british science

Isaac Newton

English mathematician, physicist and astronomer who formulated the three laws of motion and the theory of universal gravitation

Newton's laws of motion

three fundamental laws describing the relationship between forces and the motion of objects

universal gravitation

the theory that every object in the universe attracts every other object through gravity

Principia Mathematica

Newton's major scientific work published in 1687

calculus

a branch of mathematics dealing with change, motion and quantities that vary

optics

the branch of physics concerned with light and its behaviour

James Watt

Scottish inventor and engineer who greatly improved the efficiency of steam engines

steam engine

a machine that uses steam to produce mechanical power

separate condenser

Watt's improvement that made steam engines much more efficient

watt

the SI unit of power, named after James Watt

Michael Faraday

English scientist famous for his work on electricity and electromagnetism

electromagnetic induction

the production of electric current by a changing magnetic field

electromagnetism

the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between electricity and magnetism

electric motor

a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical movement

electric generator

a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy

electrochemistry

the branch of chemistry concerned with the relationship between electricity and chemical reactions

Charles Darwin

English naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection

evolution

the gradual change of living organisms over generations

natural selection

the process by which organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce

adaptation

a characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment

variation

differences between individuals of the same species

HMS Beagle

the ship on which Charles Darwin travelled around the world and collected scientific observations

On the Origin of Species

Darwin's famous 1859 book explaining his theory of evolution by natural selection

George Stephenson

English engineer and pioneer of the railway age

Rocket

George Stephenson's famous steam locomotive

steam locomotive

a railway engine powered by steam

railway engineering

the branch of engineering concerned with designing and building railways and trains

Stockton and Darlington Railway

an early railway associated with George Stephenson

Joseph Lister

British surgeon who introduced antiseptic methods into surgery

antiseptic surgery

surgical practice designed to prevent infection by reducing microorganisms

carbolic acid

a chemical used by Lister to disinfect wounds and surgical instruments

Alexander Fleming

Scottish physician and bacteriologist who discovered penicillin

penicillin

an antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming after he noticed mould stopping bacterial growth

bacteriology

the scientific study of bacteria

antibiotic

a substance used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria

Nobel Prize

an international prize awarded for major achievements in science, literature and other fields

Ernst Chain

scientist who helped develop penicillin into a practical treatment and shared the 1945 Nobel Prize

Howard Florey

scientist who helped develop penicillin into a practical treatment and shared the 1945 Nobel Prize

Rosalind Franklin

British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose research provided important evidence about the structure of DNA

X-ray crystallography

a technique used to investigate the structure of molecules using X-rays

Photo 51

Rosalind Franklin's famous X-ray diffraction image providing evidence of DNA's helical structure

DNA

the molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms

double helix

the twisted structural form of DNA

Alan Turing

British mathematician and computer scientist who worked on codebreaking and the foundations of computer science

Turing machine

a mathematical model of computation developed by Alan Turing

codebreaking

the process of deciphering encrypted messages

Bletchley Park

the British site where Turing and other codebreakers worked during World War II

Enigma

a German encryption system used during World War II

encryption

the process of converting information into a coded form to prevent unauthorised access

artificial intelligence

the field concerned with creating machines capable of performing tasks associated with human intelligence

Stephen Hawking

British theoretical physicist and cosmologist famous for his research into black holes

theoretical physics

the branch of physics that uses mathematical models to explain natural phenomena

cosmology

the scientific study of the origin, structure and development of the universe

black hole

a region of space with gravity so strong that even light cannot escape

Hawking radiation

theoretical radiation predicted to be emitted by black holes

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking's popular science book about cosmology and the universe

Tim Berners-Lee

British computer scientist who created the World Wide Web

World Wide Web

a system of interconnected web pages and resources that operates over the Internet

Internet

the global network of interconnected computer networks

HTML

the standard markup language used to structure content on web pages

URL

a web address identifying the location of a resource on the Web

web browser

software used to access and navigate websites

web server

a computer system that stores and delivers web content

Royal Society

Britain's leading scientific society, founded in 1660

scientific community

a group of researchers and scientists who share knowledge and communicate about research

University of Oxford

one of the world's oldest universities and the oldest university in the English-speaking world

University of Cambridge

one of the world's oldest universities, famous for its achievements in mathematics and science

the city of dreaming spires

a famous nickname for Oxford referring to its distinctive architecture

the city of perspiring dreams

a humorous nickname for Cambridge, parodying Oxford's nickname

Industrial Revolution

the period when production shifted from manual labour and workshops to machines, factories and mass production

mass production

the manufacture of large quantities of goods using machines and organised production systems

factory

a building where goods are manufactured using machinery and organised labour

mechanisation

the process of replacing or assisting human labour with machines

industrialisation

the development of industry on a large scale within an economy

engineering

the application of scientific and mathematical knowledge to design and build machines and systems

manufacturing

the process of producing goods, especially on a large scale

infrastructure

the basic physical systems needed for a society or economy, such as roads, railways and ports

capital

money and other resources available for investment in business and production

scientific research

systematic investigation carried out to discover or develop new knowledge

scientific discovery

a new fact, phenomenon or principle identified through scientific investigation

invention

a new device, method or process created by people

innovation

a new idea, method or improvement that changes or improves existing technology or practice

breakthrough

an important discovery or development that produces a major advance

experiment

a scientific procedure carried out to test an idea or hypothesis

evidence

information or observations used to support a scientific conclusion

hypothesis

a proposed explanation that can be tested through research or experiments

observation

information obtained by carefully watching or examining something

laboratory

a place equipped for scientific research and experiments

researcher

a person who carries out systematic scientific investigation

scientist

a person who studies the natural world through observation, experimentation and analysis

naturalist

a scientist who studies plants, animals and the natural world

physicist

a scientist who studies matter, energy, forces and the laws of nature

chemist

a scientist who studies substances, their properties and chemical reactions

biologist

a scientist who studies living organisms

engineer

a specialist who applies scientific and mathematical knowledge to solve practical problems