The Tables Turned the Tables Turned 1 the BSHS Strolling Players Introduce Their Latest Role-Play Drama on Science and the Victorian Séance BSHS News 4

No. 91: February 2010

IsSN: 1751-8261

Contents The Tables Turned The Tables Turned 1 The BSHS Strolling Players introduce their latest role-play drama on science and the Victorian séance BSHS News 4

Viewpoint 5

Object of the Issue 6

From PhD to Book 7

Reports of Meetings 8

Reviews 11

The Questionnaire 14

Announcements 15

BJHS, Viewpoint, BSHS info. 16

Editorial Filming for The Tables Turned at the Osler-McGovern Centre, Green College, Oxford

I It is with great pleasure that I assume the In Victorian Britain, thousands of people were the Spirits’ of attending a séance in the early role of Viewpoint editor. Many thanks to turning tables. Participants at séances across 1860s, ‘The Tables Turned’ deployed the my predecessor Rosemary Wall for all of the country heard long-departed voices, appealing topic of supposed supernatural her help and advice. levitated musical instruments, and channelled activities to consider the scientific method, I hope that under my editorship View- unheard-of languages, breaching supposed and the province of the sciences. The students point will continue to bring you the latest barriers between the natural and the super- were asked to consider questions of observa- news of BSHS projects and initiatives, natural, soul and matter, the known and the tion, fact-making, objectivity and reasoning, advice for early career members, as well as unknown, the quick and the dead. Well-known as well as the relationship between expert reports and reflections on the wide range members of the scientific community, includ- scientists and the wider public. Building on of current history of science activities - ing co-discoverer of natural selection Alfred previous years’ success in using the role-play from books to exhibitions to television and Russel Wallace and chemist William Crookes, format, we decided the best way to introduce radio programmes - and on the history of were among them: active enthusiasts of these key issues would be by taking partici- science as an academic discipline. spiritualism, and regular séance-goers. Others, pants back in time. In this issue, then, we hear from the such as Michael Faraday, were more sceptical, BSHS Strolling Players about ‘The Tables and denounced this popular pastime in the Turned’, and see an exclusive extract from periodical press. Many fell somewhere in be- Dramatis personae its script; two new features are introduced: tween on a spectrum of beliefs. But how were the ‘Viewpoint’ opinion column, and the people supposed to judge what was going As in our previous play, ‘The Business of ‘object of the issue’; advice for going ‘from on, and who would be able to provide expert Bodies’, a short film is shown to open the PhD to book’ is dispensed; delegates guidance? Was the world of science able to drama, followed by a debate conducted ‘in report back from conferences at home and determine whether the events of the séance character’. ‘The Tables Turned’ begins with abroad; and ‘Steampunk’, ‘Micro Men’, and were real? supposed footage of a recent dinner-party medieval philosophy are all reviewed. For our third role-play drama, the BSHS séance, at which ‘Lizzy Lightman’, a medium, Contributions to the next issue should Strolling Players visited the world of Victo- had been subject to the investigations of be sent to [email protected] by 15th rian spiritualism and posed some of these James Wendall, a Tyndall-esque man of sci- April 2010. questions to an AS-level audience. Drawing ence. The séance participants gather, and join Melanie Keene, Editor on John Tyndall’s account in ‘Science and hands; furniture is shown to move; books to Continued on page 3 2 Viewpoint No. 91

An exclusive extract from ‘The Middleton [nodding and chuckling]: No they scientific man and corresponding member did not. They were most uncooperative! of the Royal Society, to address us. He has Tables Turned’ script, in which also conducted investigations into these so- Wendall and Brookes disagree Brookes frowns at the mocking tone. called spiritual phenomena.

as to the causes of spiritual President: Apart from ‘spirit-rapping’, did you Brookes: I am most very flattered to be asked phenomena... witness anything else, Mr Wendall? to come and speak before you today. I wish to relate my findings of a year spent in the Scene: A meeting of the Guildford Literary Wendall: Later there was a large and sudden company of a medium. and Scientific Society, September 9th, 1869. movement of the table. The movement was The audience assembled are local men and real but I noticed that there were several pairs Wendall [snorting]: A year well spent, I’m women who are most interested in the latest of arms on the table and several pairs of legs sure! advancements in the arts and sciences. This under. I did not say what I thought might evening the Society will discuss a topic that really be happening. However, my request to He receives a ‘look’ from the President. has been in the periodical press for several sit beneath the table was declined. [Gesturing years and has provoked much public debate: excitedly] I did at one point grasp the table Brookes: Mr Wendall has stated that the table-turning. firmly between my knees and waited for the man of science must decide whether a thing Two distinguished men of science from the pull. When it came my knee resisted it and I is possible or impossible before examin- Royal Society will present their views on this prevailed against the spirit – an interesting ing any phenomena. I disagree. I feel it falls phenomenon. One of these men is famous in fact known only to the particular spirit and upon the scientific man to venture upon the press for his suggestion that table-turning myself until now. the enquiry with no preconceived notions is genuine. The other recently attended a whatsoever as to what can be or cannot be. séance and left with his sceptical views firmly President: I take it, then, Mr Wendall, that you I enter upon investigation with all my senses intact... were not convinced of the truth of spiritual alert and with a mind free of preconcep- communication? tions. Thus I embarked upon my own investi- Wendall: Madam President - I have re- gation of the séance room. I have concluded, ceived numerous letters from members of Wendall: I found no evidence of supernatural after numerous investigations, that the the public urging me to witness for myself spirits present in the room that evening. In ad- movement of things such as tables and the the events of the séance room. In these dition I am not at all convinced that some new production of sounds are fact. letters apparently rational people recount and previously unknown vital or motor force how they have been persuaded of the accounts for any rapping or table-turning Wendall [clearly outraged]: Fact! You claim to truth of phenomena such as table-turning effects. be a scientist and yet you vouch for the truth and spirit-rapping by the evidence of their of things that have no scientific explanation! own eyes and ears. In these letters they Brookes [good-natured if patronising]: With all ask whether in my opinion this is proof of due respect Mr Wendall, but that statement is Brookes: I have experienced them first-hand spirits from the afterlife communicating mere opinion on your part! You have placed and found no evidence of fraud. These phe- with the living. no evidence before us today to disprove the nomena are genuine in their occurrence. reality of these phenomena. If these things can be experienced then we President: And what do you reply? cannot deny them - even if they are things Wendall [a little surprised at such impertinence]: that cannot be explained by any physical Wendall [chuckling slightly]: The short [Emphatically] Look here – a scientist con- law at present known. A scientist must enter answer to this question is “no”. But I felt that sidering a question must set out beforehand into such questions with an open mind. Your as a scientist I had some duty to investigate with a clear idea of the naturally possible and prejudice has clouded your senses. You will any moving objects or unexpected noises impossible. We know, from scientific theory, not accept these phenomena as you do not for myself. So in August I attended a séance that some things are not possible - the world wish to... organised by my friend Mr Middleton. is governed by physical laws. Phenomena that cannot be explained by the laws of science, The debate continues... President: Could you relate for the benefit cannot really exist. of the Society your findings? Cloud: Oh what terrible arrogance! Wendall: Certainly. At this séance I recorded my careful observations of the room, the President: Are you suggesting that this me- demeanour of the medium and the guests. dium, Lizzy Lightman, is a fraud? When sitting around the table the medium instructed us to hold our hands together Wendall: Maybe. She may merely be deluded. whilst she [sarcastically] ‘called upon the She claimed at one point that the phenom- spirits’. ena over which she presides – table-turning A number of knocks were heard and and what not, are no more fantastic than the the medium told me this was the spirits magnetic forces I study in my laboratory. This communicating. I noticed the knocks came is patent nonsense. from one part of the room in particular so The medium ‘Lizzy Lightman’, whose sup- I requested the spirits move to a different President: Thank you Mr Wendall. I now have posed spiritualistic actions at the seance locality – they did not comply. the honour to ask Mr Brookes, another august are the cause of debate between our two men of science. Viewpoint No. 91 3

