NOTICES LOVE Cllr Rory Love has been appointed OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for public and political service. (MH 73-77)
Bill Hamilton (SH 49-54) Commemorated in the naming of the Hamilton Laboratory in Biology, in recognition of his role as one of the most important evolutionary theorists of the 20th century. Smythe House boy, Bill Hamilton, is internationally regarded as one of the great ecologists, and evolutionary biologists of his generation. His work is hugely influential in the work of scientists and writers such as Richard Dawkins. In 1964, Hamilton accepted a teaching position at Imperial College, London, and published The Genetical Evolution of Social Behaviour, a paper that laid the foundation for population genetics studies of social behaviour. The key concept presented in this work was ‘inclusive fitness,’ a theory that later became known as ‘Hamilton’s Rule’. Through this, Hamilton proposed that an organism’s genetic success is derived from cooperation and altruistic behaviour, as well as the consequences of social interaction. He demonstrated mathematically that it was possible for altruism to evolve as a trait as long as the benefits of altruistic acts fell on individuals that were genetically related to the donor. In other words, it would be advantageous for an animal to give an alarm call, despite placing itself in danger, to warn a group of relatives, since its relatives also carry copies of its genes. Through his rule, Hamilton predicted the conditions by which one individual would likely behave altruistically toward another. Over the course of his career, Hamilton addressed other important theoretical problems related to the choice of mate and sexual reproduction. He also pioneered the use of computers in biology and computer simulation as a method of research and proof. ●
Top: The final Barton's Chair sculpture hanging in the atrium of the Barton Science Centre. Below: Sculptor, Briony Marshall creates a first draft of the model in wax, 1/3 of the size of the final sculpture.
CLARK On the 17 December 2018, to Oliver and his wife Amy, a son, Alexander George Clark. (CH 95-00) GUMMER The engagement is announced between Felix John, younger son of Lord and Lady Deben of Winston, Suffolk and Clementine Mary, elder daughter of Mr Richard Vaughan of Goodrich, Herefordshire and Mrs Susan Vaughan of Glewstone, Herefordshire. (Sc 92-96) HOOK The engagement is announced between David, younger son of Mr and Mrs Tim Hook of Speldhurst, Kent and Esther, daughter of Mr and Mrs Stephen Franks of Wellington, New Zealand. (WH 00-05) HOWICK On 19 November 2017, to Oliver and his wife Sarah, a son, Oscar Harry Storm Howick. (Sc 00-05) HILL The engagement is announced between Edward, son of Mr and Mrs Michael Hill, of Penshurst, Kent, and Lindsay, daughter of Mr and Mrs Paul Sedola, of Vancouver Island, Canada. (CH 01-06) WATSON On 16 November 2018, to Becca and her husband Dan, a daughter, Scarlett Elizabeth Holly. (OT Relations Manager) To add a notice online, or in the next edition of OT Magazine, contact us at:
tonbridgesociety@tonbridge-school.org +44 (0) 1732 304253 APRIL 2019
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