Festival to celebrate life and work of scientist Boyle
The heritage town in Co Waterford will play host to the Robert Boyle Science Festival from November 18 to 20, with events emphasising his work and the crucial legacy of knowledge he left for generations of scientists.
Robert Boyle was born in Lismore Castle in 1627 and was arguably the most influential scientist of his day
He was also one of the founding members of the Royal Society of London.
In 1661, his paper The Skeptical Chymist was published, paving the way for the branch of science now called the chemical sciences.
Among the highlights of the festival in Lismore will be talks by Professor Duncan Thorburn Burns of Queen’s University Belfast and Dr Allan Chapman of Channel 4 TV fame.
Due to the universal importance of Boyle’s law of gases, two further lectures will be devoted to the planet earth’s atmosphere.
The first will be presented by the chief scientific officer of Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Professor Bob Watson, and will provide a political perspective relevant to human activities on air pollution, climate change and agriculture.
The second lecture, by Professor Richard Wayne, renowned atmospheric scientist from Oxford University, will attempt to put the evolution of our atmosphere in proper perspective with our neighbouring planets.
Events will also be mounted by Eoin Gill from Waterford Institute of Technology and Dr Declan Kennedy of University College Cork (UCC) and the Lifetime Lab including lectures, demonstrations and “hands-on” experiences.
The celebration will end with a fireworks display to point out the essential ‘air’ that covers our planet and allows life to exist.
The festival is organised by the Lismore Heritage Centre along with representatives from Lismore Castle, UCC, WIT and the local chemical industry.
- For bookings or further information, call 058 54975 or email ehoward@lismoreheritage.ie.
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