Seeing Further: Ideas, Endeavours, Discoveries and Disputes The Story of Science Through 350 Years of the Royal Society

SUMMARY: Edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, and with contributions from Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, David Attenborough, Martin Rees and Richard Fortey amongst others, this is a remarkable volume celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society.On a damp weeknight in November, 350 years ago, a dozen or so men gathered at Gresham College in London. A twenty-eight year old ' and not widely famous ' Christopher Wren was giving a lecture on astronomy. As his audience listened to him speak, they decided that it would be a good idea to create a Society to promote the accumulation of useful knowledge. With that, the Royal Society was born.Since its birth, the Royal Society has pioneered scientific exploration and discovery. Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle, Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, John Locke, Alexander Fleming ' all were members. Bill Bryson's favourite member was Reverend Thomas Bayes, a brilliant mathematician who devised Bayes' theorem. Whilst it had little practical use in Bayes' lifetime, today his theorem is used for weather forecasting, astrophysics and stock market analysis. A milestone in mathematical history, it only exists because the Royal Society decided to preserve it ' just in case.The Royal Society continues to do today what it set out to do all those years ago. Its members have split the atom, discovered the double helix, the electron, the computer and the World Wide Web. Truly international in its outlook, it has created modern science. 'Seeing Further' celebrates its momentous history and achievements, bringing together the very best of science writing. Filled with illustrations of treasures from the Society's archives, this is a unique, ground-breaking volume that you'll want to pick up again and again. Fellows Of The Royal Society Have Created Whole New Branches Of Science, Split The Atom, Discovered Hydrogen, The Double Helix And The Elecron. They Have Invented The World Wide Web, Developed Profound Theories On Evolution, Gravity And Motion, And Furthered Our Understanding Of Everything From Stock Market Analysis And Astrophysics To Electricity And Biodiversity. They Have Tested The Limits Of Knowledge Itself. At The Beginning : More Things In Heaven And Earth / James Gleck -- Of The Madness Of Mad Scientists : Jonathan Swift's Grand Academy / Margaret Atwood -- Lost In Space : The Spiritual Crisis Of Newtonian Cosmology / Margaret Wertheim -- Atoms Of Cognition : Metaphysics In The Royal Society, 1715-2010 / Neal Stephenson -- What's In A Name? : Rivalries And The Birth Of Modern Science / Rebecca Newberger Goldstein -- Charged Atmospheres : Promethean Science And The Royal Society / Simon Schaffer -- A New Age Of Flight : Joseph Banks Goes Ballooning / Richard Holmes -- Archives Of Life : Science And Collections / Richard Fortey -- Darwin's Five Bridges : The Way To Natural Selection / Richard Dawkins -- Images Of Progress : Conferences Of Engineers / Henry Petroski -- X-ray Visions : Structural Biologists And Social Action In The Twentieth Century / Georgina Ferry -- Ten Thousand Wedges : Biodiversity, Natural Selection, And Random Change / Steve Jones -- Making Stuff : From Bacon To Bakelite / Philip Ball -- Just Typical : Our Changing Place In The Universe / Paul Davies -- Behind The Scenes : The Hidden Mathematics That Rules Our World / Ian Stewart -- Simple, Really : From Simplicity To Complexity -- And Back Again / John D. Barrow -- Globe And Sphere, Cycles And Flows : How To See The World / Oliver Morton -- Beyond Ending : Looking Into The Void / Maggie Gee -- Confidence, Consensus, And The Uncertainty Cops : Tackling Risk Management In Climate Change / Stephen H. Schneider -- Time : The Winged Chariot / Gregory Benford -- Conclusion : Looking Fifty Years Ahead / Martin Ress. Edited & Introduced By Bill Bryson ; Contributing Editor, Jon Turney. Includes Bibliographical References. Edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, and with contributions from Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, David Attenborough, Martin Rees and Richard Fortey amongst others, this is a remarkable volume celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. On a damp weeknight in November, 350 years ago, a dozen or so men gathered at Gresham College in London. A twenty-eight year old and not widely famous Christopher Wren was giving a lecture on astronomy. As his audience listened to him speak, they decided that it would be a good idea to create a Society to promote the accumulation of useful knowledge. With that, the Royal Society was born. Since its birth, the Royal Society has pioneered scientific exploration and discovery. Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle, Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, John Locke, Alexander Fleming all were fellows. Bill Brysons favourite fellow was Reverend Thomas Bayes, a brilliant mathematician who devised Bayes theorem. Its complexity meant that it had little practical use in Bayes own lifetime, but today his theorem is used for weather forecasting, astrophysics and stock market analysis. A milestone in mathematical history, it only exists because the Royal Society decided to preserve it just in case. The Royal Society continues to do today what it set out to do all those years ago. Its members have split the atom, discovered the double helix, the electron, the computer and the World Wide Web. Truly international in its outlook, it has created modern science. Seeing Further celebrates its momentous history and achievements, bringing together the very best of science writing. Filled with illustrations of treasures from the Societys archives, this is a unique, ground-breaking and beautiful volume, and a suitable reflection of the immense achievements of science. From the Royal Society comes a peerless collection of all-new science writing. Contributors include Margaret Atwood, Steve Jones, Richard Dawkins, James Gleick, Richard Holmes, and Neal Stephenson writing on subjects ranging from metaphysics to nuclear ..