’s impact the future of the Earth to a greater extent than any other factor, including biological and/or geological processes. It is no surprise then, that humans impact the lives of animals. As a society it seems we are becoming increasingly aware that the lives of humans are inextricably linked with the lives of animals, directly and indirectly. The discipline of Anthrozoology strives to study human-animal interactions (HAI), relationships and bonds providing us with much needed empirical evidence to understand the impact we as humans have on animals and vice versa. Human impact on animal welfare is diverse, encompassing those animals in human-care but also those where HAI might never occur. The type of impact humans have on animals is often depicted through a negative lens, but this talk will highlight the great capacity which exists for humans to benefit animal welfare. In the shadow of an often depressing monologue of doom and gloom that highlights how humans are responsible for causing animal welfare insults a plenty, it is time and necessary to refocus. There are many ways in which humans are supporting and improving the welfare of animals. Importantly, it is only with an optimistic outlook that we will be able to truly plan and implement change to ensure good animal welfare on a global scale. When living in the Anthropocene the one thing we can sure of, is that human impact is global, so let’s ensure that global impact is positive.

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BERG meeting Wednesday 25th September
by Jade Hooper 23 Sep '19

23 Sep '19

Dear BERGers, Happy new week! Lovely to see so many of you on Wednesday - what a fabulous mix of people we have! This week (Wednesday 25th September) we have the fabulous Gema giving a talk on mental time travel. This is a rehearsal for a talk she will be giving as part of a European Research Council grant competition and would really appreciate the opportunity to practice this in front of a live audience with questions at the end. It would be really nice if as many of us as possible could attend to help her out. Plus, mental time travel sounds rather intriguing! An short abstract of Gema's talk is provided at the end of this email. A quick reminder that meetings are held in the Psychology department common room (3A94) at 5:30pm with drinks and nibbles provided The most up to date schedule is available on Box for details of talks and for information on dates where BERG is not running (here:https://stir.box.com/s/skboejxqbtg8b52aiadnzi07tv0nrsog) If you have new students who might wish to be on the BERG mailing list, please send them this e-mail. To sign up to the BERG mailing list please use the following link: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg (you can also use this link to unsubscribe). Looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday! Best wishes, Jade It is about time: Uncovering the temporal mechanisms underlying human mental time travel. Mental time travel is the ability that allows humans to mentally project themselves backwards in time to remember past events (i.e., episodic memory) or forwards in time to imagine future events (i.e., future thinking). Despite empirical evidence showing that animals might possess mental time travel abilities, some still claim that this ability is uniquely human. Recent debates have suggested that it is the temporal component that makes mental time travel uniquely human. Advances in the field have been constrained by a lack of comparative data, methodological shortcomings that prevent meaningful comparisons, and a lack of clear conceptualizations of the temporal component. My talk will present a research project on which a novel comparative approach to study of mental time travel will be suggested.

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FW: 1st call for papers: UFAW Animal Welfare Conference 1st July 2020, Birmingham UK
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 18 Sep '19