fly across the room; the medium to swoon. edge – not only things about the universe back-stories were elaborated on. As ever, the Throughout, Mr Wendall’s eyebrow remains that science does not know, but that it cannot usual awkward questions were also asked by firmly, and sceptically, raised. At the heart of know. Sabine Clarke wove together these the too-well-informed; however, such expert ‘The Tables Turned’, then, is a dispute between characters and concerns into a wonderful interrogation provided invaluable insights two scientific figures, Wendall and Arthur script (see page 2 for an extract). into what we should hope to elicit from our Brookes, over what happened in the séance- audiences at the upcoming British Science room that night; how scientific investigation Festival. The Players gave two perform- should proceed; and more generally over the Lights, camera... ectoplasm! ances of ‘The Tables Turned’ in Surrey: one as role and scope of the sciences themselves. Preparation for filming began in earnest one part of the main Festival programme at the It was important, we felt, to present debate hot June day in 2009, as several of the Players (haunted) Brooklands Museum, and another within the scientific community, and to com- plicate preconceptions students might have descended with appropriate hats and the as part of the complementary Young People’s had; namely, that science was against spiritu- BSHS video camera on the nineteenth-century Programme to a group of fantastic students. alism. Indeed, we show how Wendall’s own Osler-McGovern Centre at Green College, On both occasions we were astounded by the scientific work into invisible phenomena and Oxford, whose library proved a perfect back- sophisticated level of debate our audiences the use of the imagination could be compared drop. High summer was not, however, the best managed to raise about the provocative state- to the events of the séance; and Brookes is time to be wearing the trappings of Victori- ments about science we had asked them to presented as convinced that science will soon ana: the ladies had to contend with layers of consider. explain the facts of the séance. burdensome clothing and errant safety-pins; Our sincere thanks to the Wellcome Trust, the gents with ‘beard-glue’ for their prosthetic Other characters have important roles, too, who awarded Sabine a grant to put on this facial hair. Thanks to Julia Hyland’s superb in contributing to the subtleties of debate: year’s production, and to the BSHS Outreach direction, we managed to shoot all scenes for instance, the dinner-party host, Robert and Education Committee and the History of in one day, and a faux table-top and fishing Middleton, is a journalist, who wanted to see Science Section of the British Science Associa- the popular phenomenon for himself. He is wire were put to good use. (We were not, we tion for all of their financial and other support. an advocate of first-hand observation, and of decided, going to rely on spiritual interven- Watch out for performances of ‘The Tables transparency and reportage to a wider public; tion for successful special effects.) Afterwards Turned’ throughout 2010, beginning with a a newcomer to these issues, he can act as a - with mounting hysteria and to the amuse- proxy for the audience. Arabella Cloud, on ment of fellow drinkers – we watched the schools’ session at the Royal Society on 30th the other hand, is a rather reclusive and sickly ‘rushes’ in an Oxfordshire pub. March. Full details of the play (including the poet, essayist, and philosopher. A longstand- The Leicester conference witnessed the séance film) will be made available online in ing believer in spiritualism, she believes that first performance of the role-play drama, with the near future. men of science have not approached the attending academics encouraged to take question of life after death with an open mind, on the roles of society-members, an invita- The BSHS Strolling Players and that there are limits to scientific knowl- tion taken up with gusto as several entire

Emm Barnes The cast of ‘The Tables Turned’, British Science Festival, Surrey 2009. L-R: Geoff Belknap (as Arthur Brookes), Tom Lean (as James Wendall), Sabine Clarke (as Arabella Cloud), Melanie Keene (as Society President), Julia Hyland (as Robert Middleton) 4 Viewpoint No. 91 BSHS News

BSHS Annual Conference 2010 - Aberdeen

The BSHS Annual Conference will take place at the University of Aberdeen from 22nd to 25th July 2010. The conference will start late in the afternoon of 22nd July with a plenary lecture and reception. The main venue is the Conference Centre at the heart of the 16th-century campus of King’s College in Old Aberdeen, with the conference dinner to be held in the impressive Elphinstone Hall. The programme will include parallel themed sessions, plenary lectures, education and outreach activities, an opportunity to explore the rich resources available in Aberdeen for historians of STM and a conference dinner and ceilidh. An inclusive conference package will be available. Aberdeen is served by fast and comfortable rail and coach connections to major UK destinations. It has an international airport with regular direct connections to many European destinations as well as UK domestic flights on several low-cost carriers. The BSHS will be coordinating a car-sharing scheme for those wishing to minimise their transport costs. Besides the delights of Old Aberdeen, the city itself is an ideal base for extending your stay and exploring the many scenic and historic attrac- tions in the area, from spectacular mountain and heathland scenery to the castles, stone circles and distilleries for which Aberdeenshire and Moray are famous. Registration details and a draft programme will be posted on the BSHS website when they are available: http://www.bshs.org.uk/conferences/annual- conference/2010-aberdeen Enquiries concerning the programme should be directed to [email protected] Those relating to the local arrangements should be directed to [email protected] Ralph O’Connor

A ‘beta’ version of the website is available at New history of http://www.bshs.org.uk/wiki/ If you would like BSHS-Sponsored to contribute, please contact Gregory Radick science wiki ([email protected]) or Elizabeth Bruton Conferences 2010 ([email protected]) of the Society’s Com- The BSHS is looking for short articles on sites munication Co-ordination Committee. Owning & Disowning Invention of historic and scientific interest. Have you visited a place for research or personal inter- University of Leeds, 5th-8th July 2010 est and felt it deserved to be better known? http://owninganddisowninginvention.org/ Would you consider acting as a virtual ‘tour Membership guide’ to that place? Then we want to hear Science and Technology in the from you! The Society is setting up a Wiki- renewal reminder European Periphery style travelogue where members can create National University of Ireland, Galway 17th- and edit short articles and add pictures of A reminder to all BSHS members that sub- sites of interest, for the benefit of other mem- scriptions for 2010 are now due. Your mem- 20th June 2010 bers and the wider world of history-of-science bership can be renewed easily online at http:// http://www.conference.ie/Conferences/index. travellers. www.bshs.org.uk./ asp?Conference=75 Viewpoint No. 91 5

