Today we paid a visit to the Royal Society of London. It was a pretty cool trip because the Royal Society basically had it's fingers in everything we have learned about so far in our trip. For those reading who are not familiar with the Royal Society I will explain. The Royal Society of London was a social group of men in the 19th Century that started to meet casually to share their ideas on science and the world. Eventually they were given a formal mandate and charter from the King. Their job was to remain on the pinnacle of science. They would hold meetings and different famous scientists of the time. They started printing a transcript of the presentations. These Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society have become the longest continually printed scientific journal ever.
My Ingenious Person Charles Babbage was a member of the Royal Society. He would play a major role in the reformation of the society. They Royal Society today serves generally the same role it did back in the 18th Century. Though the number of fellows is in the tens of thousands rather than just the thousands and the meetings are far fewer and further between they still are very similar. The building of the Royal Society serves less as a meeting place and more as a library. The Royal Society has a huge library of books published by their fellows. I spent a good time reading a book of writings published by Babbage. I particularly enjoyed a paper he wrote about "Street Nuisances." He had an incredible hatred of organ grinders and other street musicals. I and a few others signed up to be readers of the Royal Society Library so I might find time to go back.
Unfortunately the Royal Society is not in it's traditional building. They moved out of that building and into their current building in the 1950s. They are actually in a building that was the former German embassy during the second world War. The Archivist, who gave us the tour, told us that there are rumors that under all of the carpets there are tilled swastikas all over the floor.
