COMPLETE 341 YEARS OF LANDMARK SCIENCE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
*** Apologies for cross posting ***
The complete archive of the Royal Society journals, including some of
the most significant scientific papers ever published since 1665, is now
freely available online for the first time for a two month period.
The archive contains many classic papers including accounts of Michael
Faraday's groundbreaking series of electrical experiments, Isaac
Newton's invention of the reflecting telescope, and the first research
paper published by Stephen Hawking as well as Benjamin Franklin's
legendary kite experiment. More details can be found at
http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/archive.
The Society's online collection, which until now only extended back to
1997, contains every paper published in the Royal Society journals from
the first ever peer-reviewed scientific journal, Philosophical
Transactions in 1665, to the most recent additions, Interface and
Biology Letters, and articles published online today ahead of print. The
archive will be free to everyone until December 2006 and then will be
available as part of the Royal Society new journal subscription packages
(see www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/subscribers).
Professor Martin Taylor, Vice President of the Royal Society, 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."
The archive provides a record of some key scientific discoveries in the
last 340 years, including Halley's description of 'his comet' in 1705,
details of the double helix of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in
1954 and Edmond Stone's breakthrough in 1763 that willow bark cured
fevers, leading to the discovery of salicylic acid and later the
development of aspirin.
Some of the more obscure papers explore rudimentary prototypes of modern
day technology. Trials proposed by Robert Boyle in 1665 hypothesize on
the possibilities of blood transfusions, pondering "Whether a fierce dog
stocked with the blood of a cowardly dog may not become more tame?". A
forerunner for ventilators was also discussed in a paper by Robert Hooke
in 1667 entitled "An account of an experiment made by Mr. Hook [sic], of
preserving animals alive by blowing through their lungs with bellows".
Professor Taylor added: "In addition to being a valuable scientific
resource, the journal archives are also a rich historical record
documenting a time which is hard to imagine given the knowledge we have
today."
The digital archive contains papers documenting the discovery of new
planets, the first descriptions of organisms through a microscope, and
the first account of photography. Early journal papers contain
fascinating descriptions of how Captain James Cook preserved the health
of his crew aboard the HMS Endeavour and the astonishment of 18th
century Society by the performance of a eight year-old Mozart.
Links to some key papers are below. If you think any other papers would
also be of general interest please contact me at
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Benjamin Franklin's legendary kite experiment, drawing down lightning
and showing its electrical nature (1752)
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260-7
085&volume=47&spage=202.
The Complementary Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid F.H.C Crick and J.D
Watson - 1954
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4
630&volume=223&issue=1152&spage=80
<http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-
4630&volume=223&issue=1152&spage=80> .
On the Hoyle-Narlikar Theory of Gravitation, S. W. Hawking - 1965
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4
630&volume=286&issue=1406&spage=313.
An Account of an Experiment Made by Mr. Hook, of Preserving Animals
Alive by Blowing through Their Lungs with Bellows, Robert Hooke - 1667
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370-2
316&volume=2&spage=539.
An Account of a Very Odd Monstrous Calf, Robert Boyle - 1665
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370-2
316&volume=1&spage=10.
Observables upon a Monstrous Head, Robert Boyle - 1666
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370-2
316&volume=1&spage=85.
Account of a very remarkable young musician (Mozart), Daines Barrington
- 1770
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260-7
085&volume=60&spage=54.
Alexander Fleming (Paper describing early stages of penicillin
discoveries) - 1922
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0950-1
193&volume=93&issue=653&spage=306.
Control Over the Onset of DNA Synthesis in Fission Yeast - 1987 Paul
Nurse (Nobel Prize winner)
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4
622&volume=317&issue=1187&spage=507.
William Henry Fox Talbot's first account of photography - 1839 (2
articles refer to this in the volume)
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0365-5
695&volume=4&spage=120.
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0365-5
695&volume=4&spage=124.
Arthur Eddington's solar eclipse observations, confirming Einstein's
general theory of relativity (Phil Trans 1919)
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0264-3
952&volume=220&spage=291.
Edmund Stone Willow bark - Aspirin - 1763
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260-7
085&volume=53&spage=195.
Note: The complete Royal Society journal archive and current content can
be browsed at www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk.
Charles Lusty
Senior Manager, Publishing
The Royal Society
6-9 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AG
United Kingdom
Tel: 44-(0)7451 2500
Registered Charity No 207043
The Royal Society - excellence in science
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