Viewpoint Historians of Science and the Research Excellence Framework

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) generally inspires frustration and despair in equal measure. Certainly the broad consen- sus is that, like its ‘RAE’ predecessors, it will reflect a thin assessment of academic research according to narrow economic and utilitar- ian criteria, which are not only inappropriate to arts and humanities disciplines, but fail to acknowledge the intellectual and cultural value of such research. Such concerns are sufficiently widespread and well-rehearsed that little more needs to be said about them here. However, there is one feature of the REF, implicit but surely present, which should be of particular interest to historians of science, science communicators, and members of allied disciplines: namely, its implicit ‘technocratic’ values and imperatives. There are, I suggest, two specific problems. Ingrid Jendrzejewski The first is that the REF’s commitment to Academics from the West Side look forward to demonstrating the‘impact’ of their work. quantifiable ‘impact’ will disvalue the work of historians of science. Consider the September 2009 HEFCE document ‘Research Excellence plexities of science as a cognitive, practical, However, since the REF, insofar as we can tell, Framework: second consultation on the and social activity. cannot acknowledge these non-quantifiable assessment and funding of research’. Towards The proposed valuation of academic history values, this difficulty seems likely to persist. the end of its 53 pages, the report discusses of science research according to increased This will interfere with the work of historians that notorious term, ‘impact’, apparently to ‘public engagement’ as measured by quantifi- and communicators of science because it able standards is an impossibly narrow crite- reflect economic and industrial concerns, such imposes external procedural and financial rion of ‘value’. Museums could increase their as increased commercial funding for academic constraints upon their activities. visitor statistics by redesigning their exhibits research, movement of personnel between The second problem is that the REF’s tech- industry and academia, and new saleable to be less intellectually-demanding - ‘learn- nocracy may threaten the disciplinary integ- products and techniques. However, there is ing lite’. Such a move would hardly increase rity and autonomy of historians of science. also mention of ‘cultural enrichment, including public understanding of science, but it would improved public engagement with science show up on a statistical record of visitor One aim of the REF, across its incarnations, and research.’ numbers. Similarly, science communicators has seemingly been to restructure academic Appeal to ‘cultural enrichment’ may promise could employ the cheap publisher’s trick of research according to its contributions to a ray of light for historians and communicators selling outrageous claims. Any resulting books British economic interests, either directly, of science who see their own work as con- would contain little of intellectual worth, but through the creation of new businesses and tributing to public engagement with science could well have admirable sales figures. Such products, or indirectly, by facilitating greater - for instance, by detailing the complexities examples might seem spurious, but they are involvement of science and technology across all plausible consequences of an REF process of scientific thought and practice. However, the public sphere. Within this technocratic such optimism seems to be ill-fated. HEFCE’s which insists on admitting only quantifiable scheme, historians of science may be pressu- suggested ‘possible indicators’ for measur- values into its considerations. rized, subtly or not, to propagandise on behalf ing ‘cultural enrichment’ include: ‘Increased The problem that the REF creates relates to levels of public engagement with science the fact that ‘understanding’ and ‘appreciation’ of the sciences and technologies that form the and research (for example, as measured simply are not quantifiable in the way that new core of British economic activities, rather through surveys)’, ‘Changes to public attitude visitor numbers, book sales, audience figures, than to engage in critical historical studies— to science (for example, as measured through and so on are. Many of these intellectual exploring science, ‘warts and all’. Our func- surveys)’, ‘Enriched appreciation of heritage values - ‘wisdom’, ‘knowledge’, and so on - tion would be to sing praises, rather than or culture (for example, as measured through simply cannot be captured by quantification, impartially assess; to act as zealous heralds, surveys)’, and ‘Audience/participation levels at statistics, and other metrologies. As such, rather than cautious critics. One conceivable public dissemination or engagement activi- they are unlikely to find much currency within future, and a grim one, would see historians the REF as HEFCE is currently conceiving of ties (exhibitions, broadcasts and so on)’ (and of science making an enthusiastic return to positive feedback there from). Such remarks it, despite the fact that these are the values Whig historiography, or, more simply, in the suggest that HEFCE’s conception of successful to which historians of science - and, for that mass exodus of historians of science to other public engagement with science and research matter, all academics - are committed, and consists in statistics upon museum attend- which, one hopes, they are keen to promote departments abroad. ance and increased audience shares for the to the general public. ‘Understanding’ may be Ian James Kidd BBC Horizon programme, and not of greater difficult, perhaps impossible, to measure or Durham University understanding and appreciation of the com- quantify, but that does not diminish its value. [email protected] 6 Viewpoint No. 91

Object of the issue “Consul”, the Educated Monkey

‘“Consul”, the Educated Monkey’ is a small Whipple Museum square metal back-plate printed with a number chart, to which is attached a move- able monkey figure made of thin enamelled steel. Metal pins form joints at the monkey’s elbows, torso, feet, and between the hands, allowing it to move in geometrically arranged ways to point to an answer with its hands when the user aligns its feet at two numbers (one to twelve) to be multiplied or added. Its inventor, William Henry Robertson of Ohio, filed for two United States patents in 1915, the first for ‘certain new and useful Improvements in Calculating Devices’ and the second for ‘certain new and useful Improvements in Toys’. In the Whipple Museum of the History of Science in Cambridge, an example of this calculating device/toy monkey is displayed with mechanical calculating devices such as Napier’s bones and abacuses and is also included in the Museum’s ‘Science Toys Trail’ activity for young visitors. Besides solutions to arithmetic problems, Consul also offers a glimpse into 20th-century mathematics education, toys, and popular culture. In Robertson’s patent for a ‘toy’, he specifies that ‘my invention relates to toys for educational purposes’. The packaging presents Consul as an ideal teacher because ‘it makes no difference to the monkey whether children are bright or stupid. He never loses patience at having to answer their questions.’ But was Consul actually a good teacher according to early-20th-century beliefs about education? Consul meets the contemporary demand in educational philosophy for manipulative, Using his feet and hands, Consul shows us that 5 x 10 equals 50. Dressed in suit and hands-on objects as physical representations red polka-dot bow-tie, Consul resembled the trained chimps that were a hit on the of knowledge that children could interact vaudeville stage in early 20th-century New York. with directly. In the late 19th century, ‘tools for group demonstration such as the teaching abacus gave way to devices for a single child’. and its clothes-wearing monkey and bright By 1900, ‘the material used in the schoolroom colours are assumedly meant to appeal to Caitlin Wylie as objective aids is limited and highly artificial, children. Consul resembles contemporary consisting of tiles, pegs, splints, toothpicks, metal mechanical toys such as the Tinkertoys squares of cardboard, etc’. These simple of 1914. However, upon closer examination, objects served as counters so that children Consul is a poorly-designed toy. Clumsy could learn the physical meaning of arithmetic handling would easily damage the thin, through personal interaction with objects, as lightweight back-plate and monkey figure. recommended by educational philosophers If the monkey’s fragile joints were knocked such as J. H. Pestalozzi and John Dewey. out of alignment, the device’s calculating Consul matches this trend of single-user ability would be ruined. Similarly, Consul’s educational tools, but it does not serve the grim-faced, garishly awkward monkey figure accompanying educational philosophy. Pesta- contrasts with the cute, smiling animal toys of lozzi and Dewey called for hands-on activi- early twentieth century America. The popular ties to encourage children to ask their own Humpty Dumpty Circus of 1910 had charming questions and explore their world directly. poseable figurines, and the teddy bear craze But Consul could only generate mathemati- of 1906 presented animals as cuddly friends. cal answers, not help children understand or Consul’s fragile, bizarre-looking monkey does experience arithmetic. not match the more child-friendly toys of the Consul on display at the Whipple Museum Consul is a self-professed ‘classic in the toy time. alongside other calculating devices. line’, as printed on its paper folder packaging, Unlike typically identity-less animal toys, Viewpoint No. 91 7

