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  • The Philosophical Breakfast Club by Laura J. Snyder - Timeline

    Written by

    Laura J. Snyder
    895 views4 pages
    This timeline highlights key dates in the lives and works of Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell and Richard Jones. These four friends, who met at Cambridge University in 1812, devoted themselves to bringing about a scientific revolution. By the end of their lives, nearly sixty years later, they had succeeded in transforming science, and in the process helped create the modern world. About the Book: The Philosophical Breakfast Club recounts the life and work of four men who met as students at Cambridge University: Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell, and Richard Jones. Recognizing that they shared a love of science (as well as good food and drink) they began to meet on Sunday mornings to talk about the state of science in Britain and the world at large. Inspired by the great 17th century scientific reformer and political figure Francis Bacon—another former student of Cambridge—the Philosophical Breakfast Club plotted to bring about a new scientific revolution. And to a remarkable extent, they succeeded, even in ways they never intended. Historian of science and philosopher Laura J. Snyder exposes the political passions, religious impulses, friendships, rivalries, and love of knowledge—and power—that drove these extraordinary men. Whewell (who not only invented the word “scientist,” but also founded the fields of crystallography, mathematical economics, and the science of tides), Babbage (a mathematical genius who invented the modern computer), Herschel (who mapped the skies of the Southern Hemisphere and contributed to the invention of photography), and Jones (a curate who shaped the science of economics) were at the vanguard of the modernization of science. This absorbing narrative of people, science and ideas chronicles the intellectual revolution inaugurated by these men, one that continues to mold our understanding of the world around us and of our place within it. Drawing upon the voluminous correspondence between the four men over the fifty years of their work, Laura J. Snyder shows how friendship worked to spur the men on to greater accomplishments, and how it enabled them to transform science and help create the modern world. To read more about the Philosophical Breakfast Club or Laura J. Snyder please visit Crown Publishing Group at www.crownpublishing.com.

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    This timeline highlights key dates in the lives and works of Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell and Richard Jones. These four friends, who met at Cambridge University in 1812, devoted themselves to bringing about a scientific revolution. By the end of their lives, nearly sixty years later, they had succeeded in transforming science, and in the process helped create the modern world. About the Book: The Philosophical Breakfast Club recounts the life and work of four men who met as students at Cambridge University: Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell, and Richard Jones. Recognizing that they shared a love of science (as well as good food and drink) they began to meet on Sunday mornings to talk about the state of science in Britain and the world at large. Inspired by the great 17th century scientific reformer and political figure Francis Bacon—another former student of Cambridge—the Philosophical Breakfast Club plotted to bring about a new scientific revolution. And to a remarkable extent, they succeeded, even in ways they never intended. Historian of science and philosopher Laura J. Snyder exposes the political passions, religious impulses, friendships, rivalries, and love of knowledge—and power—that drove these extraordinary men. Whewell (who not only invented the word “scientist,” but also founded the fields of crystallography, mathematical economics, and the science of tides), Babbage (a mathematical genius who invented the modern computer), Herschel (who mapped the skies of the Southern Hemisphere and contributed to the invention of photography), and Jones (a curate who shaped the science of economics) were at the vanguard of the modernization of science. This absorbing narrative of people, science and ideas chronicles the intellectual revolution inaugurated by these men, one that continues to mold our understanding of the world around us and of our place within it. Drawing upon the voluminous correspondence between the four men over the fifty years of their work, Laura J. Snyder shows how friendship worked to spur the men on to greater accomplishments, and how it enabled them to transform science and help create the modern world. To read more about the Philosophical Breakfast Club or Laura J. Snyder please visit Crown Publishing Group at www.crownpublishing.com.

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    895 views4 pages

    The Philosophical Breakfast Club by Laura J. Snyder - Timeline

    Written by

    Laura J. Snyder
    This timeline highlights key dates in the lives and works of Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell and Richard Jones. These four friends, who met at Cambridge University in 1812, devoted themselves to bringing about a scientific revolution. By the end of their lives, nearly sixty years later, they had succeeded in transforming science, and in the process helped create the modern world. About the Book: The Philosophical Breakfast Club recounts the life and work of four men who met as students at Cambridge University: Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell, and Richard Jones. Recognizing that they shared a love of science (as well as good food and drink) they began to meet on Sunday mornings to talk about the state of science in Britain and the world at large. Inspired by the great 17th century scientific reformer and political figure Francis Bacon—another former student of Cambridge—the Philosophical Breakfast Club plotted to bring about a new scientific revolution. And to a remarkable extent, they succeeded, even in ways they never intended. Historian of science and philosopher Laura J. Snyder exposes the political passions, religious impulses, friendships, rivalries, and love of knowledge—and power—that drove these extraordinary men. Whewell (who not only invented the word “scientist,” but also founded the fields of crystallography, mathematical economics, and the science of tides), Babbage (a mathematical genius who invented the modern computer), Herschel (who mapped the skies of the Southern Hemisphere and contributed to the invention of photography), and Jones (a curate who shaped the science of economics) were at the vanguard of the modernization of science. This absorbing narrative of people, science and ideas chronicles the intellectual revolution inaugurated by these men, one that continues to mold our understanding of the world around us and of our place within it. Drawing upon the voluminous correspondence between the four men over the fifty years of their work, Laura J. Snyder shows how friendship worked to spur the men on to greater accomplishments, and how it enabled them to transform science and help create the modern world. To read more about the Philosophical Breakfast Club or Laura J. Snyder please visit Crown Publishing Group at www.crownpublishing.com.

