Tuesday 24 March, 18.00-19.30
S8.08, History Department, King's College London
We are very pleased to welcome Dr Alexi Baker from the University of Cambridge to speak on ‘Public Benefit, Private Gain and Conflicting Cultures in the Search for Longitude’ as part of the short seminar series on ‘Innovation, Utility, and Expertise in Early Modern Science’ hosted by the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine and the Department of History.
In 1714, the British Parliament rejuvenated the ‘search for the longitude’ by famously establishing funding and rewards of up to £20,000 for improved methods of estimating the longitude coordinate of a ship at sea. Individuals from diverse backgrounds proposed new methods and instruments, and later other improvements to navigation and technology as well, in pursuit of the new funds. These ‘projectors’ ran the gamut from mariners, mathematicians, and instrument makers – people with relevant learning and experience and often vested interest – to armchair philosophers, religious visionaries, and charity-seekers. As a result, most longitude actors’ motivations intermingled self-interest and public utility. The combination sometimes sat uneasily with the individual and institutional players, and the broader public, who passed judgement on their expertise and on the validity of their proposals. Judgements about authority and innovation could also be influenced by factors such a projector’s profession and education and even socioeconomic standing, trial results on land and at sea, expert and practitioner testimonials, institutional approval, public opinion, and at times publications and patents (which could be a double-edged sword). This paper will explore the complications in establishing expertise and in collaboration within the diverse longitude-related milieu included conflicting cultural viewpoints – such as those of the artisan or inventor versus those of the bureaucrat.
All are welcome.
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