Consul’s unusual name and detailed appear- ance, from red-polka-dot bow-tie to comb tracks in its fur, differentiate it from just any From PhD to book monkey and link it with a trained chimpanzee called Consul that hit the New York vaudeville stage in 1909, six years before Robertson’s (without losing your mind) patent applications. ‘Consul’ was actually a common name for trained chimpanzees in First ask yourself: Why do I want to turn my the book or the time it takes for the editor to do Europe, with at least three performing chimps PhD into a book? her part. You can, however, estimate how much in France and England named Consul in the I’m serious. Writing a book is a time- time you will need to do your part. Your publisher late19th and early 20th centuries. The Consul consuming and often painful project so you can and may hold you to the deadlines that you that arrived in New York in 1909 was known want to be sure that you are committed to it. set. Revising is, at least for me, slow work. Be sure for ‘speaking’, smoking cigarettes, and riding a You’ll also need to convince a publisher, and to give yourself enough time, but not too much bicycle on stage, though there is no mention possibly referees, that your PhD deserves to time. After all, you could do this for the rest of of him doing mathematics. Consul’s arrival become a book so you need to have good your life but you probably wouldn’t want to. in New York by boat from Europe was big reasons. Thinking seriously about why your news. A news article provided this priceless research should be presented as an academic exchange: ‘To the next [reporter’s] question, monograph will help you to write a good book Start at the very beginning “Do you like wearing clothes?” the chimpan- proposal and will keep you going when the You should read the whole PhD from start to zee replied, ”garrrrr-egre-grummm-goora- going gets tough. finish as you would approach a book. Obvious, umn.” This was translated by Drowski [Consul’s I know, but it is very tempting just to take one manager] to mean: “Have any of you got a The publishing process chapter at a time. Reading the whole thing in cigarette, I want to smoke.’” Apparently having As I am married to an editor I started the one pass will help you think about the difference these humanlike and decidedly un-monkey- process of turning my PhD into a book with between your dissertation as it is and the book like skills made Consul an ‘educated’ monkey. more than average insight into the publishing you want it to be. Focus on the introduction. This The idea of humanlike monkeys fascinated process. Nevertheless I occasionally found will probably be the most read part of your book the Darwin-aware population of the early 20th myself perplexed by what exactly was going and it should set out a clear argument and struc- century. Psychologist William Hornaday, who on or why it was taking so long. The general ture and suggest that the rest of the book is worth studied the intelligence of trained chimpan- progression that a book takes is as follows: reading. The introduction should indicate how zees, describes the appeal in 1922: ‘during the 1. Book proposal is submitted to a publisher. the book is a whole, rather than a collection of past twenty years, millions of thinking people 2. The acquisitions editor expresses interest have been startled, and not a few shocked, by in the eventual book, usually based on peer chapters. That is, it should be an introduction to a the amazing and uncanny human-likeness of review of the book proposal. book rather than an introduction to a dissertation. the performances of trained chimpanzees on 3. You know go and write the book and sub- I found that revising the introduction was difficult the theatrical stage’. This fascination continued mit the finished manuscript to the editor. and time consuming, but worthwhile. Once and, as Clark writes in God - or Gorilla: Images 4. The editor sends the MS to readers and you are happy with your introduction you know of Evolution in the Jazz Age, ‘monkeys were then sends you their reports (or a synthesis of where to go with the rest of the book because [still] everywhere in the 1920s.’ The strong them). The editor probably also indicates to you said so in the introduction. There are lots of association between monkeys and evolution you at this stage whether they wish to publish good style guides (the classic is The Elements of in the public mind meant that the highly pub- your book. Style by E. B. White and W. Strunk) which can be licized trial of 1925 concerning the teaching 5. You reply to the editor, as you would to helpful, particularly with correcting punctuation, of evolution in public schools was popularly a journal editor, responding to the readers’ syntax and malapropisms. called the Scopes ‘monkey’ trial. Thus perhaps reports and offering to make certain changes. both the performing and calculating Consuls 6. You now prepare a final version of the MS drew on the public fascination with monkeys and submit it to the editor. The index myth as symbols of evolution. 7. The publisher prepares proofs based on Everyone will tell you how horrible and tedious While the Whipple Museum’s classifica- this final MS and sends them to you for correc- doing an index is. Don’t listen to them. It’s really tion of this multi-function object both in the tion. not that bad. I even enjoyed it: much easier than ‘Calculating’ cabinet and on the ‘Toy Trail’ 8. You correct the proofs and prepare an revising! I recommend using pieces of paper may appear paradoxical, it accurately reflects index. and a pen rather than your computer. Start with the many roles that mathematics as well as 9. The completed, correct book manuscript is proper nouns and go back for themes and ideas. objects play in society. Categories like ‘toy’ sent to the printers. and ‘educational object’ can be nebulous and 10. You receive your book. You will miss some typos overlapping, but they offer a useful way to Because everyone does. Have you ever read make sense of how objects fit into the culture Timing a book without typos? Do your best, take your around them, even with the sometimes How long does this all take? How long is proofs seriously. Check and recheck all your surprising result that a flimsy mechanical that proverbial string? I have heard of authors figures and the figure titles against the figure list. calculator decorated with a monkey figure sending in a book manuscript ten years after reveals the underlying evolutionary ethos and the book proposal was accepted. In my case But when the book arrives don’t go through it educational philosophy of an era. it was almost two years from start to book. looking for typos because you will find them. After you’ve done your part and submitted a Caitlin Wylie corrected manuscript and an index, you could Juliana Adelman University of Cambridge have a book in about 6 months. You can’t Trinity College, Dublin [email protected] control the time it takes for referees to read [email protected] 8 Viewpoint No. 91

Reports of Meetings BSHS Postgraduate Conference, University of Cambridge Jenny Goodare attended this year’s meeting from 5th-7th January 2010.

College Old Hall where horizontal angels looked on as we enjoyed sticky toffee pud- ding. On the final day we enjoyed a guided tour around the Whipple Museum of the History of Science which boasted a handsome collection of scientific artefacts, a beautiful Victo- rian Parlour, and an intriguing globe exhibition which, among other things, charted our path to geographical enlightenment. Thanks must go out to all who helped to organise the conference, to the HPS depart- ment at Cambridge, and to Trinity Hall for having us to stay. Recognition must also be given to the enthusiastic BSHS agents, especially Efram who exploited every social occasion to promote ‘the monograph’. Hope to see many of you next year, or in Aberdeen in the summer.