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    of 4

    The

    PhilosoPhical
    B r e a k fa s T c l u B
    T i m el i n e
    Laura J. Snyder

    August 12, 1790 Richard Jones born. November 1833 Herschel and his family
    December 26, 1791 Charles Babbage born. sail to South Africa. Over the next four
    years Herschel will map the skies of the
    March 7, 1792 John Herschel born. Southern Hemisphere.
    May 24, 1794 William Whewell born. Summer 1834 Babbage invents his Analytical
    1812-1813 “Philosophical Breakfasts” held in Herschel’s Engine, the first mechanical device with all the functions and
    rooms at Cambridge. capabilities of a modern-day computer. This device could be
    Spring 1813 –1819 Herschel discovers the “hypo” (hyposul- programmed using punch cards like those devised for the
    phite of soda) later used to ‘fix’ photographs when that tech- Jacquard Loom.
    nology is invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830s. June 1835 Whewell organizes the first international recording
    December 1821 Babbage first thinks of inventing an “arith- of tidal data.
    metical engine” and begins work on his Difference Engine no. 1. June 1836 Tithe Bill passes Parliament; Jones appointed
    1829–1831 Whewell invents mathematical economics in a to the Commission overseeing the converting of tithe (tax)
    series of papers attacking David Ricardo’s economic theories. payments from produce to money, which requires the first
    extensive mapping of rural England and Wales.
    1831 Herschel publishes Preliminary Discourse on the Study
    of Natural Philosophy, which would teach scientific method Mid–March 1837 Darwin first voices the possibility that
    to Darwin. Jones publishes An Essay on the Distribution of “one species does change into another” after attending one of
    Wealth, an attack on David Ricardo’s economic theory and Babbage’s Saturday “soirées,” where he witnessed Babbage’s
    method. demonstration with the Difference Engine model.

    September 1831 The British Association for the Advance- January–March 1839 Herschel coins the terms “photog-
    ment of Science (BAAS) is created by Babbage and David raphy” for Talbot’s new invention and devises the method for
    Brewster and devised to showcase Herschel, Whewell, and fixing photographs. Herschel introduces the method in a paper
    Babbage’s view of science. read to the Royal Society.

    1833 Whewell publishes his Bridgewater Treatise on the rela- August 1840 Herschel produces the first color photograph
    tion between science and religion, arguing that truth in one of the light spectrum. Babbage publicizes his Analytical Engine
    realm cannot conflict with truth in the other. at a conference of Italian scientists in Turin, where he meets
    Luigi Menabrea, a mathematician and army engineer.
    June 1833 At the BAAS meeting in Cambridge, Whewell in-
    vents the word “scientist.” Whewell and Jones create the “sta-
    tistical section” of the society, introducing statistical techniques
    of astronomy into the new “social sciences.” (continue below)
    The
    PhilosoPhical
    B r e a k fa s T c l u B
    T i m eli n e
    Laura J. Snyder

    1841 Whewell publishes Philosophy of the Inductive 1848 Whewell introduces the natural Sciences Tripos Exam
    Sciences, a book which indicated to Darwin the best way to at Cambridge, allowing students to graduate with a degree in
    prove his theory of evolution. science; it took another twelve years before he convinced the
    November 1842 British government ends funding to University that this exam was sufficient for graduating.
    Babbage after granting approximately $2.5 million in today’s November 1850 Herschel appointed Master of the Mint.
    currency for the Difference Engine. 1853 Whewell publishes Of the Plurality of Worlds, arguing
    August 1843 Byron’s daughter, Ada Lovelace, translates against the existence of intelligent life on other planets.
    Menabrea’s article about the Analytical Engine. It’s published January 26, 1855 Richard Jones dies at age sixty-four.
    along with the first computer program which she co-wrote
    with Babbage. 1855 Babbage breaks the “indecipherable” Vigenère cipher;
    he returns to work on the Analytical Engine, perhaps with the
    October 1846 Babbage applies what he learned working idea of building a code-breaking machine.
    on the Analytical Engine to invent the Difference Engine
    no. 2. In 1991 it became the only one of his Engines to be March 6, 1866 Whewell dies at age seventy-one.
    fully constructed when it was built at the Science Museum of May 11, 1871 Herschel dies at age seventy-nine.
    London. October 18, 1871 Babbage dies at age seventy-nine.
    March 1847 Herschel finishes calculating all the astronomical
    data from his expedition to South Africa, and publishes it.

    The Philsophical Breakfast Club


    by Laura J. Snyder
    Available as a hardcover and ebook wherever
    books are sold.
    www.Facebook.com/AuthorLauraJSnyder

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