An 1862 engraving of the Royal Society Fellowship of Eminent Scientists in the 18th century
The Royal Society (Jacob Alberding)
Founded in November of 1660, the Royal
Society is the oldest national scientific society in the world. It was created
by a group of 12 scholars (such as Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, and Bishop
John Wilkins) and, shortly after, funded through charters made by King Charles
II. Its purpose was to allow fellow scholars to “recognize, promote, and
support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of
science for the benefit of humanity”. The organizations motto: “Nullius in
verba” or “take nobody's word for it” has been kept true as the Royal Society
has discovered or emphasize various pieces of scientific evidence to help
establish the world we live in. This dates back to some of the most iconic
publications such as Robert Hooke’s Micrographia, which brings Antoni van
Leeuwenhoek discovery of microbiology to life through the use of illustrating
fleas. Other examples include the publications of Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica and Benjamin
Franklin’s kite experiment which demonstrated the nature of lightning. Still
running today, “Fellows” such as Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Richard Dawkins, Stephen
Hawking and Tim Berners-Lee are part of the 1,300 members of the Society.
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