2011 has seen us celebrating 350 years of the Royal Society's library collections with a new literary festival, One Culture, which featured over 30 speakers from a variety of scientific, literary and cultural backgrounds. If you missed the festival itself do take a look at the website, where we've assembled a variety of reviews, interviews and photographs from the event. Our newest exhibition "Treasures of the Royal Society's Library" continues the celebratory theme and showcases a selection of our wonderful (and occasionally weird) book collections.
Our Autumn series of Friday lunchtime lectures saw a wide range of speakers presenting some fascinating topics to packed audiences, and recordings of all the talks are now available to download from our podcast page. The Spring 2012 series will begin on March 2nd, of which more details below. Some of our audience members have been tweeting from the lectures using the #RSHoS tag, and we also tweet about #histsci from @royalsociety. Centre staff have been busy blogging too, and if you haven't already seen it I'd particularly recommend Jo's highly seasonal post about Christmas cards in the archives.
Do read on for details about some of our events and activities coming up in the New Year, and please get in touch if you'd like to make a comment or request further information about anything we do.
1. 'History comes to Life'
On 27 April 2012 we are hosting a one-day academic conference, ‘History comes to Life: Seventeenth-century Natural History, Medicine, and the ‘New Science’. All are welcome to attend – see the conference webpage for further details and to register.
2. 'Roger Boscovich, the eighteenth-century polymath'
A public history of science lecture by Professor Ivica Martinovic
19 January, 6pm to 7pm (doors open at 5.30pm)
Roger Boscovich (1711-1787) was a true polymath, making original contributions in science, technology and the humanities. He was born in Dubrovnik but spent much of his working life in Rome, at the Collegium Romanum. This lecture will introduce his life and work, exploring his legacy in many fields including astronomy, geophysics, structural engineering, and archaelology.
Professor Ivica Martinovic is based at the Institute of Philosophy in Zagreb, and is curator of the exhibition 'Roger Boscovich and the Royal Society', on display at the Royal Society until 15 February 2012.
The lecture is free and all are welcome to attend. No prior booking is necessary; doors will open at 5.30pm. Please contact Felicity Henderson with any queries about this event.
3. Our two historical exhibitions will continue into the new year.
‘Roger Boscovich and the Royal Society’ celebrates the life and achievement of the 18th century Jesuit physicist, astronomer and Fellow of the Royal Society, Roger Boscovich.
‘Treasures of the Royal Society Library’ displays some of the most significant, beautiful and fascinating books from our library collection. Information about visiting the exhibitions can be found on their respective webpages.
4. Lunchtime lectures
Our Spring 2012 lunchtime lecture series is now advertised on the website. Once again we cover a wide range of subjects, from the cultural significance of the chemical elements to the ‘open-sights’ controversy in 17th century astronomy, and from the history of plastics to the history of flight, there should be something for everyone.
Lectures begin on Friday 2 March and run until Friday 11 May. A full list is available to download (PDF). Please note that it is no longer necessary to make a prior booking before attending our lunchtime lectures – doors will open at 12.30pm before each Friday’s event.
5. Royal Society seeks the best science books of 2011 for adults and young people
Entries are being accepted by the Royal Society from 7 December 2011 for two of the world’s most prestigious awards for science writing. Publishers are invited to submit their best science books for a non-specialist adult audience to the 2012 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books and their best books communicating science to young people to the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize.
The 2012 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books will celebrate the best of 2011's new popular science writing for a general adult readership. The Prize is open to science books written for a non-specialist audience. In 2011 the Prize was won by Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s The Wavewatcher’s Companion (Bloomsbury).
The 2012 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize will celebrate the best books published in 2011 that communicate science to young people. How the World Works by Christiane Dorion (Templar) won the 2011 Prize.
For both prizes, an online entry form must be completed for each entry, and seven non-returnable copies of each entry submitted to Royal Society Book Prizes, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, UK by Monday 6 February 2012. Full details of regulations, eligibility criteria and the entry form are available on the Society’s website.
6. Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar lecture
Nominations are now open for the Royal Society's premier lecture in the history, philosophy and social function of science. Previous winners include Melvyn Bragg, David Edgerton and Sian Ede, and the lectureship is accompanied by a medal and gift of £500. Full details and the nomination form are available from the award webpage.
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