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Category Archives: History of Science
The Man of Science and the Man of Letters
I have just spent a few days in Lichfield, which you might not think of as a key cultural centre, but it happens to be closely associated with two giants, in the form of Erasmus Darwin and Samuel Johnson, both … Continue reading
Posted in History of Science
Tagged Anna Seward, Erasmus Darwin, Lichfield, Samuel Johnson
2 Comments
The Greatest Engineer?
Isambard Kingdom Brunel may only have been trumped by Winston Churchill when the BBC prepared its list of top 100 Great Britons, based on a public vote, but I wonder if most people’s perceptions were as hazy as mine were … Continue reading
Posted in History of Science
Tagged Clifton Bridge, Great Western railway, IK Brunel, LTC Rolt, SS Great Britain
4 Comments
Some Things Never Change
One of the enjoyable consequences of carrying out reading tasks for publishers, is that often one can be paid ‘in kind’ with a miscellaneous collection of books up to some market value considerably more than any cheque they might otherwise … Continue reading
Posted in History of Science, Life in Science, Science Culture
Tagged Adam Sedgwick, David Elliston Allen, Thomas Huxley
5 Comments
Mary Somerville
Somerville College in Oxford is much better known than the woman it was named after, Mary Somerville, an eminent scientist who had died 7 years before the founding of the college in 1879. Mary Somerville (1780-1872) was a polymath, an … Continue reading
Posted in History of Science, Women in Science
Tagged 19th century science, science writing, William Whewell
6 Comments
Skeletons and Unconscious Bias
As scientists we like to believe that we seek and interpret evidence impartially. That has been the accepted position for generations. The reality is of course that we are sometimes influenced, unconsciously or otherwise, by received opinion, ‘experts’ or other … Continue reading