18 Sep '19

May be of interest to some...... ------------------------------- Recent advances in animal welfare science VII UFAW Animal Welfare Conference University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK 1st July 2020 The field of animal welfare is a cross-disciplinary area of study that seeks to offer guidance and find solutions to the challenges raised by our caring for and interactions with both kept and wild animals. As part of its on-going commitment to improving animal welfare through increased scientific understanding of animals' needs and how these can be met, UFAW is holding the seventh of its series of one day conferences on 'Recent advances in animal welfare science' on 1st July 2020. This regular meeting, which this year is being held in Birmingham, aims to provide a forum at which the broad and growing international community of scientists, veterinary surgeons and others concerned with animal welfare can come together to share knowledge and practice, discuss advances and exchange views. Call for papers: We would like to hear from anyone interested in making a contribution to the conference on the subject of recent advances in applied ethology, veterinary and physiological science and the other disciplines that inform our understanding of animals and their welfare. We hope that this meeting will feature talks and poster presentations from both established animal welfare scientists and others and from those at the beginning of their research careers. Submissions should feature the title of the proposed contribution, the preferred nature of the contribution - talk or poster, the name and full contact details of all contributors and an abstract. The abstract must be in English and should be no longer than 400 words. Further details about formatting and submission can be found here. Time allocated to talks at the meeting is likely to be in region of 20 minutes, which includes time for questions. The deadline for submission of abstracts is Friday 29th November 2019. Please send a copy of the abstract by email to Stephen Wickens @ wickens(a)ufaw.org.uk<mailto:wickens@ufaw.org.uk> Conference timetable * Deadline for submission of abstracts - 29th November 2019 * Notification of decision of judging panel on submitted abstracts - by 14th February 2020 * Deadline to accept offer to contribute to the conference - 13th March 2020 * Deadline for receipt of amendments to accepted abstracts - 15th May 2020 * Start of conference - 1st July 2020 at 9.00am. Finishes at 5.30pm. Other details: As part of UFAW's commitment to providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and to ensure that the meeting is accessible to widest range of those with an interest in animal welfare, the registration fee to attend this conference is kept low as is possible, this time at £63. Note: This price includes refreshments, including on arrival, and lunch. Further details on the conference, including a registration form, formatting of abstracts and booking accommodation in Birmingham can be found on the UFAW website: www.ufaw.org.uk/bham20<http://www.ufaw.org.uk/bham20> Contact details: Stephen Wickens, Bham 2020, UFAW, The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 8AN, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1582 831818; Fax: +44 (0)1582 831414; Website: www.ufaw.org.uk<http://www.ufaw.org.uk/>; Email: wickens(a)ufaw.org.uk<mailto:wickens@ufaw.org.uk> For further information about UFAW awards, scholarships, meetings and other news follow us on: Facebook: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare - UFAW<http://www.facebook.com/ufaw.org.uk> ; Twitter: @UFAW_1926<https://twitter.com/ufaw_1926> About UFAW: The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), the international animal welfare science society, is a UK registered scientific and educational charity that brings together the animal welfare science community, educators, veterinarians and all concerned about animal welfare worldwide in order to achieve advances in the well-being of farm, companion, laboratory and captive wild animals, and for those animals with which we interact in the wild. Registered Charity No 207996 (Registered in England) and Company Limited by Guarantee No 579991

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BERG - Autumn meetings 2019
by Jade Hooper 16 Sep '19

16 Sep '19

Dear BERGers, Welcome - old and new! I hope you all enjoyed the summer and are ready for the new year ahead! Our weekly Wednesday evening meetings start again this week (18th September) and run until 11th December when we will be holding our festive Christmas Party!! A copy of the current schedule is attached. However, things change so please make sure you check the most up to date schedule on Box for details of talks and for information on dates where BERG is not running (found here: https://stir.box.com/s/skboejxqbtg8b52aiadnzi07tv0nrsog) We currently only have one slot left (27th November), so if you do want to talk then do not dilly dally, get in touch with myself or Hannah and we will add you to the list. Meetings are held in the Psychology department common room (3A94) at 5:30pm with drinks and nibbles provided. This week (Wednesday 18th September) - Come along to meet the gang! There is no formal talk but instead an opportunity for introductions and updates of activities within the group. Please come along and say hi! There is wine and chocolate biscuits.... If you have new students who might wish to be on the BERG mailing list, please send them this e-mail. To sign up to the BERG mailing list please use the following link: http://lists.stir.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/berg (you can also use this link to unsubscribe). Looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday! Best wishes, Jade --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jade Hooper | Research Assistant and PhD Candidate - Faculty of Social Science | 3T37, RG Bomont Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA | E-mail: jade.hooper(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:jade.hooper@stir.ac.uk> | Web: http://www.stir.ac.uk/social-science/ Reports and summaries for the Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland study including an information sheet for children are available here<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties-and-services/social-sciences/our-res…>

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Fundraising for Paws for Progress
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 13 Sep '19

13 Sep '19

Dear BERGers I generally do not use this mailing list for fundraising, but Paws for Progress is a very special cause so do support if you feel able. Thank you, Hannah ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kiltwalk 2019 - fundraiser in aid of Paws for Progress Rebecca Leonardi and her dog Karma are walking together with team Paws for Progress at the Kiltwalk in Edinburgh on the 15th September. It's a great way of raising much needed funds as 140% of donations raised will be donated to Paws for Progress! We know first hand the positive difference that Paws for Progress makes to the lives of people and dogs in need. I hope that by doing the Kiltwalk, we will be able to raise more funds so that Paws for Progress can help more people and dogs create brighter futures together. Here's the link to our fundraising page: https://edinburghkiltwalk2019.everydayhero.com/uk/rebecca-20 Paws for Progress CIC is dedicated to improving the lives of people and animals. Working across a range of settings including schools, prisons and community groups, Paws for Progress develop and deliver educational programmes and tailored animal assisted interventions to help people most in need of support. Our flagship project is our rescue dog training programme at HMP & YOI Polmont, established in 2011, which continues to develop and expand, benefiting both the young people and rescue dogs involved. At Paws for Progress the well-being of both the people and the dogs is equally important, and we treat both with kindness, respect and empathy. “The dogs—they change the way you think and the way you act. They trust you, it’s that mutual bond. You think you’re helping them but they’re helping you too.” Student, Paws for Progress at HMP YOI Polmont. We would be so grateful for any donation you could give to support us, and if you can share our page with others who could help, that would be really appreciated too. Thank you! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr Rebecca Leonardi Research Fellow Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Telephone: 07875 678370 Email: rebecca.leonardi(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:rebecca.leonardi@stir.ac.uk> Development Manager Paws for Progress Web: www.pawsforprogress.co.uk<http://www.pawsforprogress.co.uk> Facebook and Twitter: @pawsforprogress

