Robert Hooke FRS: A Half-Forgotten Scientific Genius
11 April @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Robert Hooke FRS, 1635-1703, was the first professional scientist, playing a key role in developing contemporary experimental science. He was an outstanding scientist, engineer, astronomer (laying foundations for William Herschel), architect, artist, microscopist and a pioneer in many other fields. The most familiar aspects of his legacy today are Micrographia, his groundbreaking book on the microscopic world, the Monument, a giant zenith telescope and Hooke’s Law of Elasticity. His theories about fossils paved the way for the work of Charles Moore, whose fossil collection is in the care of BRLSI. Alan Bassindale will discuss Hooke’s childhood on the Isle of Wight and his scientific & astronomical achievements, along with his feuds with Newton and others and the mystery of his relative obscurity.
Alan Bassindale is an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of The Open University. He has a longstanding interest in the history of science.
