Scientific trip back in time

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Scientific trip back in time (11/10/06)

http://www.i-uk.com/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1035368228507&a=KArticle&aid=1159198954354

 

Access to some of the most significant research papers ever published in science can now be viewed online at the touch of a button.

 

(Not only in hardcopy - landmark scientific research papers dating back to the 1600s can be viewed online.)

 

Whether your interest is for research purposes or for leisure, you can browse through the complete archive of journals from the Royal Society dating back more than 300 years. This is the first time this information is freely available electronically for the public.

 

Access all areas for free

Viewing the collection online is free until the end of November 2006. After this date you will have to pay-per-view or to the special service.

 

Considered one of the most influential journal archives in science, The Royal Society's material is packed full of interesting historical information including notable scientific discoveries.

 

Inventions and landmark experiments

Research papers include accounts of Isaac Newton's invention of the reflecting telescope as well as landmark electrical experiments in the 1800s of English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday.

 

Halley’s description of his comet in the early 1700s is also part of the online collection.

 

Something special for the historians

In addition, you can read interesting material about people who have contributed to the way we view the world today.

 

Why not read the journal descriptions of how English eighteenth century explorer Captain James Cook preserved the health of his crew on board the HMS Endeavour ship?

 

A unique source of information

Professor Martin Taylor, vice president of the Royal Society and chair of the publishing board, said: "The Royal Society archive is a unique source of information for practicing scientists, science historians and indeed anyone with an interest in history.

 

"The rich, varied and sometimes entertaining archive documents the earliest accounts of the seventeenth century's new experimental philosophy, through which an understanding of the natural world was acquired by experiment and observation. This provided the foundation of the modern scientific method."

 

Supporting science, encouraging a healthy debate

The Royal Society – the national academy of science of the UK and the Commonwealth – is an independent charity which supports the development of science, engineering and technology. It also has a significant role in influencing UK and international science policy and encourages public debate on topical issues involving science.