- Date: Tuesday 23 May 2017
- Categories: Science and Technology
The Museum of the History of Science, Medicine and Technology is hosting a public lecture on Tuesday 23rd May, at 6:30pm, in the Rupert Beckett Lecture Theatre. This is Lecture 15 of the series ‘History and Philosophy of Science in 20 Objects’.
Lecture 15: Barr and Stroud Rangefinder, or the magic and mayhem of optics
Archibald Barr and William Stroud met while teaching at the Yorkshire College of Science, the University of Leeds’ predecessor. In 1888, a War Office competition advertised in Engineering magazine led them to start work on building an optical rangefinder, a device used to accurately determine distances for military purposes. Barr & Stroud’s design was adopted by the Royal Navy in 1892, and later by the Army. It remained in use until it was replaced by radar technology in World War Two.
Join us to discover the struggles Barr and Stroud faced to make their instrument a success, and to explore the philosophical and historical questions raised by optical science in the Victorian era. How does optical theory pose a problem for understanding the relationship between science and reality? What is the difference between pure and applied science? What can we learn from Barr & Stroud about the nature of intellectual ownership in science? Greg Radick, Juha Saatsi and Kiara White will discuss these questions in The Barr-Stroud Rangefinder, or, The Magic and Mayhem of Optics.
Please see our website for more information on the series.
All lectures are being recorded and made available for download after the event. The lectures are open to all, for all backgrounds and ages and no prior knowledge assumed. Tea and coffee available from 6:15pm onwards — we hope to see you there!
https://twitter.com/hashtag/HPSin20