06 Autumn 2016 Issue 06
Issue 06 of the Journal presents readers with several new research articles. Ian Hutchings presents a refutation of a number of early twentieth century working model interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci drawings; Dr Jaume Sastre-Juan analyses changing perceptions of European industrial museums as expressed in reports by the curators, directors and trustees of the New York Museum of Science and Industry in the 1920s and 1930s; while Claire Kennard focuses on a single object – Shizuo Ishiguro’s storm surge prediction machine – soon to appear in the Science Museum’s new maths gallery. We also include a thought-provoking text from Dr Jane Gregory on the importance of applying existing technologies to address global issues, as well as a review of the recent John Dee exhibition at The Royal College of Physicians. We hope you enjoy reading this issue!
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Editorial
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Giovanni Canestrini’s models of Leonardo da Vinci’s friction experiments
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Understanding storm surges in the North Sea: Ishiguro’s electronic modelling machine
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Threading through history: the vertical transmission of Davy, Faraday and Tyndall’s lecture demonstration practices
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Doping at the Science Museum: the conservation challenge of doped fabric aircraft in the Flight gallery
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Pilgrimages to the museums of the new age: appropriating European industrial museums in New York City (1927–1937)
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Problem/science/society
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Challenges of conservation: working objects
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Review: Scholar, courtier, magician: the lost library of John Dee (Royal College of Physicians, 18 January–29 July 2016)
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Obituary: Brian Bracegirdle (1933–2015) at the Science Museum
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Obituary: Dr Anita McConnell FRGS FRSA FRMetS (1936–2016)
Featured content
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Understanding storm surges in the North Sea: Ishiguro’s electronic modelling machine
An introduction to one of the star objects in Mathematics: The Winton Gallery, an electronic storm surge modelling machine.
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Problem / science / society
The economic aim of commercialisation of science has drawn attention to particular innovations. Science communicators and the public participate in this process. However, there are technologies that scientists and the public already value, that they could apply to global problems.
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Doping at the Science Museum: the conservation challenge of doped fabric aircraft in the Flight gallery
A review of the materials used to make doped fabric aircraft, the Science Museum’s collection and the conservation challenge of such objects.
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Giovanni Canestrini’s models of Leonardo da Vinci’s friction experiments
Among the many mechanical models based on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, several purport to illustrate his experiments on friction. This article traces the history of these models and examines them critically in the light of recent research into Leonardo’s studies of friction.