The History of Science Museum: Recent Episodes
Oxford University
The History of Science Museum houses an unrivaled collection of historic scientific instruments in the world's oldest surviving purpose-built museum building, the Old Ashmolean on Broad Street, Oxford. By virtue of the collection and the building, the Museum occupies a special position, both in the study of the history of science and in the development of western culture and collecting.
Dr Anna Marie Roos gives a talk as part of the Museum's celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Royal Society.
Professor Allen of the Oxford University Environmental Change Institute discusses one of the most pressing issues of the modern day - Climate Change.
Russell Foster explains the role of light in regulating our bodies and discusses the implications of today's almost constant exposure to light.
Writer Richard Hamblyn revisits his first book about the 19th-century amateur meteorologist Luke Howard who gave the clouds the names we use today.
Leigh Fletcher (Dept. of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford) talks about current research on the weather of other planets.
Dr Matthew Shaw, British Library, talks about the extraordinary revisions of time measurement adopted in the French Revolution.
Geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster Nicholas Crane talks about the inspirations behind his book on Gerard Mercator.
The third in a series of public lectures linked to the Museum's 'Eccentricity' exhibition.
Dr Vicky Carroll talks about the eccentric tendencies of early 19th-century natural historians. Whether hunting for fossils or wrestling alligators, these scientists certainly had an active interest in their field work!
In the first in a series of 'Eccentricity' lectures, Dr Brian Regal talks about the search for 'monsters', in particular the hunt for Sasquatch or 'Bigfoot', and the "crackpot" natural historians who were obsessed with the search. Dr Brian Regal is the Assistant Professor for the History of Science, Kean University, New Jersey.
A public lecture by Dr. Silke Ackermann, Curator of European and Islamic scientific instruments at the British Museum. Part of the Al-Mizan exhibition which explores the connections between the sciences and arts in Muslim societies.
A public lecture by Professor Emilie Savage-Smith, FBA, Emeritus Professor of the History of Islamic Science, University of Oxford. Part of the Al-Mizan exhibition which explores the connections between the sciences and arts in Muslim societies.
Professor Peter Scott discusses his research into competitive advantage and innovation in the interwar British radio industry using the Marconi Archive, Britain's most extensive and important archive for the radio and related industries. The first Douglas Byrne Marconi Fellowship was awarded in 2011 to Professor Peter Scott, of the Henley Business School, University of Reading, for research into competitive advantage and innovation in the interwar British radio industry. Professor Scott will deliver the first Douglas Byrne Marconi Lecture on March 1, 2011. "The Marconi fellowship has provided me with the resources to undertake in-depth research using Britain's most extensive and important archive for the radio and related industries", says Professor Scott. "The Marconi collection sheds important light on all aspects of the early radio industry and constitutes a key historical resource for anyone undertaking research in this area." The Marconi Collection was donated to the University of Oxford by Marconi plc in December 2004. A catalogue of the archive, funded by the Wireless Preservation Society, is available online from the Bodleian Library. A catalogue of the objects can be found on the website of the Museum of the History of Science. One of the most interesting sections of the archive relates to the Titanic disaster in 1912. The role played by wireless telegraphy in saving lives during this tragic event is well documented in the archive, which features the logs of ships' radio operators recording the first and last distress signals from the Titanic as well as thousands of other messages exchanged before, during and after the emergency. As well as documents relating to Marconi and his Wireless Telegraph Company, there are records of numerous other electronic and electrical engineering companies, all of which were ultimately absorbed into the General Electric Company (GEC) which in 1999 changed its own name to Marconi. The fellowship is named in memory of its founder, Douglas Byrne.
Professor Peter Scott (University of Reading) presents the inaugural Douglas Byrne Marconi Lecture based on his research on Marconi and radio manufacturing between the World Wars.
Short video about the Steampunk exhibition, from the Museum of the History of Science until February 2010 with the museum's director, Jim Bennett, explaining the various exhibits.
In the fourth and final lecture in the 'Telescopes Now' series, Professor Alan Watson talks about his work at the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory. Professor Alan Watson is Emeritus and Research Professor of Physics at the University of Leeds, and with James Cronin established and led the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory in Argentina. In his lecture he touches on some of the practical, political, technical, financial and organisational challenges faced by the team that he worked with to establish the Observatory.
In the third in a series of lectures by senior astronomers about recent developments in telescopes, Professor Roger Davies talks about his work on the Gemini Telescopes. Professor Roger Davies is Philip Whetton Professor of Astrophysics and Chairman of Physics at the University of Oxford. In his lecture he touches on some of the practical, political, technical, financial and organisational challenges he and his team faced when building the Gemini telescopes in Hawaii and Chile.
In the second in a series of lectures by senior astronomers about recent developments in the telescope, Professor Phil Diamond talks about his work at Jodrell Bank on E-Merlin, and in particular the Lovell Telescope. Phil Diamond is Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester and Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics.In his lecture he touches on some of the practical, political, technical, financial and organisational challenges faced by the teams who developed Jodrell Bank and built e-MERLIN.
In the first in a series of lectures by senior astronomers about recent developments in telescopes, Professor Alexander Boksenberg talks about his work with the William Herschel and the Hubble telescopes. Professor Alexander Boksenberg is Honorary Professor of Experimental Astronomy, University of Cambridge, and a former Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. In his lecture he touches on some of the practical, political, technical, financial and organisational challenges faced by the teams who built the William Herschel and Hubble telescopes