Royal Society

The Royal Society, based in London, England, is the world's oldest public institution dedicated to scientific research. Founded in 1660, the Royal Society serves as the national academy of science in the United Kingdom. The prestigious organization counts an esteemed roster of scientists among its members, which are called fellows.

The mission of the Royal Society is to promote scientific excellence, international cooperation, and the significance of science in daily life. Since its inception, the Royal Society has played a key role in revolutionary scientific discoveries. The organization pioneered scientific publishing and established peer review. It supports scientific research by awarding grants and medals, including the illustrious Copley Medal, the world's oldest scientific award.

The organization has included a long list of distinguished fellows, including Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Capt. James Cook, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Hodgkin, and Stephen Hawking.

Background

The Royal Society ushered in the birth of modern science. The society's motto is "Nullius in verba," which means "take nobody's word for it." The academy gained prominence for conducting research and verifying facts through systematic experimentation without the interference of government.

The society was formed on November 28, 1660, at Gresham College in London. A group of scientists and natural philosophers attended a lecture by scientist, mathematician, and architect Christopher Wren on astronomy. After the lecture, the dozen or so men decided to form a society for the advancement of scientific pursuits.

In 1662, the society received a royal charter from King Charles II, who declared himself the group's founder and patron. In a second royal charter in 1663, the society received its official name, the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge.

The organization established the first scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions, in 1665, under the society's secretary, Henry Oldenburg. The publication developed the process of peer review, when scientists evaluate each other's work. The practice has become standard among scientific publications. The world's longest-running scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions leads the society's repertoire of publications.

The Royal Society has inducted more than 8,000 fellows during its storied history, covering all fields of science. Members have come from around the world, belonging to varying class and status. Fellows and foreign members are elected based on scientific achievements. The society's membership was all male until 1945. That year, the first women fellows, biochemist Marjory Stephenson and crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale, were elected.

The self-governing academy exists independently of the British government, although it does receive government funds. The society is governed by its own president and council. To enhance international relations, the group appointed its first foreign secretary, Philip Henry Zollman, in 1723. Fellows carry on the society's work by serving on committees or working groups.

The Royal Society supports scientists and their research through grants and fellowships. In the mid-2010s, more than 1,500 researchers are funded by the society, including 700 fellows. The academy also organizes scientific conferences.

The organization awards a variety of medals for scientific research. Its highest award is the Copley Medal, which is given every year for outstanding contributions to science. First bestowed in 1731, the Copley Medal is the oldest scientific prize still in existence.

Overview

The Royal Society's illustrious membership reads like a who's who in science. The organization has provided a platform for the foremost scientists of their day. Its fellows made groundbreaking discoveries in microbiology, physics, electricity, astronomy, evolution, and relativity.

In 1665, Dutch scientist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek made drawings of the tiny life-forms he saw swimming in a drop of water underneath his microscope. The scientist discovered bacteria, protozoa, and other microorganisms. The Royal Society published his reports, and Leeuwenhoek became the father of microbiology. Leeuwenhoek submitted two hundred reports of his findings to the Royal Society for publication.

The Royal Society published famed British scientist Sir Isaac Newton's landmark work, Principia Mathematica, in 1687. The book, which he dedicated to the society, explained his law of gravity. Principia Mathematica went on to become one of the most influential books in physics, cementing Newton's reputation. Newton became president of the Royal Society in 1703 and remained its leader until his death in 1727.

In 1752, Benjamin Franklin performed possibly the most well-known science experiment in history. America's founding father flew a kite with a key attached to the end of the string during a storm to confirm the electrical nature of lightning. Franklin wrote about the experiment for the Royal Society, which published his results. The society awarded Franklin the Copley Medal the following year, the first time it bestowed the honor outside of Britain. In 1756, Franklin was elected a fellow of the society.

The Royal Society backed a voyage by British explorer James Cook to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus across the sun in 1768. In the following decade, Cook conducted more voyages during which he experimented with treatments to prevent his crew from dying from scurvy. The navigator and scientist was inducted into the Royal Society in 1776.

British biologist Charles Darwin was elected as a fellow in 1839, twenty years before the publication of his revolutionary On the Origin of Species on his theory of evolution, which included the process of natural selection. Darwin received the Copley Medal in 1864.

The great German physicist Albert Einstein was elected as a foreign member of the fellowship in 1922. Three years later, he was awarded the Copley Medal for his theory of relativity.

In 1964, crystallographer Dorothy Hodgkin, inducted as a Royal Society fellow in 1947, became the first British woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize. The Royal Society had supported Hodgkin's work on the molecular structures of vitamin B12 and penicillin.

British physicist Stephen Hawking was elected to the Royal Society fellowship in 1974. The accomplished professor received the Copley Medal in 2006 for his work in theoretical physics.

After more than 350 years, the Royal Society remains at the forefront of scientific discovery. The organization promotes scientific research through grants and awards, publishes scientific journals, and organizes scientific conferences. The academy continues to be relevant into the twenty-first century.

Bibliography

Bryson, Bill. Seeing Further: The Story of Science and the Royal Society. HarperCollins, 2010.

Burns, William E. The Scientific Revolution: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2001.

Collins, Peter. The Royal Society and the Promotion of Science since 1960. Cambridge UP, 2015.

Kidd, Thomas S. Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father. Yale UP, 2017.

Royal Society, 2024, royalsociety.org/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

"Strategic Plan 2022–2027." Royal Society, royalsociety.org/-/media/about-us/royal-society-strategic-plan-2022-2027.pdf. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Westfall, Robert S. The Life of Isaac Newton. Cambridge UP, 1993.