Jiri Hudecek Jenny Goodare Conference delegates dine in the Old Hall of Queens’ College University of Manchester [email protected] Five minutes made the difference between go- Unfortunately the London ing back to bed and making the epic arctic trip snow deprived us of from Manchester to Cambridge as all further Simon Schaffer and so we public transport in Stockport was terminated drowned our sorrows with shortly after I alighted the bus. All things con- mulled wine and mince sidered, the eight hour trip turned out to be pies at the reception very worthwhile, although the embarrassment after checking into the of turning up (much) later than the interna- delightful Trinity Hall and tional contingent made for a self-conscious soaking in some of the arrival. sights of Cambridge. The The University of Cambridge was a beauti- Manchester contingent ful and apt setting for a 3 day immersion in watched in awe as stu- history, whence an intriguing and varied pro- dents simply abandoned gramme reminded us that life exists beyond their bikes in the street, our own theses. Arguably, some of the best confident that they would sessions were those where the connection return to find them in one between the papers was not immediately piece. The Cambridge obvious. My personal favourite was the first students were shocked to session I saw which connected mid-20th-cen- find that their bikes had tury domesticity, an early-20th-century tuber- been taken for a tour of culosis exhibition, and a history of hospital the city by the Manches- architecture through (what I perceived to be) ter contingent. the common theme of spatiality. An interest- On the second day, ing discussion followed which reminded me the snow finally arrived of the enriching value of interdisciplinary down south and dusted history that a conference like this can provide. Cambridge to icy perfec- Other sessions that specialised in, for example, tion. Thankfully this did physics or natural history provided a sophis- not disturb the delivery ticated insight into a more focused research of more brownies and area. All in all, it was an excellent programme chocolate-covered fruit. that brought us fat nurses, vacuum cleaners, After lunch the Outreach ice-axes and a good dose of radioactivity and session helped us to think madness… only a shame that we couldn’t about our relevance to have seen everything. the real world and the Jenny Goodare Beyond the seminar rooms, other activities evening found us dining provided a nice contrast for our tired minds. at the exquisite Queens’ Wintry scenes - and the ubiquitous bicycles - in Cambridge Viewpoint No. 91 9

Florence Grant reports on the History of Science Society Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, November 2009.

This year’s History of Science Society’s Annual Meeting was held in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Downtown Phoenix gives the strong impression of having been almost completely demolished and rebuilt, beginning in the 1970s. A few late 19th- and early 20th-century survivors remain, incongruously, among the concrete and glass towers. The Hyatt Regency itself belongs to the modern redevelopment – its most interesting feature by far is the spinning restaurant on the 24th floor, where delegates could revolve in a stately manner at night, watching the grid of Phoenix’s streets recede to the horizon. Readers can refer to the conference programme on the HSS website to get a sense for the geographical and chronological spread of the papers, the interdisciplinary slant of Florence Grant some sessions, and the relative popularity of natural theology as a panel topic (http:// The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona www.hssonline.org/images/2009HSSProgram. pdf). With up to 11 panels running at any suppressed importance for the use of partial more or less identical with the production of given time, the total number of delegates differential equations. Moving away from clas- an historical narrative. The moral of the story became apparent only on Friday evening, sical physics, Professor Wise then considered was a playful sort of affirmation. In light of the increasing prominence of the life sciences, as when the entire conference gathered in the some instances in which stories about models Professor Wise put it, ‘History rules!’. Regency Ballroom to hear Professor M. Norton have been used overtly in the production of The following evening’s programme gave Wise of UCLA give the HSS Distinguished scientific knowledge, specifically concerning delegates a chance to venture beyond the Lecture on ‘Science as Historical Narrative’. the behaviour of mesoscopic particles and the city blocks surrounding the hotel. The Society The lecture ranged nimbly over the diverse growth of snowflakes. And finally, he turned reception and dinner were held in the Heard roles of narrative as a technology of scientific to the practices of genetic historians, in which Museum of Native American arts and cultures, explanation, beginning with its essential but the production of a scientific explanation is which houses a pre-eminent collection of both historical and contemporary objects. Surprising information volunteered by tour guides included the fact that a large propor- tion of the museum’s group of Hopi Katsina dolls came from the collection of the Repub- lican Senator Barry Goldwater. The sharp desert air; the Spanish colonial architecture of the museum, with fountains in the central courtyard; live music and Southwestern buffet encouraged, at least for the evening, the luxu- rious sense of having been a tourist. Which was something of a consolation for those of us who had to dash back to the UK the next day, still hankering after that road trip to the Grand Canyon. Florence Grant King’s College, London [email protected]

The 2010 History of Science Society Confer- ence takes place from 4th-7th November in Montreal. The deadline for submissions is 2 April 2010. For further details see: Graeme Gooday http://www.hssonline.org/ Graeme Gooday, a historian of science who did make it to the Grand Canyon 10 Viewpoint No. 91

sentations can, and have been, used for the particularly popular, while the talks on local Outreach purpose of advancing medical understand- surgery and midwifery were aspects that stuck ings of the body and its disorders. Students in the minds of students. More importantly, were then encouraged to produce their own it was found that the workshops encouraged medical books and atlases. Workshop students to think about how medicine has Rachael and James used medical objects such as endoscopes, kindly loaned by Honor- developed and how it is practised. ‘Histories of Healing’, John ary Curator Peter Mohr from the Manchester It was intended that the workshops would Rylands Library, Manchester Medical School Museum collections, to illus- be extended and even taken into the schools trate the contrasting and evolving techniques themselves but unfortunately funding was not From January to June 2009, the Historic involved in diagnosis from the angles of both forthcoming. However, this will hopefully not Reading Room at John Rylands Library hosted patient and physician. The aim was to offer discourage historians of science, technology the students a unique opportunity to handle the excellent ‘Histories of Healing’ exhibi- and medicine from pursuing similar projects historical objects, but also to highlight the tion. Curated by Deputy University Librarian with local libraries, museums and galleries, advantages of considering medical history Stella Butler, and largely comprising artefacts practically through material culture. Students and artists, in the future, as the experience drawn from the Manchester Medical Society addressed questions of what objects were was rewarding for the organisers and students (MMS) Collection at the Library, the exhibition used, and how, and their role in the advance- alike. used the 175th anniversary of the Society to ment of medical knowledge and methods. profile the ‘making of a medical profession’ in James Farry The interaction of various disciplines through- Manchester. University of Manchester out history was a point of discussion: one Emm Barnes, formerly CHSTM Outreach [email protected] highlighted example was the development Officer, saw this display as an ideal opportu- of imaging technologies that allowed for nity to offer workshops to support students clearer and larger pictures from endoscopies, undertaking the ‘Medicine Through Time’ which could be viewed by multiple surgeons GCSE which aims at improving understanding within an operating theatre. Discussion of In 2010 the BSHS Outreach and Educa- of cause, change and continuity. Coordinated how the inside of the body can be seen and tion Committee is looking to help fund by Special Collections Exhibition Officer represented allowed students to develop postgraduate projects such as these. Jacqui Fortnum and teacher Lee Beckensall their process skills, supporting the theoretical Contact [email protected] if you at Whalley Range Girls School, and supported thinking encouraged by the GCSE curriculum. are interested in developing your ideas by Wellcome Trust funding, the workshops Feedback from the school and students on working with wider audiences. were facilitated by local artists Daksha Patel was positive, suggesting it was an ‘informa- and Johnny Woodhams and CHSTM historians tive and interesting’ day. Making the booklets Rachael Russell and James Farry. and handling the surgical instruments were The students began by taking a look at Daksha’s selection of art, ‘Body Works’, aimed at generating a dialogue between medical and artistic practices, which was on display in the library in conjunction with the exhibition. The students then had the opportunity to examine the exhibition itself, supporting the MMS’s work in introducing visitors to local and broader medical advances. This was followed by a focus on two aspects from the presentation – surgery and women and children – especially pioneering local developments such as Archibald Donald’s ‘Manchester Operation’ for the repair of a prolapsed uterus, and Patrick Steptoe introducing laparoscopy techniques into gynaecology treatments. Stu- dents were given the opportunity to engage in discussion of these historical developments and of related issues such as practicality and ethics. Complementing the students’ course material, and certain aspects of the exhibition, the larger part of the day was concerned with object-handling and art sessions on the topic of imaging and representing the body. A brief introduction summarised the main practical changes from Ancient Greek exploratory surgery to modern non-invasive diagnostic tools. Daksha and Johnny then used the importance of medical artists and illustrations to encourage thought and discussion on how repre- One of the items on display at the John Rylands ‘Histories of Healing’ Exhibition Viewpoint No. 91 11

