Archive by date | April 2010

Jeremy Bentham Goes Solo

Jeremy Bentham Goes Solo

Everyone should keep a blog. Even long-dead 19th Century philosophers. We’re lucky enough on Nature Network to host the periodic wit and wisdom of Jeremy Bentham, the great philosopher and social reformer. Until now, Mr Bentham has acted as a contributor to this blog. From today, he becomes an ‘independent and autonomous Nature Network commentator’ with his very own blog, to which his complete archive has been exported. His chosen title, Thinking Inside the Box, refers to Mr Bentham’s unique habitation. Having died in 1832, the late philosopher was housed, according to his own will, in a cabinet in UCL  … Read more

The Scientific Tourist in London: #14. The First British Aircraft Flight

The Scientific Tourist in London: #14. The First British Aircraft Flight

Walthamstow Marsh: scene of an historic flight At the time of writing, the skies above London are starting to fill with aircraft following a lengthy hiatus due to volcanic ash. The situation is unprecedented in British aviation history. Not since the first decade of the 20th Century have our skies arched so silently. It seems an apposite moment to reflect on the last time that heavier-than-air vehicles were tentatively taking to the heavens. The "earliest flight from British soil ":https://firstflight.open.ac.uk/cody/cody.html took place above Farnborough on 29 September 1908, half a decade after the Wright Brothers first demonstrated the technology. The  … Read more

Dana Centre’s New Programme

The Dana Centre is one of London’s scientific treasures, regularly putting on inventive and, dare I say it, innovative science-themed events for adults. After taking an April break, the new programme for May to July has now been announced. Highlights include a Dragon’s Den-style evening to find geoengineering solutions (19 May), the science of cycling (7 June) to tie in with the Tour de France and the science of football (18 June) to coincide with a certain upcoming sports event of some note.  Read more

The Scientific Tourist In London: #13 The First Electric Telegraph

The Scientific Tourist In London: #13 The First Electric Telegraph

Westbound this week, to one of my favourite parts of town: the riverine stretch between Hammersmith and Chiswick. Here, among the heritage pubs and dunking cormorants, you will find the home of cheesemonger-turned-inventor Sir Francis Ronalds (1788-1873). In the back garden of this squat house, the first real demonstration of electrical telegraphy was achieved. Although completely superseded by modern comms, the telegraph was a game-changing technology in its day, allowing near-instantaneous communication over great distances. Previously, the only way to impart urgent news was by sending a rider, who might take weeks to cross a continent. Ancient expedients such as  … Read more