Celebrating science and innovation
Today in partnership with the Oxford Literary Festival, we welcome the current Astronomer Royal, former president of the Royal Society and best-selling author, Lord Martin Rees, to talk about his latest book. During the last few years as the pandemic raged, we all became familiar with the phrase, ‘following the science.’ Science can no longer be left to the scientists; we now see how it affects us all. We have a vast array of knowledge about science at our disposal and every one of us has a responsibility to think carefully and use that knowledge wisely for the good of humanity.
Lord Rees has held several academic posts during his illustrious career and is now Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. He has won many prestigious awards including the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Heinemann Prize for Astrophysics. His many publications include “Our Cosmic Habitat” and “Just Six Numbers” in which he explores the origins of the cosmos and our world. Now he has moved on to consider the direction of humanity, and if and how science can help us to survive, most powerfully discussed in his new publication, “If Science is to Save us.”
Lord Rees’s talk takes place in the Sheldonian Theatre. It is a fitting venue, designed as it was by a previous Astronomer Royal and a founder member and later president of the Royal Society, Christopher Wren, before he made his name as an architect. He based his design on the open-air theatre of Marcellus in Rome from the first century BC, but he had to include a roof due to the English climate, and the roof truss which covered the entire 70-foot span was a magnificent feat of engineering. It is hidden from view by an allegorical painting by Robert Streater which shows Truth descending on the arts and the sciences as they drive Ignorance away from the university. The building was financed entirely by Sir Gilbert Sheldon, also a Fellow of the Royal Society and Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Sheldonian Theatre has been linked since its inception with both the arts and sciences. It is the principal assembly room of the university and has always been used as a lecture theatre. All the public ceremonies of the university take place here and it is best known for the annual graduation ceremonies. It has been used for concerts - Handel conducted the first performance of his third oratorio Athalia here in 1773. Today it is used by local groups for classical and popular concerts. In 2015 Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” was performed by Christchurch Dramatic Society. It is truly a building for all the community.
Lord Rees gives a compelling insight into his book and discusses how ordinary people - all the community, not only those who have an interest in science but those who enjoy music, art, literature and all manner of things - are involved in making this world a better place for us to live in. He is also presented with the Science and Innovation award, celebrating the importance of both artistic and scientific pursuits, as we recognise in the building itself how the technology of the architecture blends with the beauty of the painted ceiling, the assembly room by day becoming a musical venue by night. It represents a perfect combination of art and science for the health and enjoyment of mankind.