Reviews the current practice of evolutionary science, as James Hannam has a worthy cause. While well as how we got there. It is this last - largely volumes by David Lindberg and Edward Grant Books historical - point that occupies Elsdon-Baker fill the need for undergraduate textbooks on in the first part of the book. In five chapters medieval science, there was no authorita- she presents the reader with a comprehen- tive equivalent in popular non-fiction. God’s sive and very readable historical overview of Philosophers is his attempt at encouraging the context in which Darwin developed and a wider recognition of the critical changes published his ideas on evolution. Although which occurred among the natural philoso- one might be inclined to think that dwelling phers of Western Europe over the course of on historical context is a massive gamble for approximately a thousand years. a popular science book, especially one with The book is organized chronologically. It an assertive a title as this one, Elsdon-Baker begins with early medieval technological convincingly lays down the reasons for her developments. A consequence of the book’s approach, and the book’s light-hearted and focus on natural philosophy is to render chatty style does a good job at keeping the these occasional discussions of the history of wandering mind of the non-specialist reader technology as minor subsets of the history of science in general, despite the author’s aware- Fern Elsdon-Baker, The Selfish focused. It is the second part of The Selfish Genius that focuses on the discussion about ness that, conversely, medieval innovation Genius: How Richard Dawkins the validity, soundness, and applicability of in tools and devices made possible some of the period’s scientific achievements. (339- Rewrote Darwin’s Legacy, Icon Dawkins’ own ideas, both in the light of their historical origin as well as Dawkins’ own way 340) Indicative of the superficial coverage of medieval technology is Hannam’s reliance on Books, London, 2009, ISBN-13: of applying them. It is also in the second part Medieval Technology and Social Change (Lynn where the value of the preceding historical 978-1848310490, 288 pages, White, jr., 1962) as the latest word on the top- considerations becomes most apparent to the ics it covers. £8.99. reader. Elsdon-Baker convincingly illustrates The author is more sure-footed when deal- how the interplay of the content, nature and Few scientists enjoy the kind of publicity that ing with the heart of his subject. The first two- history of scientific arguments is a vital char- Richard Dawkins receives. Even fewer write thirds of the book deal with the science of the acteristic of their (public) dissemination and books that are as widely disseminated and Middle Ages, the final third with its influences Dawkins’ alleged usurpation of Darwin’s work discussed as his. And most scientists are prob- on the early modern period, culminating in is presented as harmful, rather than beneficial, ably very happy about this. Over the years, three chapters on Galileo. Hannam explores to the overall goal of evolutionary science and the amount of literature produced in defence a dense, but elegantly-comprehensible array of, or in opposition to, Dawkins’ ideas almost its public perception. of natural philosophers, explaining how justifies speaking of a ‘Dawkins Industry’, an The Selfish Genius is a timely and useful book theological controversy made possible open industry where everyone, from respected sci- that provides a much-welcomed, sober, yet debate on the laws of nature. He argues that entist to unknown layman, publishes what he highly readable evaluation of Dawkins’ ideas, the various edicts and bans forbidding heresy, or she perceives as an appropriate response when most of the literature on Dawkins seems such as that of 1277 in Paris, had a twofold to The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion, The to get lost in its own super-charged rhetoric. result: firstly, separating science from theol- Extended Phenotype, etc. And this literature ogy, and secondly, making space for scientific is where certain problems with most of the Daniel Becker speculation by problematising now-heretical reception of Dawkins’ ideas emanate from. Durham University arguments present in the Aristotelian corpus. As with many other popular ideas over the [email protected] Through an entertaining mix of biography and course of history, it is often not the original anecdote, he brings the period’s intellectual argument itself that is being criticised, but a community to life. distorted, almost perverted version of it that James Hannam, God’s Philosophers: One of the book’s strengths is the way it results from half-hearted reading, or even regularly provides relevant background from from hearsay. On second thought, though, How the Medieval World Laid the antiquity (Plato, Aristotle, Archimedes, etc.) one might as well replace Dawkins’ name here Foundations of Modern Science, Icon and the Middle East (Alhazen, Al-Tusi, Aver- and insert that of his greatest hero, Charles Books, London, 2009, ISBN-13: 978- röes, etc.) when needed, contextualizing the Darwin; and one actually ends up with an earlier authors in terms of their specific influ- equally distorted story of (mis-)interpretation 1848310704, 320 pages, £20.00. ence on European thinkers. Hannam generally and (mis-)representation. has a good sense for storytelling, with lively, In The Selfish Genius, Fern Elsdon-Baker, a appropriate anecdotes helping his characters historian and philosopher of science by trade, come alive. Cross-referencing between stories picks up on this asymmetrical representation emphasizes continuous narrative develop- and turns it towards Dawkins himself. Her ments, such as the supposedly gilded head of main argument is that Dawkins ‘effectively Gerbert of Aurillac, the “Mathematical Pope”, hijacked Darwin and distorted his legacy to which recurs in the possession of scholars champion an inflexible approach that gives until it comes to be the namesake of Brase- the public a very one-sided view of what’s nose College, Oxford. Despite the author’s really going on in evolutionary science.’ (2) conviction that textbooks are dry, I could Implicit in this claim are two arguments. easily see this volume being used as one. The Firstly, that Dawkins remodelled Darwin’s idea apparatus further emphasizes this potential, of evolution to fit his own need, and secondly, since it contains pedagogically-helpful ele- that the resulting picture is at odds with both ments such as suggestions for further reading, 12 Viewpoint No. 91

