The Matter Factory: A History of the Chemistry Laboratory (Science Museum)

From white coats to Bunsen burners, the laboratory is a controlled space of experimentation, research and invention. But how have the desired functions of the laboratory influenced the way it was constructed, laid out, equipped and operated? And how have developments in chemical practice or theory changed the laboratory and the way it is used? The Matter Factory offers a novel approach to the history of chemistry, showing how the development of the laboratory also helped to shape modern scientific practice. As consumers of leading-edge technology, chemists have driven innovation in laboratory design and the provision of utilities and equipment. For example, the introduction of coal gas into Bunsen's laboratory led to the development of the Bunsen burner, which in turn allowed the development of atomic spectroscopy. Is the construction of new labora-tories--and the provision of new utilities and equipment--an important element in the development of these novel areas of chemistry? This book tackles these questions by looking at a series of shifts in laboratory design: from eighteenth- to nineteenth-century furnace-centered, classical and industrial research laboratories to the creation of the modern laboratory at the end of the twentieth. Previous histories of chemistry laboratories have focused on the research carried out within them or the people who occupied them. This book examines the laboratory space itself and the way it is used, from the scientists who developed it to its architectural design, layout and the materials used in its construction. In addition to the development of well-known features, such as the fume cupboard, the bench and the laboratory coat, The Matter Factory explores the history of the chemical museum, which is now almost extinct and whose very existence has been queried. Fascinating and unique, it will appeal to practicing chemists, scientists, and general readers alike.;Introduction -- Birth of the laboratory : Wolfgang von Hohenlohe and Weikersheim, 1590s -- Form and function : Antoine Lavoisier and Paris, 1780s -- Laboratory versus lecture hall : Michael Faraday and London, 1820s -- Training chemists : Justus Liebig and Giessen, 1840s -- Modern conveniences : Robert Bunsen and Heidelberg, 1850s -- The chemical palace : Wilhelm Hofmann and Berlin, 1860s -- Laboratory transfer : Henry Roscoe and Manchester, 1870s -- Chemical museums : Charles Chandler and New York, 1890s -- Cradles of innovation : Carl Duisberg and Elberfeld, 1890s -- Neither fish nor fowl : Thomas Thorpe and London, 1890s -- Chemistry in Silicon Valley : Bill Johnson and Stanford, 1960s -- Innovation on the Isis : Graham Richards and Oxford, 2000s -- Conclusion -- Appendix. From white coats to Bunsen burners, the laboratory is a controlled space of experimentation, research and invention. But how have the desired functions of the laboratory inssuenced the way it was constructed, laid out, equipped and operated? And how have developments in chemical practice or theory changed the laboratory and the way it is used? The Matter Factory offers a novel approach to the history of chemistry, showing how the development of the laboratory also helped to shape modern scientiac practice. As consumers of leading-edge technology, chemists have driven innovation in laboratory design and the provision of utilities and equipment. For example, the introduction of coal gas into Bunsen's laboratory led to the development of the Bunsen burner, which in turn allowed the development of atomic spectroscopy. Is the construction of new labora-tories--and the provision of new utilities and equipment--an important element in the development of these novel areas of chemistry? This book tackles these questions by looking at a series of shifts in laboratory design: from eighteenth- to nineteenth-century furnace-centered, classical and industrial research laboratories to the creation of the modern laboratory at the end of the twentieth. Previous histories of chemistry laboratories have focused on the research carried out within them or the people who occupied them. This book examines the laboratory space itself and the way it is used, from the scientists who developed it to its architectural design, layout and the materials used in its construction. In addition to the development of well-known features, such as the fume cupboard, the bench and the laboratory coat, The Matter Factory explores the history of the chemical museum, which is now almost extinct and whose very existence has been queried. Fascinating and unique, it will appeal to practicing chemists, scientists, and general readers alike

White coats, Bunsen burners, beakers, flasks, and pipettes—the furnishings of the chemistry laboratory are familiar to most of us from our school days, but just how did these items come to be the crucial tools of science? Examining the history of the laboratory, Peter J. T. Morris offers a unique way to look at the history of chemistry itself, showing how the development of the laboratory helped shape modern chemistry.Chemists, Morris shows, are one of the leading drivers of innovation in laboratory design and technology. He tells of fascinating lineages of invention and innovation, for instance, how the introduction of coal gas into Robert Wilhelm Bunsen's laboratory led to the eponymous burner, which in turn led to the development of atomic spectroscopy. Comparing laboratories across eras, from the furnace-centered labs that survived until the late eighteenth century to the cleanrooms of today, he shows how the overlooked aspects of science—the architectural design and innovative tools that have facilitated its practice—have had a profound impact on what science has been able to do and, ultimately, what we have been able to understand.

White coats, Bunsen burners, beakers, flasks, and pipettes—the furnishings of the chemistry laboratory are familiar to most of us from our school days, but just how did these items come to be the crucial tools of science? Examining the history of the laboratory, Peter J. T. Morris offers a unique way to look at the history of chemistry itself, showing how the development of the laboratory helped shape modern chemistry. Chemists, Morris shows, are one of the leading drivers of innovation in laboratory design and technology. He tells of fascinating lineages of invention and innovation, for instance, how the introduction of coal gas into Robert Wilhelm Bunsen’s laboratory led to the eponymous burner, which in turn led to the development of atomic spectroscopy. Comparing laboratories across eras, from the furnace-centered labs that survived until the late eighteenth century to the cleanrooms of today, he shows how the overlooked aspects of science—the architectural design and innovative tools that have facilitated its practice—have had a profound impact on what science has been able to do and, ultimately, what we have been able to understand. Introduction Birth of the laboratory, Wolfgang von Hohenlohe and Weikersheim, 1590s Form and function, Antoine Lavoisier and Paris, 1780s Laboratory versus lecture hall, Michael Faraday and London, 1820s Training chemists, Justus Liebig and Giessen, 1840s Modern conveniences, Robert Bunsen and Heidelberg, 1850s The chemical palace, Wilhelm Hofmann and Berlin, 1860s Laboratory transfer, Henry Roscoe and Manchester, 1870s Chemical museums, Charles Chandler and New York, 1890s Cradles of innovation, Carl Duisberg and Elberfeld, 1890s Neither fish nor fowl, Thomas Thorpe and London, 1890s Chemistry in Silicon Valley, Bill Johnson and Stanford, 1960s Innovation on the Isis, Graham Richards and Oxford, 2000s Conclusion Appendix References Select bibliography Acknowledgements Photo acknowledgments Index. The Matter Factory offers a novel approach to the history of chemistry, showing how the development of the laboratory also helped to shape modern scientific practice. It explores the history of the chemical museum, which is now almost extinct. Fascinating and unique, this book will appeal to practicing chemists, scientists, and general readers alike. The Matter Factory is a novel approach to the history of chemistry, which shows how the development of the laboratory also helped to shape modern chemistry and modern science itself. This book looks at laboratory evolution, from the late 18th-century to the creation of the modern laboratory at the end of the twentieth.