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1 - Spreading the word: problems with publishing professional science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2010

Nicholas Russell
Nicholas Russell
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
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Summary

One afternoon in January 1693 the sign outside the coffee house at the Blackfriars end of the Strand groaned in the wind howling off the Thames. At half past two the bookseller John Dunton reached the coffee house, quickly moving inside to the fire, candles and scattering of occupants. He paused once the door had closed and spotted Benjamin Steele in a corner. Beside him sat Richard Holden chewing the end of a quill. Dunton greeted them as he sat down, opening his satchel from which a heap of pamphlets and books fell onto the table, each marked with slips of paper. He fished out some blank sheets from the satchel's nether reaches and put them in front of his henchmen.

“Ben, you had best start with this German report. You should be able to run up a draft, then we'll get Harrington to make sure we have it authentic. Richard, the introduction in this botanical tome looks interesting though the Latin is awful. Show me when you've a draft. I can probably make a sensible judgement. Meanwhile I will make a start on this French piece which claims to be a lost essay by Monsieur Descartes. About that, we shall see.”

All three set to work drafting English translations of the three pieces of foreign natural philosophy; one cosmological, one botanical, one mathematical. Steele and Holden's threadbare clothes quickly became aromatic and Dunton made extensive use of a strongly scented handkerchief. That was one problem of working with Cripplegate hacks. […]

Type
Chapter
Information
Communicating Science
Professional, Popular, Literary
 , pp. 3 - 15
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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References

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