a timeline, index, and a list of key characters. whole, does it justice. Yet, women, who should played out from early high-points to ultimate Yet, instructors should only consider using this comprise a good half of the book’s potential financial collapse in a changing marketplace. book as a textbook with the additional con- readership, are generally lacking through- Much as this was a story of two men, promi- text necessary to balance out its problems. out, and not just because none could have nent too were their development teams, with In a nutshell, the book’s major problems been professional theologians in the Middle Acorn’s team of geeks from Cambridge Uni- are its weak presentation of the history of Ages. That omission is clearly unintentional versity computer club neatly capturing some technology, mentioned earlier; and a lack of on the author’s part; but between it and the of the spirit of hobbyist electronics which had women. Kepler’s mother, Katharina, is given out-of-date discussions of medieval technol- powered early personal computing. a paragraph’s discussion but no name. An ogy, I conclude that this book is good – lively, Knowing nods to the immediate context anonymous wise woman/healer shows up engaging, well-organised – but it could have in a chapter on medicine, in a context which been so much better. of the machines were everywhere. Glimpses would at least lend itself to mention of, say, Shana Worthen of news reports, advertising, popular games, Trotula. In a volume which prizes the context Univeristy of Little Rock, Arkansas/ computer magazines and trade shows not of problematic sons and fathers for making Canterbury Christ Church University only added to the 1980s feel of the pro- its characters more accessible, there is surely [email protected] gramme, but demonstrated the importance room for more women. Patronage, one means of this context to computer development. In of inclusion, is a recurrent theme but is, if a good example, a scene where Curry visits a anything, underplayed in a narrative which shop packed with games for Sinclair comput- emphasizes university-based dialogues. Television ers but few for Acorn’s is a glimpse at their God’s Philosophers has other minor prob- ‘Micro Men’ (BBC4), Thursday varying uses and cultures; the archetypal lems. Its focus is the European Middle Ages, games and education computers respectively. but the text veers towards unstated Anglo- 8th October 2009, 21:00 As Curry sets off on an ultimately disastrous centrism, most blatant in the uncontextual- foray to make a games computer to compete ised definition of the early Middle Ages end- Some years ago I applied for funding to write ing in 1066. (8) There is a minor sloppiness to with Sinclair, it also hints at the role played by a PhD thesis on the 1980s boom in home various implications, such as the description software producers and consumers in influ- computing through a comparison of British of a village with a church, which suppos- encing the path technology took. computer manufacturers Sinclair and Acorn. edly looks superficially unchanged since the What was lacking, however, was much The AHRC didn’t think that much of the idea, Romans; or his willingness to endorse a recent of a sense of the wider narratives of home but with hindsight I may have done better by history of medicine as the most important computing. The concentration on personali- applying to the BBC. Showing as part of the ever written in the field. (13, 344) The author ties meant little mention of other competitors, recent Electric Revolution season on BBC4, ‘Mi- regularly relies on second-hand quotations, save for passing references to IBM and ‘ghastly cro Men’ took a similar idea and turned it into particularly in the opening chapter, which barrow boys like that Amstrad fellow’. The undermines the scholarliness constructed by a light-hearted docu-drama focused on the rivalry between Clive Sinclair and his former- apprehension which computers raised at the the fairly thorough endnotes and generally time was largely absent, with little explora- sound central story. Narratively, I can see the protege-turned-rival Chris Curry, co-founder tion of the issues driving the computerisation argument for positioning his story as one of of Acorn. of Britain. There was no sense of impending progress towards modern science, but a posi- Of the two, Sinclair was the most carica- information technology revolution and the tivist approach underlies it. tured for comic effect, perhaps a little too far, This is a useful book, and admirable in many played by Alexander Armstrong with the air of drive for a computer literate population, and ways. It memorably and coherently weaves a hi-tech Bond villain with inventive plans for consequently little feeling of why computers together the relationships, both intellectual fantastic gadgets. Contrasting Sinclair’s inven- were suddenly such a big thing. and social, between the natural philosophers tor was Martin Freeman’s market savvy Curry, Rather, it was more a nostalgic view of how of medieval Europe, how they influenced who saw, perhaps more realistically than 1980s home computing is popularly seen and affected each other, and how their work Sinclair, the potential for personal computers. today, with its eccentricities and quirky prod- made possible the scientific developments The contrast between them was insightful, ucts viewed with the fondness of childhood of the early modern period. It undertakes a encapsulating much of what was different toys, rather than as the vanguard of things to large and very complicated task, and, on the between their two companies, as their story come. Yet wrapped up in this, and with a few Bill Bertram dramatic additions, was a surprisingly accurate historical story, woven together of a series of improbable but frequently genuine events. The Cambridge pub fight between Sinclair and Curry, for example, actually happened. Whatever its minor faults, little could detract from just what an enjoyable and atmospheric retelling of a fascinating story ‘Micro Men’ turned out to be.

Tom Lean British Library [email protected]

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum microcomputer Viewpoint No. 91 13

Exhibition

‘Steampunk’, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, 13 October 2009 - 21 February 2010 I recently took a trip to the Museum of the His- tory of Science in Oxford. I went with my usual hopes in mind; an expectation of beautifully- engineered machinery with gleaming brass and wood fixings, or perhaps the inventions of mad scientists who conjured up devices for herding electricity or harnessing sunlight. I was sure that I could find whatever I wanted amongst the museum’s permanent historical collections; however, I chose to visit their exhibition of contemporary Steampunk art. Museum of the History of SCience, Oxford Steampunk is an off-shoot of science fiction: Artists contributing to the Steampunk exhibition line up - dressed in suitable attire - at the the artists ask a simple ‘what if...?’ question as imposing Broad Street entrance to the Museum. the starting point for their work. In this case the question is ‘what if Victorian engineers designed machines for today’s technology?’ their number, Art Donovan. The products of The outcomes of this question are many and this question are a series of intriguing objects varied, and the exhibition in Oxford features that are crying out for you to handle them to the work of 18 artists, and is curated by one of try and figure out how they work. Some of the pieces take modern-day objects and try to Museum of the History of SCience, Oxford recreate them using Victorian materials and aesthetics, such as computers by Richard ‘Doc’ Nagy that are rendered in polished brass and leather. Or the ‘eye-pod’ by Doctor Grymm (aka Joey Marsocci), a fully-functioning music player straight out of an alternative history, where a brass horn is still the preferred method of amplification. Other pieces create entirely new objects , for instance the sculp- tures of robots created by Stéphane Halleux or a variety of intricately-crafted life-size masks and helmets by Tom Banwell. The pieces in the exhibition are all evoca- tive of a world depicted in the sort of science fiction I grew up reading, Jules Verne and H. G. Wells to name just two, and the display creates a remarkable feeling of nostalgia - albeit for a history that never happened. For me the most successful pieces were the ones that looked like they would work if you set them going, and some of the pieces had elements that whirred and chugged away quite happily. I’m pleased to think that there are still madcap inventors out there, creating wonderful devises out of brass and wood that keep alive the optimism and elegance of engineering in the nineteenth century. To read more about the exhibition visit http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/steampunk

Charlotte Connelly The ‘eye-pod’ by Doctor Grymm (Joey Marsocci): just one of the Steampunk artworks De Montfort University on display at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford. [email protected] 14 Viewpoint No. 91

HPSTM People: The Questionnaire

Rosemary Wall, the previous editor of Viewpoint, talks to Emily Hankin in the Wellcome Café.

She is currently a post-doctoral Research Associate at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London. Rosemary specialises in the history of nursing and medicine in Britain and the Empire, 1880-1970.

