Sir Robert Moray - Soldier, Scientist, Spy, Freemason and Founder of the Royal Society Transcript
Sir Robert Moray - Soldier, scientist, spy, freemason and founder of The Royal Society Transcript Date: Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 12:00AM SIR ROBERT MORAY - SOLDIER, SCIENTIST, SPY, FREEMASON AND FOUNDER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY Dr Robert Lomas When Modern Science was Born In the seventeenth century England suffered a devastating Civil War. It began as an argument about the relative importance of the Stuart Kings and their English Parliament, and ended with Charles I having his head cut off. During this turbulent period, magic died and science began. Somehow, in the midst of the battles between King and Parliament, modern, experimental science popped into being. A country, which burnt alive at least 100 elderly women a year on suspicion that they were causing disease by casting the 'evil eye', spontaneously developed a critical mass of discerning, logical scientists. When, how and why did this happen? The 'when' and 'how' is easy it was Wednesday 28 Nov, 1660, at Gresham College. This was the first meeting of the Royal Society, held after a Gresham College public lecture, such as the one we are assembled for this evening. The 'why' is a more difficult question. Old beliefs in magical forces did not die instantly, not even among the founders of the Royal Society. In 1657 when founder Christopher Wren, gave his inaugural lecture as Professor of Astronomy, here at Gresham, he spoke of how London was particularly favoured by the 'various celestial influences of the different planets, as the seat of the mechanical arts and trade, as well as the liberal sciences'.
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