The Robert Boyle Summer School, a celebration of the life, works and legacy of Lismore born Robert Boyle and an exploration of science in our culture, starts this Thursday in Lismore, Boyle’s birth village.
The four-day event includes talks, walks and discussions, where scientists and non-scientists can meet and discuss ideas relating to the modern world. Boyle’s writings were extremely influential and the school will examine Boyle’s scientific communication and trace the development of scientific publication to the present day addressing serious issues for contemporary science.
This year the school will also celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Katherine Boyle, later Lady Ranelagh, who was a prominent intellectual figure in the 17thCentury and with whom Boyle collaborated in his scientific work. A special plaque will be unveiled during the school to honour her. Speakers will include Prof Michael Hunter (Birbeck College), Dr Michelle DiMeo (Chemical Heritage Foundation USA), Dr Aileen Fyfe (St Andrews Univ.), Prof Sir John Pethica (TCD), Prof Dorothy Bishop (Oxford), Prof Jim Malone (Emeritus TCD), Eoin Gill (WIT).
The school will also include BBQ, music sessions, dinner with poetry, guided walks and costumed recreations of Boyle’s experiments all in the stunning surroundings of Lismore. For more details see www.robertboyle.ie.
The Robert Boyle Summer School is an initiative conceived by Calmast, the leading science and technology promotion centre at Waterford Institute of Technology. It is run in conjunction with partners at Lismore Heritage Centre and The Robert Boyle Foundation (TCD). The main sponsors include Science Foundation Ireland, Institute of Physics and Waterford City and County Council.
