20th June 2025
It was back to the Portland Room at JGC this month – initially with a few technical laptop/hardware interface issues that were soon sorted.
We had an eclectic mix of presentations from Christine Vincent for Niels Bohr, John Tedstone for The Lunartick Society and catching up with our ‘5 Minute Scientists’ David Wormall with Pythagoras, Ian Murray summarising the significant achievements of J J Thompson and finally John Woodward enthusiastically telling us about his electrical hero Michael Faraday.
However, as in much of science and technology, their achievements and pursuit of knowledge are linked through time.
According to AI in the form of Microsoft co-pilot:
The Lunartick Society, a group of freethinkers in 18th-century England, championed the pursuit of scientific knowledge and philosophical inquiry. Their spirit of curiosity would have delighted minds like Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician whose ideas about numbers and harmony laid a foundation for scientific thought.
Centuries later, Michael Faraday, largely self-taught, harnessed that same spirit to pioneer electromagnetism and revolutionise our understanding of electricity. Building on such discoveries, J.J. Thompson identified the electron, unlocking a whole new realm of subatomic science.
Then along came Niels Bohr, who dared to challenge classical physics with his quantum model of the atom, marrying theory with mystery. Together, these visionaries – though separated by time – reflect a desire to explore the unseen, from harmonies of the cosmos to the particles within. They embody the legacy of questioning minds, stretching from the Enlightenment salons of the Lunartick Society to the laboratories and lecture halls of today.
In July I have arranged a visiting speaker from The Canal and River Trust for part 1 of our meeting. The theme is ‘Wildlife of the Canals’.
We thank our June presenters and next month there will be time for more of the ‘5 Minute Scientists’
Next Meeting: Friday 18th July JGC 10am to 11.45am
David Rose
