Science History

Stephen Hales - Climate Science Pioneer #3 in a series Stephen Hales (1677-1761) was a clergyman who devoted much of his time to scientific pursuits, especially in conducting experiments in plant…

John Mayow - Climate Science Pioneer #2 in a series. Sir William Ramsay wrote an excellent history of the study of our atmosphere.  Below is the part of his book concerning John Mayow.  The…

Robert Boyle - Climate Science PioneerApart from his experiments with the compression of gases, Robert Boyle deserves to be remembered for his proposals about 'unmingled bodies' (atoms), his…

INPI - a treasure trove of French inventions Do you have French ancestors?  Perhaps, somewhere in the archives, is a patent for something your ancestor invented. INPI - Institut National de la…

The Kraken is perhaps the largest monster ever imagined by mankind. In Nordic folklore, it was said to haunt the seas from Norway through Iceland and all the way to Greenland. The Kraken had a knack…

Walk into any public square or shopping mall at this time of year and an encounter with a traditional Christmas carol is well-nigh unavoidable. We may not sing them ourselves with anything like the…

The Ancient Greeks (Archimedes being an honourable exception) have a reputation for having been only interested in pure studies, and despising practical applications (which may well have helped the…

Documents dating back to the 16th Century provide a unique insight into one of Darwin's landmark studies, according to new research. In 1862, Darwin presented the case that some plant species have…

August 10, 1915. The Gallipoli sun beats down on the back of a Turkish sharpshooter. He is patient and used to the discomfort. He wipes the sweat from his eyes and peers back down the sight of his…

Was America at its greatest scientifically when academics made far less money and were politically representative? Not if science output, Nobel prizes and adult science literacy are the measures,…