THE
Monday May 14 2012 | thetimes.co.uk | No 70572
Early life:
TIMES
ROyal Society:
bacteria, genetics and you
Making waves since 1660
Science needs a bigger voice in today’s society In this week’s issue of Eureka!
The importance of keeping science alive
Ian Sample London
the march of science from the earliest blood transfusions, and attempts to capture lightning, to the confirmation of Einstein’s theory of relativity, the discovery of DNA and Stephen Hawking’s first musings on black holes. The letters reveal a history of failure eclipsed by success, and the maturation of science from a haphazard amateur pursuit to the systematised professionalism of today.
I
saac Newton held a clear glass prism to the sunbeam that penetrated the shutters of his darkened room and watched in awe as the wall of his office danced with all the colours of the rainbow. The 28-year-old physicist at Trinity College, Cambridge, was the first to show that white light is a blend of primary colours, a discovery that explains why grass is green and the sky is blue. His written account of the experiment in 1671 is among the oldest in a collection of scientific milestones described in Letters to the Royal Society, which are made public today to celebrate the 350th anniversary of Britain’s academy of science. The documents are released through an online library project called Trailblazing, a name inspired by Newton’s famous nod to the work of his predecessors in a note to his rival Robert Hooke: “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” The letters to the society record
“At that time the only scientists who were in any sense professionals were astronomers and maybe medical doctors, and of the two, the astronomers were the only ones who probably did more good than harm,” said Professor Martin Rees, the astronomer royal and president of the society. “If you look at these records, you can’t help but notice the immense range of interests they had. They were motivated by curiosity.”
If researchers don’t break free from the current system, the already fragile relationship between science and society may disintegrate. Ananyo Bhattacharya
The Guardian’s recent articles about the absurdities of the academic journal racket have brought out into the open some very important arguments that many academics, including myself, have been making for many years with little apparent effect. Now this issue is receiving wider attention, I hope sufficient pressure
PEOPLE OF INTEREST The Royal Society have provided us with invaluable information and individuals that have had a huge effect on our lives, society and knowledge.
will develop to force radical changes to the way research is communicated, not only between scientists but also between scientists and the public, because this is not just about the exorbitant cost of academic journals and the behaviour of the industry that publishes them. It’s about the much wider issue of how science should operate in a democratic society. Research, especially scientific
Sir Isaac Newton
Responsible for establishing the 3 laws of motion and discovering that white light is composed of other colours.
research, thrives in an atmosphere that allows the free exchange of ideas and information: open discussion and debate are essential if the scientific method is to operate properly. Before the arrival of the internet, academic publishers provided a valuable service that was a real benefit to the scientific community. Not any more. Recent advances in digital technology should have made the publication
Charles Babbage
Invented a working computer that was 8ft tall, had three seperate components powered by steam in the early 1820’s.
and dissemination of research much cheaper. Instead of falling, however, journal subscription fees have rocketed, even for online-only editions. This has had the effect of locking out those researchers whose institutions can’t afford to pay the extortionate access charges. The cost of supporting this parasitic industry is stifling science. Enough is enough.
Francis Bacon
Founder of Society, who’s philosophy on science was to alleviate mankind’s misery and to aid others in endeavours.
There is the letter from the chemist Robert Boyle, asking the physician Richard Lower about the consequences of transfusing blood from one animal into another. Does a dog lose its quirks after transfusion and gain those of the donor? Does blood from a big dog make a small dog grow? Can you safely replace a
The publishing giant Elsevier (currently the subject of an academic boycott) is one of the worst offenders when it comes to hindering the progress of science. How times have changed. When Galileo, having been forced to recant by the Inquisition, wrote the Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences, he got the work published in non-Catholic Leiden, by a company called Elsevier …
Benjamin Franklin
A polymath who invented the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove as well as discovering the Gulf stream.
Benjamin Franklin
A polymath who invented the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove as well as discovering the Gulf stream.