How British anxiety about European advances created a scientific prize | Rebekah Higgitt

Behind the Royal Society ’s prestigious Royal Medals, whose 2017 winners were announced today, is a 200-year-old story of Britain’s fear of scientific decline in the face of international competitionThe Royal Societytoday announced a slew of medal and award winners. Iwrote previously about the curious history of the Society ’s oldest prize medal, awarded earlier this year, but today press focus is on their next most prestigious, theRoyal Medals. While the illustrious list of past winners may be recalled, few recognise the medals ’ origin in a period of concern for British science and sustained attack on the Society.As the Society ’s website tells us, the Royal Medals were founded by George IV in 1825, to be offered annually for the two “most important contributions to the advancement of Natural Knowledge” in the physical and biological sciences. In the 20th century a third medal was added, for applied sciences. A full list of winners – boasting names like Dalton, Davy, Herschel, Faraday, Darwin, Crookes, Eddington, Dirac and Perutz – can be foundhere.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: History of science Royal Society Source Type: news