Who or what first turned you towards of Victorian society – as an icon, as a What would you do to strengthen HSTM the History of Science, Technology and woman, as a statistician, and investigator as a discipline? Medicine (HSTM)? of the army and of conditions in India, as well as a nurse and her many other roles. I wish that it was more integrated with I took a degree in Economic and Social She was also very charismatic – both history departments. There are a lot of History and my personal tutor, William persuasive and with a good sense of political and economic elements in my Ashworth, encouraged me from the humour. work that could form a basis for collabo- beginning to pursue my interest in the rative efforts. I think this would strength- history of science and medicine. I was If you did not work in HSTM, what other en research but may also weaken the further encouraged to research the his- strong identity of HSTM as a discipline, tory of medicine by my undergraduate career might you choose? often taught and researched in separate dissertation supervisor, Sally Sheard. When I applied for my Masters I also centres. applied for a PGCE, and my interest What are your favourite HSTM books? in teaching and history would almost How do you see the future shape of definitely have led me to be a secondary I like books that combine quantitative HSTM? and qualitative research, presenting school history teacher. Now I am also plenty of evidence, whilst telling a com- interested in health and education policy. I think there are likely to be a lot more pelling story. Two good examples of this My experience of working in restaurants academics undertaking public engage- are John Harley Warner’s book The Thera- and hotels, and of organising my own ment due to expectations of funding peutic Perspective (1988) and a book I wedding on a budget, could also have bodies, but also because it is a valuable reviewed recently by Anne Crowther and led me to be a wedding planner! and rewarding experience to educate Marguerite Dupree entitled Medical Lives and inspire, and in return to gain new in the Age of Surgical Revolution (2007). What should every 16-year-old know knowledge. Due also to funding ap- about HSTM? plications, it is becoming increasingly Which historical person would you most As part of GCSE History, I studied the his- necessary to think about the ‘impact’ like to meet? tory of medicine. Wanting at that stage to of our research on policy. Whilst this is I have been helping to organise celebra- be a doctor, it was the medicine element beneficial in inspiring us and potentially tions and events for the 150th anniver- that encouraged me to take history at policy makers to think about the lessons sary of the Nightingale School, and so that level. I was completely unaware that can be learnt from history, it might have been spending a lot of time reading at that time that I could make a career be more difficult for researchers working and writing about Florence Nightingale. in researching the history of medicine. on earlier periods in history to be able to Until I started working at the School I did Children could be made more aware of find direct relevance in their research to not fully realise her role in many spheres universities which teach the subject. policy issues today. Viewpoint No. 91 15

Announcements

British Council Darwin Now The idea is to link places to objects as well Online Resources as to link to further contextual and archival information. There will also be the ability to BSHS The British Council’s Darwin Now Educa- record users’ memories of the history of com- tion resources highlight the lasting impact munications technology. of Darwin’s theory of evolution in science So for example, if you were walking down Monographs and society. We have developed a variety of the Strand you will see on your phone that the UK’s pioneering BBC radio transmitter, 2LO, crossdisciplinary educational resources for pri- operated from Marconi House. By clicking, Supersale! mary and secondary school pupils to explore you could find out more about the 2LO, an topics in evolution. They aim to inspire and extraordinary object, at the Science Museum. encourage understanding of science, scientific If your grandmother was a 2LO operator, you SUPERSALE now on! experimentation and observation. could record her recollections. These resources for 5-19 year olds can be Places could be the sites of interesting The 30th birthday celebrations for BSHS freely adapted for the school curriculum. machines (such as 2LO or the LEO computer Monographs continue with our new There are lesson plans for teachers and stu- at Cadby Hall), places of invention (such as supersale. dents for a range of subjects such as science, John Ambrose Fleming’s thermionic valves in Massive reductions on BSHS mono- history, geography, general studies, languages Bloomsbury), birthplaces, buildings (such as graphs, with most volumes on sale for and music. There are also a number of Darwin the BT Tower), or places where communica- £2.00 each. That’s a reduction of over 75%! Now education resources designed for use in tions were vital (such as the London Stock Hurry: some volumes are in short sup- a museum context. Exchange). ply, and this is a limited time offer ‘while Over the next six months all of these Examples could be from the deep or recent supplies last’. This offer is open to mem- resources will be made available in a number past. bers and non-members. of languages worldwide and can already be If you have examples you would like to Some of our supersale items (£2 each) downloaded in Arabic, Turkish, Mandarin, share, or if you would just like to stay in include: Spanish, French, Portuguese, Taiwanese and contact with this experimental project, then Thai. please email Jon Agar at [email protected], no.10. E. Ray Lankester and the Making of All of these are available to download for and/or leave a message for us at our project Modern British Biology. free at: blog: http://sciencemuseumdiscovery.com/ http://darwin.britishcouncil.org/education blogs/locatingheritage/ no.9. In the Shadow of Lavoisier: The ‘An- Locating Communications Heritage is a nales de Chimie’ and the Establishment of a collaboration between UCL, Science Museum, New Science. British Council Darwin Now/ Illumina Digital and BT (BT Archives in particu- Open University web broadcasts lar). If you would like to know more about the network then please contact: no.8. Science and Nature: Essays in the His- In partnership with the Open University, tory of the Environmental Sciences. the Darwin Now project has also produced Dr Tilly Blyth a number of web broadcasts featuring a Curator of Computing and Information no.6. Archives of the British Chemical Indus- number of well-known members of the his- Science Museum try, 1750-1914: A Handlist. tory of science community. Please see the Exhibition Road following website for further information and London SW7 2DD Download our supersale order form to view the broadcasts: [email protected] online: http://www.open2.net/darwin/darwinnow 0207 942 4211 http://www.bshs.org.uk/monographs

Locating Communications or

Heritage – Request for Help Dr Jon Agar Senior Lecturer Do you know places in London that are Science and Technology Studies Membership Officer significant for the history of communications, UCL computing and information technologies? Gower Street The BSHS’s Communication Coordination We are looking for suggestions that will London Committee (CCC) seeks applicants for the new help us in an experimental project to guide WC1E 6BT role of Membership Officer. The new Officer, mobile users through the UK’s rich history [email protected] of technology. The project is called Locating who will be a voting member of the CCC, will Communications Heritage. In the pilot phase oversee the Society’s efforts to recruit new we are finding out how best to guide people Locating Communications Heritage is sup- members and retain existing ones. Expres- walking around London with a mobile phone, ported by the Arts and Humanities Research sions of interest should be sent to the CCC using the locatability function of recent smart- Council (AHRC) and BT under their Digital Herit- Chair, Greg Radick, at [email protected], phones to reveal the significance of sites. age research theme. or tel: 0113 343 3269. 16 Viewpoint No. 91

The British Journal for the History of Science

The March issue of BJHS will include the following, plus reviews:

K. G. Valente, ‘Giving wings to logic: Mary Everest Boole’s propagation and fulfilment of a legacy’ John Fisher, ‘Conjectures and reputations: The composition and reception of James Bradley’s paper on the aberration of light with some reference to a third unpublished version’ Nicholas Dew, ‘Scientific travel in the Atlantic world: the French expedition to Gorée and the Antilles, 1681-1683’ Kristian Hvidfelt Nielsen, ‘Postcolonial partnerships: deep sea research, media coverage and (inter)national narratives on the Galathea Deep Sea Expedition from 1950 to 1952’ Essay reviews on slavery and science and on the editing of Newton’s manuscripts An obituary of Rupert Hall and Marie Boas Hall by Dr J.V. Field http://www.bshs.org.uk/bjhs

Viewpoint: the Newsletter of the BSHS

Contributions All contributions and correspondence should be sent to the Editor, Dr Melanie Keene, Homerton College, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8PH; [email protected]. Electronic communication is preferred. Viewpoint is issued three times a year – in February, June and October. The next issue will be in June 2010 and the deadline for copy is 15th April 2010.

Circulation Enquiries about circulation should be sent to the BSHS Executive Secretary, British Society for the History of Science, PO Box 3401, Norwich, NR7 7JF. Viewpoint is free to BSHS members and is priced £10.00 a year (three issues) for non-members.

Advertisements The Editor will consider advertisements regarding new appointments but, as a general rule, other advertisements are not printed in this publication. However, for an appropriate charge, leaflets advertising suitable events, publications etc. can be sent out with Viewpoint, subject to size and postage restrictions: full details are available from the BSHS Executive Secretary; exec- [email protected].

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