Professor Jim Secord - Eureka! How the history of science became a story of discovery.

Professor Jim Secord

  • Monday 21 November 2022, 18:30 – 19:30
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre, Cambridge
This event has passed In-person Lecture
  • Event cost: Free
  • Disabled access?: Yes
  • Booking required: Yes

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Overview

Inspired moments of discovery are widely seen as the central story of science. Great discoveries are often assumed to involve a single moment of insight, made by an individual genius working in isolation. How did this view of discovery become established? The most common expression associated with scientific discovery in the European tradition is 'Eureka', meaning 'I have found it’. This talk uses the history of 'Eureka' to chart changing views of discovery and its role within science.
 

Speaker Biographies

Emeritus Professor and Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project, Department of History and Philosophy of Science

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Location

Venue Address
Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre
Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry
29 Lensfield Rd
Cambridge CB2 1ER
01223 336300

The entrance to the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry can be found at the side of the Scott Polar Research Institute, opposite the boat. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre is located directly in the entrance as you enter the building. 

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