Saturday June 8, 9am – 6pm
Join us for a packed day of talks exploring the life and work of Victorian polymath, Sir John Herschel.
Sir John Herschel (1792-1871), son of the astronomer William Herschel and nephew to Caroline Herschel, was the most influential natural philosopher of the Victorian period.
His long career encompassed astronomy, mathematics, physics, geology, chemistry, as well as art, literature, politics, and the invention of photography.
Herschel’s 1831 Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy was the first book in English on the philosophy of science and had a formative influence on a generation of scientists, including Charles Darwin.
If being scientific in Victorian England meant to be as much like John Herschel as possible, this conference will explore what it meant to be John Herschel. The packed day promises to explore all aspects of Herschel’s life from philosophy to art.
9.30 – 10:00 Welcome and Introduction
Welcome
Charles Draper, Herschel Society Chairman
John Herschel’s Enduring Legacy
Stephen Case, Olivet Nazarene University
10.00 – 11.30 Session I Herschel’s Life & Influence
A Biographical Sketch
Emily Winterburn, independent scholar
Herschel at the Cape
Steve Ruskin, independent scholar
Herschel’s Philosophy of Science
Charles Pence, Universite catholique de Louvain
Session Q&A
11.30 – 11.45 – Coffee
11.45 – 13.15 Session II Herschel’s Natural Philosophy
Herschel’s Mathematical Journey
Tony Crilly, Middlesex University, emeritus
Herschel’s Astronomy
Stephen Case, Olivet Nazarene University
Herschel’s Geology
Gregory Good, American Institute of Physics, emeritus
Session Q&A
13.15 – 14.00 – Lunch break
14.00 – 15.30 Session III Herschel’s Methodology
Herschel’s Art of Drawing
Omar Nasim, University of Regensburg
Herschel’s Photographic Work
Kelley Wilder, De Montfort University
Herschel and Scientific Standardization
Edward Gillin, University College London
Session Q&A
15.30 – 15.45 – Coffee
15:45 – 17:00 External Perspective and Round Table
External perspective – Mike Edmunds, Vice -President Herschel Society
Round Table Q&A – All contributors plus Mike Edmunds
17.00 – 17.45 – Drinks and close