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John Damien Lecture - 11 October 2019
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 02 Sep '19

02 Sep '19

Apologies for cross postings! Please do register to come to Phyllis' lecture! From: Louise Lavery <louise.lavery(a)stir.ac.uk> Sent: 02 September 2019 11:51 To: Psychology Staff <PsychologyStaff(a)stir.ac.uk>; Psychology PhD Students <Psychology-PhD-Students(a)stir.ac.uk> Subject: John Damien Lecture - 11 October 2019 Dear all, You can now register for our annual John Damien Lecture which will be held on Friday 11th October at 6.45pm in Logie Lecture Theatre. The lecture will be given by pour very own, Emeritus Professor, Phyllis Lee. The abstract and event registration can be found through this link: http://bit.ly/TheJohnDamienLecture_2019 Please forward to any interested parties. Kind regards, Louise Lavery Administration Assistant Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences (01786) 467640

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FW: First Research Seminar - Thurs 29th August
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 28 Aug '19

28 Aug '19

Apologies for cross posting but this seminar might be of interest to you – 4pm in the common room. From: Gema Martin-Ordas <gema.martin-ordas(a)stir.ac.uk> Sent: 28 August 2019 16:12 To: Psychology Staff <PsychologyStaff(a)stir.ac.uk>; Psychology PhD Students <Psychology-PhD-Students(a)stir.ac.uk> Subject: First Research Seminar - Thurs 29th August Dear all, Just a little reminder about Alex Taylor's talk tomorrow at 4pm in 3A94. He will be talking about "What can birds teach us about the evolution of intelligence." Abstract Over the past decade birds have shown the ability to produce problem-solving performances that rival those of our closest relatives, the great apes. This opens up the exciting possibility that birds have convergent evolved minds that think in similar ways to primates, despite the starting point for this evolutionary trajectory being a brain with a radically different structure from the mammalian brain. I will discuss three recent findings from my lab that provide evidence that birds have minds that i) are intrinsically motivated to produce certain complex behaviours, ii) are capable of mental simulation and iii) support domain-general thought. This research has a number of interesting implications for both the evolution of intelligence and the creation of artificial intelligence. Best, Gema

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Re: [BERG] BERG presentation morning - 28th April 9.30-12.30
by Hannah Buchanan-Smith 27 Aug '19

27 Aug '19

Just a wee reminder for our BERG talks tomorrow morning. Hannah From: Hannah Buchanan-Smith Sent: 12 August 2019 13:30 To: berg Mailing List <berg(a)lists.stir.ac.uk> Cc: Psychology Staff <PsychologyStaff(a)stir.ac.uk>; Psychology PhD Students <Psychology-PhD-Students(a)stir.ac.uk>; Danny Martelli <dam00309(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Sagarika Phalke <sap00091(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Sarah Regan <smr00017(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Georgia Smith <ges00053(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Jemma Clare <jec00099(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Monisha Bhatia <mob00048(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Amy McDonald <amm00084(a)students.stir.ac.uk>; Zsuzsa Lugosi <zsl00001(a)students.stir.ac.uk> Subject: BERG presentation morning - 28th April 9.30-12.30 Dear all Please find attached the schedule for the BERG presentation day on Wednesday 28th August, 9.30-12.30 in the Psychology common room (3A94). All welcome. Best, Hannah Hannah M. Buchanan-Smith Professor, Behaviour and Evolution Research Group<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties-and-services/natural-sciences/our-re…> Stirling Human Animal Interaction Research (SHAIR<https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/faculties-and-services/natural-sciences/our-re…>) Group Room 3A79, Cottrell Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland Tel: 01786 467674 Fax: 01786 467641 E-mail: h.m.buchanan-smith(a)stir.ac.uk<mailto:h.m.buchanan-smith@stir.ac.uk> Home page: https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/257464 http://marmosetcare.com/ http://www.247animalwelfare.eu/ http://refiningdogcare.com/

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