Looking back… to look forward
The city of Birmingham has a rich scientific history, with many of its scientific and engineering achievements shaping the world we live in today. What would the world be like without modern manufacturing? Imagine if X-rays and surgical dressing were not used in modern medicine. What if DNA was still to be discovered? This year the British Science Festival is celebrating Birmingham’s scientific past as well as embracing its scientific future.
In the event ‘Matthew Boulton's Legacy’, on the 16th September, Aston University will be explaining how the vision and curiosity of one of Birmingham’s most famous sons helped drive the Industrial Revolution, and the legacy he leaves today. Then on the 17th September, the University of Birmingham will be examining Boulton’s contributions to the culture of modernisation, such as founding the Soho Manufactory – at the time the biggest factory in the world, in the talk entitled ‘Matthew Boulton and the celebration of Industrial technology’.
Also on the 16th September comes an exciting history lesson on spies in the Industrial Revolution. In ‘Philosophical pirates: Industrial espionage in eighteenth century Birmingham’ we learn how Boulton and Watt found themselves in possession of scientific knowledge, and how they kept their valuable technological information away from prying eyes.
Ancient Birmingham can be explored in the event ‘In the shadow of the Bullring: The origins of industrial Birmingham’ on the 19th September. Join Dr Mike Hodder, Birmingham City Council's Planning Archaeologist on a walking tour of the old medieval town, learning about its church, market, streets, mills and waterways. Come and find out how the street system of the medieval town shaped the city we know today.
Most recent scientific discoveries also owe their existence to Birmingham scientists. The event ‘Birmingham's physics history’, on the 14th September, sees a talk on the important advances in physics made at the University of Birmingham physics department. Inventions that arose from work carried out at University included radar, the microwave oven… and the atomic bomb.
Birmingham was instrumental in the Industrial Revolution, with its advances vital to the way we live our lives today. Come along to the British Science Festival, and don’t just see how far Birmingham has come, see how far it is going.
To come along and to the events, book in at www.britishsciencefestival.org
or call 0207 019 4947
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